Zodiac
Rated: R
Runtime: 2 hours, 35 minutes
Directed by: David Fincher
Starring:
Jake Gyllenhaal - Robert Graysmith
Mark Ruffalo - Inspector David Toschi
Robert Downey Jr. - Paul Avery
Anthony Edwards - Inspector William Armstrong
Brian Cox - Melvin Belli
Chloë Sevigny - Melanie
Most audiences will probably hate Zodiac. Based on the serial killings in California in the late 60s and early 70s, Zodiac is a boderline docu-drama with its devout accuracy to the case, particularly the book by former San Francisco Chronicle political cartoonist Robert Graysmith.
The film has three main characters but only follows one chronology. Director David Fincher (Se7en, Fight Club) only honors accuracy as opposed to pacing, character arcs, or any element one would expect of most mainstream narratives, especially a narrative that would first appear to be a crime thriller. Wouldn’t the unique intersection of the criminal investigation, with lead detectives Dave Toschi (Mark Ruffalo) and Bill Armstrong (Anthony Edwards) coming to intersect with the media, speficially crime reporter Paul Avery (Robert Downey Jr.) and Graysmith (Jake Gyllenhaal) through the paradigmatic presence of the Zodiac killer be a simple enough story to tell? But by making a film that mirrors both the obessions of it leads and the twisted self-awareness of the Zodiac, Fincher understands that the heart of this film isn’t the chase or even the pursuit of justice. It’s about obsessions and frustration. These elements are 100% honest to the story and yet when you draw an audience into an obsessions and then leave them feeling frustrated after two-and-a-half hours of a film designed to mirror the style of the 70s as opposed to Fincher’s more popular stylisitic flourishes of his previous works, then you can understand why I believe that most people will hate this film.
But for my part, I think it’s a great piece of cinema, a fascinating tale, and further proof that Fincher is one of the best directors working today. It’s not just that the film plays like it was made during the time of the killings, but that the entire work feels like it was made by the Zodiac. Like the killer taunted the cops, so too does the film taunt the audience with false leads, conflicting evidence, and a conclusion without catharsis.
It’s not a perfect film. I believe Fincher’s biggest mistake is that the long timeline of the film (it runs from 1968 to 1992) doesn’t really come across as Fincher decided to make each new title card note the time since the last scene as opposed to a specific date in the chronology. It may seem like a minor detail, but for a film that dives deep into the nuances of this case, it muddles the clarity required for following the marathon of investigation involved.
While many viewers will dismiss the film as too long or boring, I find Zodiac to be a rich and fascinating piece of work that shirks conventions and that perfectly mirrors its cruel and fascinating subject.
Words by
Matt Goldberg
2.12.07