Zodiac

by Ari

 
Zodiac is a film about details. Instead of resorting to exhausted serial-killer conventions like gratuitous violence and cheap frights, director David Fincher focuses his film on the smallest details that made the Zodiac sensation so fascinating and terrifying. Fincher has indulged in the grotesque before (Se7en), so it’s pleasantly surprising to see his newest film spend less time with bloodshed and more time with information and investigation. This is a procedural thriller of the highest order, expertly constructed and written by James Vanderbilt and beautifully directed by Fincher - easily his most accomplished and sophisticated work. I’ve always felt like Fincher was a crafty stylist without a screenplay, and now that he’s found such strong material, he proves he has the ability to present complex, intriguing, and entertaining cinema. Taking inspiration from the great era of 70’s filmmaking (the film even opens with vintage Paramount and Warner Bros. logos - a nice touch), Fincher’s movie examines every angle of the Zodiac case for nearly three hours without ever boring or distancing the viewer. The incredible amount of information absorbs the audience into the case, effectively placing you in the mind-set of the three main characters. The pacing is rather breathtaking - proof that Fincher possesses great skill for intricate cinematic storytelling. Each sequence is filled with meticulous detail, but Fincher never loses control of the exposition or breaks the energy of the pacing. This allows the few sequences of brutality to be particularly intense, and for the suspense to gradually build as the leads get closer and closer to finding the truth. Zodiac is slick filmmaking throughout - the best film of its kind in years. The last time I experienced something this detailed and fascinating was with The Good Shepherd, one of my favorite films last year. While Zodiac isn’t quite the character study that The Good Shepherd is, the level of information put together in such a richly cinematic form is extremely similar. It’s great to see cinema this fine so early in the year.

The three leads who become obsessed with the case are cartoonist-turned-author Robert Graysmith (Jake Gyllenhaal), reporter Paul Avery (Robert Downey Jr.), and San Francisco Inspector Dave Toschi (Mark Ruffalo). The film cuts back and forth between their work to discover the identity of the Zodiac killer, a figure that terrorized the city with his random murders. Each character is absorbed by the complexity of the case, just as we the audience become absorbed by each new fact they uncover. It’s Toschi’s job to find the killer - a job that becomes increasingly difficult because of how the Zodiac operates, sending letters and ciphers to the San Francisco Chronicle, taunting and threatening in order to create a city-wide panic. The Zodiac did this particularly well, as we all know.

The first half of the film deals with Toschi’s initial investigation of the killings, piecing together the Zodiac’s methods and recognizing that his pattern is that there is no pattern. Meanwhile, Avery’s reporting causes massive problems for the police department. After all, it’s good business for him until he becomes so wrapped up with the case that the Zodiac threatens his life. Hovering around Avery’s desk, collecting information, and constantly watching the newest developments is Graysmith, who becomes so fascinated by the Zodiac he can’t seem to leave it behind when the case hits a dead end. The film’s violence occurs during the first half, of course. The murder that opens the film is sudden and haunting, immediately setting an eerie tone that lasts for the rest of the film. The screenplay takes place over the course of several years, and Fincher handles the passing of time with great skill. In one great sequence early in the film, we track the progress of the people attempting to decipher the Zodiac’s letter. One scene is 3 hours after receiving the letter, the next scene 12 hours later, the scene after that a day later, and so on. The film does this throughout, sometimes with effective montages like the building of the TransAmerica Pyramid. Again, the pacing is breathtaking to behold, especially in sequences that switch from so many different locations in so brief a period of screen-time. That level of filmmaking is no small feat, and Fincher deserves praise for maintaining such a high level of interest while so much is happening.

The second half follows Graysmith’s personal investigation for his book, after the Zodiac has disappeared and all leads are lost. He and Toschi secretly work together to get some results, and each new discovery becomes more and more fascinating. The idea is to overwhelm the viewer with the case just as the characters are being worn down by it, and Fincher captures this feeling tremendously. The tension builds to a wonderfully suspenseful moment between Graysmith and a friend of a possible suspect. Things naturally become more dangerous for him as he obtains facts that lead him closer and closer to an answer. While the main suspect, Arthur Leigh Allen, is never actually charged as the Zodiac, the film concludes with basically all fingers pointing in his direction. Either way, the case is mesmerizing and haunting.

The performances are strong from the three leads, especially Mark Ruffalo as Toschi. This is his best work yet, a performance that will likely be forgotten by next year’s Oscars, but is more than worthy of such acclaim. Period detail is as magnificent as the details of the case itself. Cinematography is dark and moody - work that will surely rank among the best of this year. This is a truly excellent film.