The film Text copyright (c) Filmverdict 2006-present. Any film titles and artwork used are copyright of their respective owners.
As a fan of all of David Fincher's films (including the highly underrated Alien 3 and the often forgotten The Game), Zodiac has been at the top of my 'must see' list for some time. Increasing the anticipation was the fact that it's Fincher's first film since the Jodie Foster vehicle Panic Room, released five years ago. For his return the director chose to focus on the infamous unsolved case of the self-branded San Francisco Zodiac serial killer, who murdered five people and is suspected of several more. The true story has inspired several previous feature films, including Dirty Harry, though it's safe to say that none have delved into anywhere near as much depth as Zodiac. Fincher is obsessive with the details, and has crafted a hugely authentic and apparently accurate account of events spanning several decades. The production design is top notch, with the copious research that must have been involved evident just by looking at it; even the Warner Brothers and Paramount logos at the start are old-fashioned versions.
With a running time of nearly 2 hours 40 minutes, Zodiac is epic in both length and scope, but not a frame is wasted. Fincher, as usual, keeps the tension cranked to the maximum throughout the whole length despite the fact that there's relatively little action. The cast comprises of fairly well known but not massively starry names, and they all perform admirably without any showiness (my only criticism being that Jake Gyllenhaal seemed too young for his role, but that did not influence the strength of his performance). The pace is also surprisingly brisk, the momentum rarely slackening from the opening murder to the final coda. For example, early in the film the San Francisco Chronicle newspaper receives a coded cipher from the Zodiac killer, and I expected that there would be a sizeable length of time devoted to the solving of it. Instead, it's dealt with in the space of one short montage. Fincher uses several precisely edited montages to indicate passing of time in the film, and decides not to employ his more flashy techniques like the impossible-without-CGI gliding camera shots of Panic Room.
Despite the fact that (conspicuous) visual trickery is kept to a minimum, Zodiac is unmistakeably the work of a director at the top of his game who knows how to exploit his medium to the maximum extent. The film does encounter the same obstacle of depicting actors aging that many such films have problems with and the narrative is rather convoluted, although that just reflects the real nature of the investigation. The unrelentingly captivating mystery at the heart of the film propels it brilliantly, and the ending manages to be completely satisfying while remaining seemingly faithful to the facts. For viewers with adequate patience and willingness to engage their grey matter, Zodiac is unmissable.
The summary
A superb, compelling film, and one of the best crime thrillers for years.
