DVD REVIEW

Zodiac - 2 Disc Director's Cut

Paramount Home Entertainment || R || Jan 8, 2008

Synopsis

Based on the true story of the notorious serial killer and the intense manhunt he inspired, Zodiac is a superbly crafted and critically acclaimed thriller from director David Fincher.


Critique

When the Zodiac shoots a cabbie in San Francisco, the city is in an uproar. Tips come in from everywhere, a bogus description goes out over the police radio, and no one knows where to look. Two beat cops who actually caught a glimpse of the killer describe his as “not in a hurry, kind of lumbering along.” As much as they were describing Zodiac the killer, they could have just as easily been describing Zodiac the film. The film doesn’t lumber, but it is also not in a hurry.

Zodiac is a film that takes its time, that moves at a deliberate, obsessive pace. The case drags on for any number of reasons, in the end becoming something that has consumed the lives of everyone involved, only to lead nowhere. A case – a project – that you put yourself into, that consumes years of your life, only to hit a dead end: David Fincher might know a thing or two about that; Zodiac could be about filmmaking as much as crime.

Zodiac is not a serial killer movie, it is a crime drama. The story is not a thin string connecting a series of ever more grisly deaths. (We only see the killings where someone has lived to leave some kind of record. The first Zodiac murder, where both victims died, is mentioned, but we do not see it in the film.) The film is about the confounding nature of the case and the obsessive web that ensnares everyone who gets involved. The opening sequence sets up the film perfectly, the whole tone warns us to strap in as we follow a long tracking shot down a neighborhood street, the shot disconnected from all the July 4th activity, prowling, stalking.

The Zodiac investigation is hampered by many things. The forensic technology of today simply did not exist at the time, and there was little precedent, if any, for these kinds of murders. The murders occurred in different jurisdictions, so until the Zodiac sent his first letter to a San Francisco newspaper (the point at which the story effectively begins) there was no indication that they were connected at all. The police in the different cities were uncoordinated. Even when an investigation does get underway, it is hopelessly undermanned, with only two SFPD officers following up leads on what quickly becomes a couple of thousand possible suspects.

Mark Ruffalo’s Inspector Toschi is a dedicated officer who devotes years of his career to chasing Zodiac. We are half way into the film and four years into the case when Toschi finally has a possible suspect and enough evidence to get a search warrant. By the end of the film, Toschi is a wounded man, crippled by solving the case without any real proof.

Robert Graysmith (Jake Gyllenhaal) goes on to write a book, but that is at the very end. He starts out the film a Chronicle cartoonist who likes puzzles. The second half of the film belongs to Graysmith, as he reviews the entire case, talks to new suspects and hits more dead ends as he retraces the investigation for the book he is putting together. The obsession has already wounded Toschi and derailed Paul Avery (Robert Downy Jr.), the crime reporter whose trailblazing stories brought the case to the public. After being threatened by Zodiac, and with no leads in the case, Avery becomes a drunk, retreating to a houseboat and writing for the Sacramento Bee, a definite step down from the big city Chronicle. Downy delivers another great performance as Avery, giving him a cockiness that survives even his fall.

Arthur Leigh Allen’s name comes up over and over, both in Toschi’s investigation and in the material Graysmith gets his hands on. Allen was an eerie, unsettling figure (check out the bonus material in this set for more on that) who remains the number one suspect in the Zodiac case. The scariest fact of all concerning Allen is that he was never tried in the case and never spent a day in prison. Everything pointing to him was cancelled out be something else.

There is no closure in Zodiac. There is no big arrest, no big confession. The film comes full circle, ending where it begins. Mike Mageau, the first character we see in the film, identifies Arthur Leigh Allen as his attacker. Robert Graysmith finds Allen working in a hardware story in Vallejo, ground zero for his crimes, going on about his life as though nothing had happened, just as he would until his death. With all the evidence, nothing can be proven, and all we are left with are unanswered questions.


Video

Zodiac is presented in the original 2.35:1 aspect ratio. The transfer here is excellent. The black levels are solid, and the film’s many digital elements are blended perfectly with the live footage. The overall picture is pristine.


Audio

This disc is presented in English Dolby Digital 5.1 Surround, and the presentation is excellent. The film is a succession of quiet, aurally soft, yet complex all at the same time, and we do not lose any of that in the transfer. The channels are crisp and the whole presentation is flawless.


Special Features

Disc One

Commentary by Director David Fincher: this is a great track, nearly as obsessive as the film itself. Fincher’s scrupulous eye for detail comes out as he talks about how he shot certain scenes (listen to his talk about the opening tracking shot to see the lengths he went to). Fincher talks about the story and the personal elements in the film.

Commentary by Jake Gyllenhaal, Robert Downey Jr., Producer Brad Fischer, James Vanderbilt, and James Ellroy: this track is a lot of fun. We start out with writer Vanderbilt talking about his introduction to Graysmith’s book as a high school student and a short history of getting to write the movie. James Ellroy – King of American Crime Fiction – chimes in, and he is always a blast to listen to.


Disc Two

Zodiac Deciphered: an exhaustive look at the making of the film. We follow the production from the genesis of the script to pre-production, costumes and set design and more, all with an eye on the attention to detail that dominated the film. (54:13)

The Visual Effects of Zodiac: a look at the creation of the film’s visual effects and the detail that went into each shot. As one of the designers says, there were not as many effect shots as there would be in your average summer blockbuster, but the shots they created were much more detailed. (15:19)

Previsualization: a look at three sequences. We see the completed scenes next to the digital storyboards.

Theatrical Trailer: the original trailer. (2:34)

This Is the Zodiac Speaking: a feature length documentary about the case that covers every angle. We get the facts from surviving investigators and victims. The piece is simple and straightforward, and it is utterly compelling. (1:42:10)

His Name Was Arthur Leigh Allen: a look at the number one suspect in the case, as told by people who knew him, one of the investigators, and Robert Graysmith. This is another great piece.


Final Thoughts

Zodiac is a masterful film, one of the best of the year. The presentation here is everything that is great about DVD. The audio-visual presentations are excellent, and the bonus material alone makes the DVD worth buying.

VERDICT: HIGHLY RECOMMENDED

 

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Review posted on Jan 27, 2008 | Share this article | Top of Page

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