Zodiac - The Director's Cut (Two-Disc Special Collector's Edition)

Rating R Formats DVD, HD-DVD Genre thriller Starring Mark Ruffalo, Jake Gyllenhaal, Robert Downey Jr. Directed by David Fincher Publisher Paramount External Links Official Zodiac Website

An intense exploration of one man’s obsession with another’s obsession, Zodiac reinforces director David Fincher’s own thematic preoccupations. With SE7EN and Fight Club, Fincher plumbed notions of the absolute iconoclast, impulse control, and the line between social rebellion and pathology, all within a context of extreme violence. As SE7EN’s John Doe represented a perverse manifestation of karmic justice and social disdain, Fight Club’s Tyler Durden was the harbinger of reclaimed masculinity, anti-corporate revolution, and a Zen approach to temptation/control. Likewise, Zodiac’s eponymous serial killer annotates his crimes with missives against “the pigs” and societal norms. Each of these 3 villains exists in direct contrast to a complacent, socially obedient foil- the film’s moral conscience-who chases the villain and becomes increasingly obsessed with his dogma, thus holding a mirror to a society obsessed with violence. Zodiac is particularly compelling because it recounts the true story of the killer who terrorized the Bay Area from the late 60s to 70s and gained notoriety by sending confessions and ciphers to the San Francisco Chronicle.

A slick adaptation of the memoir by Robert Graysmith-the SF Chronicle cartoonist who got closer to solving the mystery than the police- ZODIAC painstakingly recreates 1970s San Francisco, from the skyline to the sideburns and harvest color tones. The visuals are complemented by perfect early ‘70s music choices, launching with Donovan’s explosive “Hurdy Gurdy Man”. While the pop/funk soundtrack embodies the era in its state of flux and innocence lost, the instrumental score provides a discomfiting murder mystery tone with a nod to Psycho. As in his previous films, there are positively chilling moments that showcase Fincher’s unparalleled ability to build and sustain tension. Even more unsettling, or brilliantly revolutionary, is his shift to a glib, idyllic tone during some murder scenes, where a paradisiacal setting and music is undercut by a gruesome crime.

Zodiac boasts an impressive cast of indie and mainstream actors, led by Jake Gyllenhaal as awkward dreamer Graysmith, Mark Ruffalo as Toschi-the dedicated main inspector on the case, and Robert Downey Jr. in an incredibly convincing role as Paul Avery-the journalist who fails at cracking the case and degenerates into alcoholism and self-pity. Unfortunately, the few female characters lack for substance and material-Chloe Sevigny is wasted as Graysmith’s dull, nagging wife and the majority of other women are swiftly disposed-of murder victims. One exception is Ione Skye in a brief cameo as a trusting single mom who falls into the killer’s trap and takes extreme measures to escape.

Unfortunately, Zodiac suffers from its vast ambitions—both the time period covered (1968-1991) and the broad ensemble nature of the cast make it difficult to identify with one character and lead to some rambling lulls as well as wildly unnatural leaps in time. But ultimately, none of these issues diminish the film’s effectiveness in encompassing an era and that era’s obsession with a media-induced glamorization of a serial killer, to the point where entire families faithfully follow his exploits on the radio/TV. This is a film about characters’ obsessions, not necessarily their personalities, so it is possible to forgive their apparently one-dimensional nature.

Zodiac, true to its inspiration, leaves you with more questions than answers. Fincher literally and figuratively keeps a lot in the dark, faithful to the reality of the history and facts surrounding the case. Though not as nauseatingly visceral as SE7EN or Fight Club, Zodiac is considerably disturbing because it is silent about the elusive killer’s motivations. Ultimately, what remains is the Zodiac’s legacy, his embodiment of the dark side of the Age of Aquarius, an inexplicable terror rumbling beneath the city most emblematic of the era’s idealism.

Special Features include hours of extensive re-enactments of crime scenes, art direction minutiae, CGI special effects, interviews with key real-life players, and costume recreation morbidly culled from the official case files. The extra DVD truly puts the movie into deeper perspective and gives you appreciation for Fincher’s eye, his desire for perfection and historical accuracy, his painstaking detail that often seems like overkill. For those with no personal reference point for the era, this is a great way to understand the artistry employed to create this period piece.