Zodiac

Directed by: David Fincher
Written by: 
Starring: Jake Gyllenhaal, Mark Ruffalo

I find History Channel specials surrounding the mystery of Jack the Ripper quite frustrating.  After giving an hour of my time to uncovering the truth behind Jack the Ripper, I realized that no one knows who he was.  Sure there are theories, but I want a definitive answer.  I need closure.  David Fincher’s film about the series of murders in the late 60‘s and early 70‘s perpetrated by the ‘Zodiac’ killer could have easily turned laborious and, by all accounts, frustrating.  The man who ended up as the major suspect, Arthur Leigh Allen, died of a heart attack before official charges could even be brought.  Was he the killer?  Who knows.  Fincher’s film points to him as the culprit, but what makes this movie great is that the closure comes through the main character and his journey to find the answers.  

Jake Gyllenhaal plays Robert Graysmith, an unremarkable man who really happens to be in the right place at the right time.  Working for the San Francisco Chronicle during the time that the Zodiac killer sent his letters to the newspaper, Graysmith is instantly intrigued by the case and slowly develops an unhealthy fascination with finding the answer.  Since we, as the audience, find this case equally fascinating, it’s easy for us to join Graysmith on his journey.  And it’s a long journey.  However, where other films might be tempted to spend a three plus hour run time focusing on character back stories, love interests - this film is very focused.  And it is focused on the facts.  And spanning more than a decade, there are lots of facts and lots of suspects.  

Through a very focused script and wonderful editing, the film moves along at a brisk pace.  Presenting the case in chronological order, Zodiac delivers the facts clearly all while providing fleshed out characters and good entertainment.  Zodiac is the type of film that caters to Fincher’s meticulous eye for detail - it’s a true crime story that’s also a period piece.  As much as it is a feast for true crime aficionados it’s also a visual feast - with fantastic production design and beautiful cinematography.  When it was released in 2007, the film didn’t get the reception I feel that it deserved.  Maybe not the Oscar for Best Picture, but certainly a nomination or even talk of a nomination.  Far superior to Fincher’s most recent film, The Curious Case of Benjamin Button, this film is definitely worth a viewing as it is a fascinating look into how wanting to know the answers can, and will, consume your everyday life.