FILM CHALLENGE: 75) Zodiac

75) Zodiac

Director: David Fincher

Year: 2007

Plot Summary: A true story. Robert Graysmith is a cartoonist who works for the San Francisco Chronicle. When the newspaper starts to receive letters and cryptic messages from a serial killer who calls himself 'The Zodiac', he becomes obsessed with discovering the man's identity with the help of fellow journalists and police officers.

Let's get this out of the way right off the bat: I understand that David Fincher has made Fight Club, Seven and The Curious Case Of Benjamin Button, but that doesn't change the fact that I believe Zodiac is the director's masterpiece.

As it very rarely uses its artistic license to adjust the facts of this extremely complex and as of yet unsolved case, Zodiac is the kind of film that I can imagine many people wouldn't like. After all, this means it doesn't have the gripping narrative, the fast pace, the energetic style or the excitement that the aforementioned Seven and Fight Club delivered and it's so packed with dialogue that fans of the Oscar nominated The Curious Case Of Benjamin Button would probably find it very dull. However, it also means Zodiac breaks the traditional intentions of a film narrative by, instead of just telling a story, giving us a visual case file of the facts that were established in the investigation of the serial killer.

That's not to say the movie is simply two and a half hours of facts presented in the style of a film though, as it's all connected by, first of all, a terrific study of Western society's morbid obsession with events like the Zodiac killings. Second of all, it's also a fantastic look at how police procedure, the limited technology that existed during the killings and the fact that none of the police stations communicated with each other resulted in the case not being solved. Third of all, it's a great insight into late 60s to early 70s life in California, touching subtlety on the racism, homophobia and sexism of the era. And, last of all, in a strange way feels like a nostalgic tribute to the city of San Francisco despite the genre and the themes of the movie. It touches on the city's culture from the hippie and the gay movement to the use of music from many San Francisco artists and the period design - which is so meticulously put together by the perfectionistic Fincher - has a sentimental touch about it too.

Without any of these aspects, it would still make for incredible viewing though. When I watched the movie, I knew nothing about the facts of the case and the way Fincher presented them made Zodiac an intriguing mystery story. He cleverly places you in the shoes of the officers and journalists involved, allowing you to both feel their obsession with the case by teasing you with connections and links throughout. However, even when you know the facts of the case, Zodiac is an easy film to revisit as it continues to be tense, haunting and eerie in many of its scenes regardless of the fact you know how it all turns out. It's also, quite surprisingly, very funny at times.

Moreover, even in Zodiac's huge cast, there must be at least 200 speaking parts in the movie, is impossible to find fault with. The four main characters are wonderfully performed by Jake Gyllenhaal, Mark Ruffalo, Robert Downey Jr. and especially Chloe Sevigny. But, even the minor characters who appear and disappear from the story as the case goes on are all brought to life so well.

Not for everyone, Zodiac is a unique, ambitious and very realistic retelling of a murder case which is both gripping and terrifically well made from David Fincher.

5/5

By Daniel Sarath with 3 comments