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Zodiac (2007) DVD Review
Zodiac (2007) DVD Credits:
Zodiac (2007) Directed by:
David Fincher
Zodiac (2007) Written by:
James Vanderbilt
Zodiac (2007) Cast:
Jake Gyllenhaal, Mark Ruffalo, Robert Downey Jr., Anthony Edwards, Ezra Buzzington
Zodiac (2007) Released by:
Not available at this time
Region:
1
Zodiac (2007) DVD Release Date:
23rd July 2007
Our Rating: Extras Rating:

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Zodiac (2007) Synopsis:

Based on the true story of one of the most intriguing unsolved crimes in the nation's history, "Zodiac" is a thriller from David Fincher, director of "Se7en" and "Fight Club." As a serial killer terrifies the San Francisco Bay Area and taunts police with his ciphers and letters, investigators in four jurisdictions search for the murderer. The case will become an obsession for four men as their lives and careers are built and destroyed by the endless trail of clues.

Zodiac (2007) DVD Review:

I saw David Fincher’s “Zodiac” earlier this year and was blown away by his distinct treatment of this famous-killer-thriller but an essential DVD viewing reinforced my feelings that “Zodac” is the best American film so far this year. Below is an extended review of this modern crime classic, which I determine to be the preeminent procedural as well as one of Fincher’s best and most mature works to date.

Only a director with clout could get away with a film like "Zodiac. " As luck would have it David Fincher has clout. With this film Fincher proves once again that he is a master. However, unlike previous efforts where the filmmaker wowed audience by showcasing his knowledge of suspense ("Seven"), action ("Fight Club"), puzzles ("The Game") and claustrophobia ("Panic Room, Alien 3"), this new project finds Fincher indulging in facts and data of all things. As un-sexy as that sounds (and, boy, does it), Fincher turns a film about paperwork, procedurals, and patience into a weapon that cuts deep and leaves a mark. "Zodiac" may be slow moving and meticulously designed but it is entirely surefooted in its attempt to assemble and deconstruct --file by file, witness by witness-- the gripping Zodiac murder mystery. But not the mystery itself, no, this film is after the obsessive personalities who chase the enigma from behind a desk. Drunk reporters, pudgy cops, and compulsive boy scout cartoonists represent an unusual array of heroes for this piece. Like the Zodiac killer, who stands apart for being able to “break the pattern” of serial killers, so to does Fincher with serial killer conventions.

The film opens with a bang, literally, as the audience is thrown into this story through the eyes of two of the killer’s victims. As two teens sit in a car, they wait in terror as a shadowy figure stalks them. And the audience waits with them. In these early moments the Zodiac strikes his prey in a calm and calculating manner reminiscent of a number of recent pseudo-psychological serial killer movies such as "Texas Chainsaw Massacre: The Beginning" or "Hannibal Rising." But unlike the recent string of schlocky slasher movies, this is the rare kind serial killer film that is able to play by its own rules. In fact, by the end the audience knows less about the killer then when the film started. Fincher’s tactic of tantalizing the audience with first person accounts of the gruesome killer only to withhold his presence as the film progresses and time passes allows the conditions surrounding these strange murders to be abstracted as they buried under mounds of paperwork and futile detective work. So don't let the adds fool you, this film is not the follow-up to "Se7en" you were hoping for when the news broke that David Fincher was going to do another serial killer film last year. Instead, this is something far better: a genuinely involving detective yarn.

This film is no more about the famous Zodiac killer than "All the President's Men" is about Richard Nixon. In addition to narrative similarities with Pakula's groundbreaking film about reporters doing their jobs, "Zodiac" plays out in a style reminiscent of Sean Penn's underrated "The Pledge" in the sense that both films show how the futile search for "truth" in a chaotic world can consume ones life. The madness in these films is located not in the subversive act of killing but in a general feeling of angst shrouded by an ever present unknowingness. Not being able to cathartically experience the sort of cosmic movie justice that normally passes for horror realism is jarring from a genre standpoint but quite rewarding for someone looking for new entries into an old subject. Tangently “about” a serial killer yet told through the eyes of serial killer hobbyist (Jake Gyllenhaal), the story arrives to the conclusion that it's the search for the killer --and the subsequent effects of this journey-- that is a lot more maddening than the identity of the killer himself.

Sprawling yet strangely subdued, the film moves along at a leisurely pace but never forgets to work up our interests by presenting small bits of evidence that feel thrilling as they unfold but are actually, on the surface, rather mundane. For instance, Robert Graysmith (Jake Gyllenhaal), whose obsession with the details of the Zodiac case reaches Howard Hughes-ian levels, discovers a lost bit of information that the cops missed. The killer, it seems, revealed to a psychologist's maid years ago that it was his birthday. The camera suddenly closes in on Gyllenhall's youthful face (with a glimmer of neurotic darkness shadowing his eyes) as he deduces the exact day and, from there, a possible suspect. Such a simple detail is able to get the heart racing more so than even the early scenes depicting the killer.

Here is a film sustained by artists with grand aspirations more so than box office expectations. In addition to Fincher's ability to render this unusual story mesmerizing, a number of other elements come together to make this film fly. The script by James Vanderbilt (based on Robert Graysmith's book) crackles with wry wit and smooth dialogue, the cinematography by Harris Savides is luminous with a sun-faded 70s glow by day and deep contrasts by night, and the casting is sheer brilliance. Subtle choices like putting Anthony Edwards in the role of a secondary investigator, the dependable Brian Cox as a media savvy psychologist, and Elias Koteas as a tired local sheriff blends well with the meatier roles inhabited by Jake Gyllenhaal as the puzzle solving savant, Robert Downey Jr. as the sardonic reporter he works with and Mark Ruffalo as the lead detective in charge of hunting down the elusive Bay Area killer. The later three make up a fabulously offbeat trifecta in which cartoon drawings, coke binges and a strange lust for animal crackers bring forth tasty bits of character depth. There is a scene late in the movie where, years after the killings, Graysmith tries to convinced the retired reporter played by Downey Jr. to co-write a book. The reporter has burned out on the case and faded into a hazy remnant of his lively former self. As Robert Downey Jr. sits there gulping vodka and doing coke lines in a way only Robert Downey Jr. can, the nearby television is blazing the hot new technology of the era, Atari's "Pong." The more Gyllenhaal tries to communicate with this man the more he (and us) realizes that the BONG, BONG, BONG sound emanating from the system has neutralized all sounds and meanings. This reporter has been destroyed by the case and technology isn’t making his life any easier.

"Zodiac" is as obsessive about constructing details as its principal protagonist played by Jake Gyllenhaal. So much so that this idiosyncratic project comes across as one of Fincher's pet projects. This film is so blissfully focused on the case that nothing else seems to matter. This is taken to the extent that the 1960s and 70s backdrop becomes drowned out and muted in the presence of this case. Such historical tunnel vision allows the film to probe its subject matter with maximum incisiveness and the filmmaker’s ability to hone in on the specific subject matter indicates that he is not just a dazzling stylist (as many determined, and rightfully so, after "Fight Club"), but a nimble storyteller as well. Think about it, this is a film about one of the most famous unsolved crime in American history. Wait, UNSOLVED? Yes, and it is quite bold that Fincher tackled this subject and refrained from including the obligatory showdown where a protagonist stairs into the maw of evil-incarnate and lives to tell about it. Fincher has figured out that that understatement can be as powerful as blood if positioned the right way and he has found the perfect vehicle in which to express this impulse.

While the languid pacing and protracted time line represents a departure of style for Mr. Fincher, the film is just as riveting as his more accessible efforts. From god's-eye-view shots following a fatal cab trip the Zodiac is taking to zippy news paper headlines montages ("Zodiac Strikes Again!") that appear soon after, to slow yet eerie scenes set in front of nothing more than a stack of papers, the film strikes the perfect balance between intrigue, stylization and content. In this respect it is clear that Fincher has grown as a filmmaker. After watching his latest masterpiece there is every indication that this upsurge of creatively will continue to evolve as the years go by. Earlier this year an Internet Movie Database's movie poll asked the question, "Now that Martin Scorsese has won an Academy Award for directing, who holds the title of 'Best contemporary American director who has never won a Best Director Oscar?'" Shuffling past choices like Tim Burton and Spike Jonze with a snicker, I thought about choosing Fincher for a long while before eventually settling on Quentin Tarantino. I wonder, though, how much longer will I be able to feel that way with confidence?

The DVD
It's almost as if this Warner Brothers is daring you not to buy their DVD. It’s a pity that just about the beast film of the year gets just about the worst DVD treatment. The picture and sound quality have a way of sparkling on any HDTV set. Harris Savides’ cinematography in particular holds up strong on the small screen and this DVD print will hopefully help earn this great talent his first Oscar nomination. But the extras have been apparently killed off by the Zodiac killer, who must be waiting to slash again with an un-CUT special edition. Remember, fellow Fincher-files, the same thing happened with “Panic Room” and “Se7en.”

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Zodiac (2007) DVD review written by: Greg Douglass

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