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Zodiac (2007/I)
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Overview
User Rating:
Director:
Writers (WGA):
Release Date:
2 March 2007 (USA)
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Tagline:
There's more than one way to lose your life to a killer more
Plot:
A San Francisco cartoonist becomes an amateur detective obsessed with tracking down the Zodiac killer. full summary | full synopsis
Plot Keywords:
Police
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Zodiac Killer
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Reporter
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Cartoonist
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Letter
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Awards:
25 nominations
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NewsDesk:
(245 articles)
Shutter Island HD Movie Trailer
(From ShockYa. 21 November 2009, 11:06 PM, PST)
Why Richard Kelly's The Box could be the best film of the year
(From QuietEarth. 12 November 2009, 10:36 AM, PST)
(From ShockYa. 21 November 2009, 11:06 PM, PST)
Why Richard Kelly's The Box could be the best film of the year
(From QuietEarth. 12 November 2009, 10:36 AM, PST)
User Comments:
Not Your Average Serial Killer Movie (And That's a Good Thing)
more (480 total)
Cast
(in credits order) (verified as complete) | Jake Gyllenhaal | ... | Robert Graysmith |
 | Mark Ruffalo | ... | Inspector David Toschi |
 | Anthony Edwards | ... | Inspector William Armstrong |
 | Robert Downey Jr. | ... | Paul Avery |
 | Brian Cox | ... | Melvin Belli |
 | John Carroll Lynch | ... | Arthur Leigh Allen |
 | Richmond Arquette | ... | Zodiac 1 / Zodiac 2 |
 | Bob Stephenson | ... | Zodiac 3 |
 | John Lacy | ... | Zodiac 4 |
 | Chloë Sevigny | ... | Melanie |
 | Ed Setrakian | ... | Al Hyman |
 | John Getz | ... | Templeton Peck |
 | John Terry | ... | Charles Thieriot |
| Candy Clark | ... | Carol Fisher |
 | Elias Koteas | ... | Sgt. Jack Mulanax |
 | Dermot Mulroney | ... | Captain Marty Lee |
 | Donal Logue | ... | Captain Ken Narlow |
 | June Diane Raphael | ... | Mrs. Toschi (as June Raphael) |
 | Ciara Hughes | ... | Darlene Ferrin |
| Lee Norris | ... | Mike Mageau - Young |
 | Patrick Scott Lewis | ... | Bryan Hartnell |
| Pell James | ... | Cecilia Shepard |
 | Philip Baker Hall | ... | Sherwood Morrill |
 | David Lee Smith | ... | Father |
 | Jason Wiles | ... | Lab Tech Dagitz |
 | Charles Schneider | ... | Cabbie / Paul Stine |
 | James Carraway | ... | Shorty |
 | Tom Verica | ... | Jim Dunbar |
 | Jimmi Simpson | ... | Mike Mageau |
 | Doan Ly | ... | Belli's Housekeeper |
 | Karina Logue | ... | Woman |
| Joel Bissonnette | ... | Inspector Kracke |
 | Zach Grenier | ... | Mel Nicolai |
| John Mahon | ... | Riverside Captain |
 | Matt Winston | ... | John Allen |
 | Jules Bruff | ... | Catherine Allen |
| John Ennis | ... | Terry Pascoe |
 | J. Patrick McCormack | ... | Police Commissioner |
 | Adam Goldberg | ... | Duffy Jennings |
 | James LeGros | ... | Officer George Bawart (as James Le Gros) |
 | Charles Fleischer | ... | Bob Vaughn |
 | Clea DuVall | ... | Linda del Buono (as Clea Duvall) |
 | Paul Schulze | ... | Sandy Panzarella |
 | Adam Trese | ... | Detective #1 |
| Penny Wallace | ... | Mulanax's Secretary |
 | John Hemphill | ... | Donald Cheney |
 | Michel Francoeur | ... | Man on Marquee |
 | Thomas Kopache | ... | Copy Editor #1 |
 | Barry Livingston | ... | Copy Editor #3 |
 | Christopher John Fields | ... | Copy Editor #4 (as Christopher Fields) |
| rest of cast listed alphabetically: | |||
 | David Winston Barge | ... | Vallejo Desk Ofiicer (uncredited) |
| Felix J. Boyle | ... | Airport Passenger (uncredited) |
 | Geoff Callan | ... | Patrolman Zelms (uncredited) |
| Brad Carr | ... | Camera Man (uncredited) |
 | Rod Damer | ... | FBI codebreaker (uncredited) |
 | Mitchell Fink | ... | Reporter (uncredited) |
| Benjamin Hartnell | ... | Extra (unconfirmed) (uncredited) |
| Bryan C. Hartnell | ... | Man in Hallway (uncredited) |
| Jonathan Hartnell | ... | Extra (unconfirmed) (uncredited) |
| Monica Hartnell | ... | Woman in Hallway (uncredited) |
 | Tish Hicks | ... | Informant (uncredited) |
| David Hodges | ... | Chronicle Artist (uncredited) |
 | Danielle McKee | ... | Prisioner (uncredited) |
 | Betty Murphy | ... | Informant (uncredited) |
 | Jeffrey Daniel Phillips | ... | Informant (uncredited) |
 | Peter Quartaroli | ... | Patrolman Fouke (uncredited) |
 | Brett Rickaby | ... | Detective Roy (uncredited) |
| Jack Samson | ... | Young David Graysmith (uncredited) |
 | Micah Sauers | ... | David Graysmith (uncredited) |
 | Zachary Sauers | ... | Aaron Graysmith (uncredited) |
 | Bill Seward | ... | TV News Anchor (uncredited) |
 | Ione Skye | ... | Kathleen Johns (uncredited) |
| Callie Thompson | ... | Child Witness (uncredited) |
 | Cassius Willis | ... | Uniform Cop (uncredited) |
 | Shane Woodson | ... | Informant (uncredited) |
Directed by | |||
| David Fincher | |||
Writing credits(WGA) | ||
| James Vanderbilt | (screenplay) | |
| Robert Graysmith | (book) | |
Produced by | |||
| Ceán Chaffin | .... | producer | |
| Brad Fischer | .... | producer (as Bradley J. Fischer) | |
| Mike Medavoy | .... | producer | |
| Arnold Messer | .... | producer (as Arnold W. Messer) | |
| Louis Phillips | .... | executive producer | |
| James Vanderbilt | .... | producer | |
Original Music by | |||
| David Shire | |||
Cinematography by | |||
| Harris Savides | |||
Film Editing by | |||
| Angus Wall | |||
Casting by | |||
| Laray Mayfield | |||
Production Design by | |||
| Donald Graham Burt | |||
Art Direction by | |||
| Keith P. Cunningham | (as Keith Cunningham) | ||
Set Decoration by | |||
| Victor J. Zolfo | (as Victor Zolfo) | ||
Costume Design by | |||
| Casey Storm | |||
Makeup Department | |||
| Trish Almeida | .... | key hair stylist | |
| Felicity Bowring | .... | makeup department head | |
| Miia Kovero | .... | hair stylist | |
| Natasha Ladek | .... | wig maker | |
| Amy Schmiederer | .... | key makeup artist | |
| Kelvin R. Trahan | .... | hair department head (as Kelvin Trahan) | |
| Margarita Pidgeon | .... | third hair stylist (uncredited) | |
Production Management | |||
| Peter Mavromates | .... | post-production supervisor | |
| Kelley Smith-Wait | .... | executive in charge of production | |
| Daniel M. Stillman | .... | unit production manager (as Daniel Stillman) | |
Second Unit Director or Assistant Director | |||
| Sally Sue Beisel | .... | second assistant director (as Sally Sue Beisel-Lander) | |
| Gabriel Hanly | .... | second second assistant director | |
| Christophe Le Chanu | .... | second second assistant director: reshoots | |
| John G. Scotti | .... | additional first assistant director | |
| Alison Troy | .... | additional second second assistant director | |
| Bob Wagner | .... | additional first assistant director | |
| Andrew Ward | .... | second assistant director: reshoots | |
| Amy Wilkins | .... | second second assistant director | |
| Mary Ellen Woods | .... | first assistant director | |
Art Department | |||
| Tim Ackers | .... | stand-by painter | |
| François Audouy | .... | illustrator (as Francois Audouy) | |
| Richard Bennett | .... | storyboard artist | |
| Dawn Brown | .... | set designer (as Dawn Brown Manser) | |
| Bryan Buckler | .... | welding foreman | |
| Kevin Cross | .... | set designer | |
| Max Daly | .... | art department researcher | |
| James E. Day III | .... | tool technician | |
| Lisa D. DiSanto | .... | art department coordinator (as Lisa DiSanto) | |
| John Dugan | .... | plaster foreman | |
| Jim Edelhauser | .... | set dresser | |
| Christopher Elledge | .... | set dresser | |
| Gustavo R. Ferreyra | .... | digital set designer | |
| Gustavo R. Ferreyra | .... | propshop foreman | |
| David Gabrielli | .... | propmaker foreman (as David D. Gabrielli) | |
| Joe A. Hawthorne | .... | head paint foreman (as Joseph A. Hawthorne) | |
| Christopher Hayes | .... | set dresser (as Chris Hayes) | |
| Erin Hennessey | .... | mill foreman | |
| Bart C. Hubenthal | .... | set dresser (as Bart Hubenthal) | |
| Jonas Kirk | .... | construction coordinator (as C. Jonas Kirk) | |
| Teri Anne Kopp | .... | property assistant | |
| Trevor Larkin | .... | daily set dresser | |
| Bob Laux | .... | labor supervisor (as Robert A. Laux) | |
| Scott Lukowski | .... | illustrator | |
| Susan Nickerson | .... | art department researcher | |
| Nanci Noblett | .... | art director: San Fransciso (as Nanci Noblett Starr) | |
| Hope M. Parrish | .... | property master | |
| Lori Rowbotham | .... | set designer (as Lori Rowbotham Grant) | |
| Lee Runnels | .... | greens foreman | |
| Paul Rylander | .... | assistant property master | |
| Michelle Souza | .... | property assistant (as Michelle L. Souza) | |
| Rick Staves | .... | set dresser | |
| Karen Teneyck | .... | graphic artist | |
| Freddy Waff | .... | leadman | |
| Raymond Waff | .... | set dresser (as Ray Waff) | |
| Dennis Winters | .... | on-set dresser (as Dennis L. Winters) | |
| Marcel Worch | .... | construction foreman | |
| Jane Wuu | .... | set designer | |
| James Bennett | .... | set dresser (uncredited) | |
| Mark Caplin | .... | construction medic (uncredited) | |
| Brad Carr | .... | art staff assistant: San Francisco (uncredited) | |
| Perry E. Ellis | .... | set dresser: additonal photography (uncredited) | |
| Halsted Craig Hannah | .... | graphic artist (uncredited) | |
| J. Bryan Holloway | .... | supervising sculptor (uncredited) | |
| Allan Lane | .... | set dresser (uncredited) | |
| Tammy S. Lee | .... | art staff assistant (uncredited) | |
| Dana McCall | .... | props assistant (uncredited) | |
| Jennifer Mueller | .... | art staff assistant (uncredited) | |
| Sean O'Connell | .... | set dresser (uncredited) | |
| Lisa Penaranda | .... | set decoration buyer (uncredited) | |
| Edmond Scott Ratliff | .... | buyer (uncredited) | |
| Kyle A. Smith | .... | art staff assistant (uncredited) | |
| Charisse St. Amant | .... | set dresser (uncredited) | |
| Todd Wolcott | .... | stand-by greens (uncredited) | |
Sound Department | |||
| Vladislav Boyadjiev | .... | assistant sound engineer | |
| Luke Dunn Gielmuda | .... | foley editor | |
| Coya Elliott | .... | assistant sound effects editor | |
| Sean England | .... | adr recordist | |
| Andre Fenley | .... | assistant supervising sound editor (as André Fenley) | |
| Malcolm Fife | .... | dialogue editor | |
| Pascal Garneau | .... | assistant foley editor | |
| David C. Hughes | .... | sound effects editor | |
| Richard Hymns | .... | supervising sound editor | |
| Doc Kane | .... | adr mixer | |
| Ren Klyce | .... | sound designer | |
| Ren Klyce | .... | sound re-recording mixer | |
| Ren Klyce | .... | supervising sound editor | |
| Tai Klyce | .... | assistant sound designer | |
| Drew Kunin | .... | sound mixer | |
| Mary Jo Lang | .... | foley mixer | |
| Stuart McCowan | .... | assistant adr editor | |
| Jeremy Molod | .... | assistant supervising sound editor | |
| Alyson Dee Moore | .... | foley artist (as Allyson Moore) | |
| Larry Oatfield | .... | foley editor (as E. Larry Oatfield) | |
| David Parker | .... | sound re-recording mixer | |
| Michael Primmer | .... | boom operator (as Mike Primmer) | |
| Richard Quinn | .... | dialogue editor | |
| David Raymond | .... | cable person (as David Fiske Raymond) | |
| John Roesch | .... | foley artist | |
| Ronald G. Roumas | .... | sound re-recordist | |
| Michael Semanick | .... | sound re-recording mixer | |
| Addison Teague | .... | sound effects editor | |
| Gwendolyn Yates Whittle | .... | adr editor | |
Special Effects by | |||
| Rodney M. Byrd | .... | special effects foreman (as Rodney Byrd) | |
| Douglas Calli | .... | special effects technician | |
| Burt Dalton | .... | special effects coordinator | |
| Arnold Peterson | .... | special effects engineer | |
| Roy K. Cancino | .... | special effects technician (uncredited) | |
| Arnold Peterson | .... | special effects set foreman (uncredited) | |
| Arthur G. Schlosser | .... | snow effects technician (uncredited) | |
Stunts | |||
| Mickey Giacomazzi | .... | stunt coordinator | |
| Andy Arness | .... | precision driver (uncredited) | |
| Al Cacioppo | .... | precision driver (uncredited) | |
| Victor M. Slone | .... | precision driver (uncredited) | |
| Tony R. Vella | .... | stunt driver (uncredited) | |
Casting Department | |||
| Mindy Bazar | .... | casting associate | |
| Kristan Berona | .... | extras casting | |
| Barbara Harris | .... | adr voice casting | |
| Meagan Lewis | .... | casting associate (as Meg Lewis) | |
| Alyssa Rand | .... | casting associate | |
| Jennifer Alessi | .... | extras casting (uncredited) | |
| Sande Alessi | .... | extras casting (uncredited) | |
Costume and Wardrobe Department | |||
| Charlene Amateau | .... | costume supervisor: additional photography | |
| Anita Louise Brown | .... | costumer (as Anita Brown) | |
| Molly Grundman | .... | costumer | |
| Stacy Horn | .... | costume supervisor | |
| Jee Ok | .... | costumer (as Jee H.Ok) | |
| Carol Quiroz | .... | costumer | |
| Christie Wittenborn | .... | assistant costume designer | |
| Lisa Hyde | .... | set costumer day check (uncredited) | |
| Grace Pyke | .... | set costumer: additional photography (uncredited) | |
| Jacqueline Wazir | .... | costume illustrator (uncredited) | |
Editorial Department | |||
| Zahida Bacchus | .... | digital intermediate producer | |
| Ron Barr | .... | digital conforming and opticals | |
| Kirk Baxter | .... | additional editor | |
| Joseph M. Chiechi | .... | post-production assistant | |
| Wyatt Jones | .... | assistant editor | |
| Judd H. Maslansky | .... | assistant editor | |
| Stephen Nakamura | .... | digital intermediate colorist | |
| Jason Ninness | .... | post-production coordinator: Phoenix Pictures | |
| Gregg Schaublin | .... | digital intermediate producer | |
| Brian Ufberg | .... | assistant editor | |
| Andreas Wacker | .... | post-production engineer | |
| Peter M. Warren | .... | assistant editor (as Peter Warren) | |
| Joe Wolcott | .... | post-production engineer (as Joseph Wolcott) | |
Music Department | |||
| George Drakoulias | .... | music supervisor | |
| Jim Dunbar | .... | assistant music supervisor (as Jim Dunbar Jr.) | |
| Jim Dunbar | .... | music consultant | |
| Marie Ebbing | .... | assistant music editor | |
| Martin Erskine | .... | music editor | |
| Martin Erskine | .... | score producer | |
| Robert Gatley | .... | assistant music engineer | |
| Leslie Ann Jones | .... | music engineer | |
| Leslie Ann Jones | .... | music mixer | |
| Judy Kirschner | .... | assistant music engineer | |
| Ren Klyce | .... | music producer | |
| Bryan Lawson | .... | music editor | |
| Hal Oppenheim | .... | composer: stock music | |
| Randall Poster | .... | music supervisor | |
| David Shire | .... | musician: piano solos | |
| Jonathon Stevens | .... | music editor | |
| Dann Thompson | .... | assistant music engineer | |
| Sam Zeines | .... | assistant music editor | |
| Andre Zweers | .... | pro tools operator: music | |
Transportation Department | |||
| Tom Driskill | .... | transportation captain: San Francisco | |
| Robert K. Johnson | .... | picture car coordinator | |
| John 'J.P.' Pratt | .... | transportation captain (as John Pratt) | |
| Gary Preece | .... | transportation coordinator | |
| J. Armin Garza II | .... | driver: camera car (uncredited) | |
| Brenda Ryan | .... | driver (uncredited) | |
| Bonnie Yamahiro | .... | driver (uncredited) | |
Production Companies
- Paramount Pictures (present)
- Warner Bros. Pictures (present)
- Phoenix Pictures (producer)
- Road Rebel
- Fox-Warner (2007) (Switzerland) (theatrical)
- Karo Premiere (2007) (Russia) (theatrical)
- Paramount Pictures (2007) (USA) (theatrical)
- Roadshow Entertainment (2007) (Australia) (theatrical)
- Sandrew Metronome Distribution Sverige AB (2007) (Sweden) (theatrical)
- Sandrew Metronome Distribution (2007) (Denmark) (theatrical)
- Sandrew Metronome Distribution (2007) (Finland) (theatrical)
- Sandrew Metronome Norge (2007) (Norway) (theatrical)
- Warner Bros. (2007) (Argentina) (theatrical)
- Warner Bros. (2007) (Belgium) (theatrical)
- Warner Bros. (2007) (Brazil) (theatrical)
- Warner Bros. (2007) (Czech Republic) (theatrical)
- Warner Bros. (2007) (Germany) (theatrical)
- Warner Bros. (2007) (France) (theatrical)
- Warner Bros. (2007) (UK) (theatrical)
- Warner Bros. (2007) (Japan) (theatrical)
- Warner Bros. (2007) (Netherlands) (theatrical)
- Warner Bros. (2007) (Singapore) (theatrical)
- Paramount Home Video (2007) (USA) (DVD)
- Warner Bros. (2007) (Brazil) (DVD)
- Warner Home Video (2007) (Finland) (DVD)
- Warner Home Video (2007) (Japan) (DVD)
- Warner Home Video (2007) (Netherlands) (DVD)
- Warner Home Video (2008) (Netherlands) (DVD) (Blu-Ray Disc) (director's cut)
- Warner Home Video (2008) (Netherlands) (DVD) (director's cut/special edition)
- Warner Home Video (2009) (Netherlands) (DVD)
- Digital Domain (visual effects)
- Mar Vista Ventures (visual effects)
- Matte World Digital (visual effects)
- Ollin Studio (visual effects)
- Beau Bonneau Casting extras casting: San Francisco
- Benicia Police Department special thanks
- Birds & Animals Unlimited animals provided by (as Birds and Animals Unlimited)
- California Department of Justice special thanks
- Camera House, The digital film system by
- Chapman/Leonard Studio Equipment camera cranes and dollies
- City of Benicia special thanks
- City of San Francisco special thanks
- City of Santa Rosa, California special thanks (as City of Santa Rosa)
- City of Vallejo special thanks
- DTS Digital Images digital imaging processing
- Dolby Laboratories sound post-production
- For Stars Catering catering
- Ignite Creative titles
- J.L. Fisher camera cranes and dollies
- Lakeshore Records songs from the motion picture on
- Morarity & Associates private investigators
- Napa County Sheriff's Office special thanks
- Napa Police Department special thanks
- Pacific Title digital opticals
- S.two Corp. digital film workflow
- San Francisco Crime Lab special thanks
- San Francisco Film Commission special thanks
- San Francisco Police Department special thanks
- Sande Alesai Casting extras casting
- Sande Alesai Casting extras casting (as Sande Alessi Casting)
- Santa Rosa Police Department special thanks
- Skywalker Sound music recording studio (uncredited)
- Skywalker Symphony Orchestra orchestra (uncredited)
- Solano County Sheriff's Office special thanks
- Sonoma County Sheriff's Office special thanks
- Technicolor Digital Intermediates digital intermediate
- Technicolor prints
- The United States Department of the Interior, Bureau of Reclamation special thanks (as U.S. Department of the Interior, Bureau of Reclamation - Lake Berryessa Recreation Division)
- Thomas Dale & Associates private investigators
- Thomson Grass Valley Viper Filmstream cameras (as Grass Valley)
- Vallejo / Solano County Film Commission special thanks (as Vallejo/Solano County Film Office)
- Vallejo Police Department special thanks
- Varèse Sarabande score album
- Wilmore & Associates private investigators
Additional Details
Also Known As:
Chronicles (USA) (working title)
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more
MPAA:
Rated R for some strong killings, language, drug material and brief sexual images. (also director's cut)
Parents Guide:
Runtime:
157 min | 162 min (director's cut)
Country:
Language:
Color:
Aspect Ratio:
2.35 : 1 more
Sound Mix:
Certification:
Australia:MA |
Canada:13+ (Quebec) |
Canada:14A (Alberta/British Columbia/Manitoba/Ontario) |
UK:15 |
USA:R (certificate #42944) |
Singapore:NC-16 |
Ireland:16 |
Finland:K-15 |
Germany:16 |
Netherlands:16 |
New Zealand:R16 |
Norway:15 |
Switzerland:14 (canton of Geneva) |
Switzerland:14 (canton of Vaud) |
Italy:T |
Argentina:13 |
Portugal:M/12 |
Hong Kong:IIB |
Brazil:16 |
India:UA |
Sweden:15 |
South Korea:15 |
France:U (with warning) |
USA:R |
Malaysia:18PL (DVD) |
Spain:18 |
Philippines:R-13 |
Japan:PG-12 |
Ireland:18 (video rating)
Filming Locations:
Company:
Fun Stuff
Trivia:
Though Callahan's Diner was a set built for the film, the Callahan's Diner logo and window script is identical to that used by Callahan's Diner at 1213 Wilshire Boulevard in Santa Monica, California. It's quite likely that members of the cast and/or crew of the film were familiar with the Santa Monica restaurant and used it as an art model for the San Francisco locale. The "Dirty Harry" reference inherent in the Diner's name may simply be an added plus.
more
Goofs:
Revealing mistakes: When the Zodiac hails Paul Stine's cab, an illuminated hair salon sign is visible on the other side of the street. However, the reflections seen on the cab's hood and trunk lid are of the modern-day Starbucks Coffee sign at the filming location which was digitally removed in post.
more
Quotes:
Soundtrack:
There Is No Christmas Like A Home Christmas
more
FAQ
What song is playing at the beginning when the kids are shot?What is the name of the song that plays when the cabbie is shot?
What does it say on the title cards at the end of the film?
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Message Boards
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"Zodiac" may frustrate viewers who come to David Fincher's latest film expecting a traditional serial killer thriller. The film begins with a couple of hair-raising and rather brutal recreations of murders carried out by the mysterious killer who terrorized the San Francisco Bay area in the late 1960s and early 1970s. These early scenes are shocking and, compared to the rest of the film, disorienting, because they offer the only time that we come close to seeing events from the killer's perspective. As the film progresses, the Zodiac killer himself fades into the background, and the movie turns into a meticulous and engrossing document of the investigation to track him down, an investigation that includes countless blind alleys and false clues and which to this day has not reached a conclusion. I would be more prone to label the somewhat rambling screenplay as sloppy storytelling if I did not feel that Fincher tells the story exactly as he wants to. The elusive narrative works, because the film is about an elusive villain.
Jake Gyllenhaal plays Robert Graysmith, a cartoonist working for the "San Francisco Chronicle" at the time the Zodiac killer began his gruesome work. He becomes fascinated by the case, and takes it on as a sort of morbid personal hobby long after the police department has given it up as a lost cause. Graysmith eventually wrote the book on which this film is based, and according to his accounts, he discovered enough evidence about one of the suspects in the case to put the police back on his trail years after he'd been cleared for lack of evidence. Other characters come and go. Robert Downey, Jr. does characteristically terrific work as a reporter at the "Chronicle" who grabs his own portion of notoriety through his involvement in the case. Mark Ruffalo and Anthony Edwards play the two detectives in charge of the investigation. Chloe Sevigny plays Gyllenhaal's put-upon wife, who gradually loses her husband to his obsession. All of the actors deliver thrilling performances, many of them against the odds. Since this isn't a character driven movie, many of the characters remain undeveloped, but not, for once, to the detriment of the film. This story isn't about the people involved, but rather about their role in the Zodiac saga; once they've served their purpose, Fincher dispenses with them. Ironically, a film that clocks in at nearly 3 hours exhibits a great deal of narrative economy.
Parts of "Zodiac" are intensely creepy. Fincher effectively uses the rainy San Francisco atmosphere to its maximum potential, and the grimy browns and grays of the production design call to mind Fincher's other well-known films, like "Seven" and "Fight Club." But "Zodiac" is much more grown up than those films, and for an audience to enjoy it, it has to have an attention span. Long scenes are given to analyzing handwriting samples, recreating the scenes of murders, digging through newspaper clippings and files. You can tell that Fincher is fascinated by police work in the pre-CSI era, when fax machines were still a novel invention. He delves into the investigative process with a nearly fetishistic attention to detail, but he makes all of it endlessly mesmerizing. He does his best to bring everything to some sort of conclusion, but the real-life end to the story makes a complete conclusion impossible. This film is more about the journey than the destination, and what a journey it is.
Grade: A