...among some of the nicest supplements I’ve seen on DVD.
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The following review uses portions from my original review of the July 24th release of the theatrical version on DVD:
"Zodiac" arrives for the second time in roughly six months with a new "2-Disc Director´s Cut" of the film. The first time "Zodiac" hit the DVD format; it contained no supplemental materials and was the 158 minute theatrical cut of the film. It was a poor outing for what I consider to be a quality picture from director David Fincher. This double-dipping release adds a second platter to the package, four minutes of additional footage and a number of nice supplements. The director´s cut restores a few brief scenes. The scenes consist of time passage via new stories and discussion about obtaining a warrant for Leigh Allen´s decrepit trailer. The new scenes are nice additions, but this ´director´s cut´ doesn´t include anything radical when compared to the theatrical release.
The name David Fincher had first come to my attention when I needed a finger to point blame towards for the horrid debacle known as "Alien 3." The "Alien" franchise was among my favorites after the first two incredible films, but Fincher´s creation simply stunk. The director then made some amends for powerful and gripping thriller "Se7en." That was perhaps my favorite film of 1995. The next time David Fincher´s name came to my attention was his second collaboration with Brad Pitt, the though provoking and entertaining picture "Fight Club." These two films are evidence that Fincher can excel with proper material and his two other major motion pictures, "The Game" and "Panic Room" are themselves solid films. Fincher returns behind the camera with the 2007 true-life thriller "Zodiac."
"Zodiac" is based upon the books by Zodiac Killer chronicler Robert Graysmith. Graysmith was a cartoonist for the San Francisco Chronicle during the height of the Zodiac Killer murders. Graysmith had become heavily involved with the details surrounding the mysterious serial killer and devoted his entire life to pursuing the facts and hoping to discover the identity of the killer that had baffled police departments across several states. The picture stars Jake Gyllenhaal as Graysmith and features a strong supporting cast including Robert Downey, Jr., Mark Ruffalo, Anthony Edwards, Brian Cox, Chloe Sevigny and Elias Koteas. The 157 minute film finds itself released as a bare-bones release on the DVD format, sans any supplemental materials, but with the promise of a future version containing the director´s cut and other bonus materials.
On July 4th, 1969, the Zodiac killer slaughtered Darlene Ferrin and nearly killed her boyfriend Mike Mageau. The film begins with this event and starts looking at the investigation into the Zodiac killer. San Francisco detectives David Toschi (Mark Ruffalo) and Bill Armstrong (Anthony Edwards) are assigned to the case and struggle to uncover evidence and create a state of co-operation with Vellejo detectives and the press, which includes reporter Paul Avery (Robert Downey, Jr.) and cartoonist Graysmith. The Zodiac killer had sent a letter to Avery and Graysmith had decrypted one of the coded messages sent by the killer. They start to begin their own investigation into the killings and are not always supported by the detectives in charge of the case. Eventually, they uncover their key suspect Leigh Allen (John Carroll Lynch), but are unable to find enough supporting evidence to charge Allen as the Zodiac killer.
As the years pass and the trail begins to get cold, Armstrong transfers to a new department and leaves his partner Toschi as the sole investigator responsible for the case. The hard drinking and hard living Paul Avery dies of a respiratory problem as a result of his smoking. There is hardly any interest in uncovering the facts based upon the Zodiac killings, but Graysmith becomes infatuated with his own investigation and continuing on with the case. He finds a reluctant partnership with Toschi and some of the police detectives from Vallejo and other communities that had been part of the investigation. Graysmith´s fanatical research into the killings brings about an end to his marriage, but it does not stop his pursuit of knowledge. Eventually, Graysmith finds the man he is searching for and believes he has uncovered the true identity of the Zodiac Killer.
"Zodiac" is a very good film by director David Fincher. The film moves slowly and delves deep into the police investigation and details pertaining to the Zodiac Killer and Graysmith´s writings. With the film´s strong attention to detail, the film feels plodding and heavy for long stretches of time, but it never becomes uninteresting. The very strong cast assembled for the production helps "Zodiac" through every scene. There are not many better actors in Hollywood today than Robert Downey, Jr., but Jake Gyllenhaal continually proves he is worth an almost equal amount of praise. The rest of the cast builds credibility towards the real life case detailed by Graysmith and "Zodiac" becomes a superior true-life crime drama that is intriguing in its details and purposeful in its vision. The film cannot eclipse Fincher´s own "Se7en," but that was a fictional work and this is based upon true life. The events in "Zodiac" are difficult to believe, whereas "Se7en" was completely over the edge. Grounded in realism, "Zodiac" does feel heavy, but it never fails to hold one´s interest.
Video:
The 2.35:1 widescreen presentation of "Zodiac" is quite good. Director David Fincher and Director of Photography Harris Savides bring a familiar look to the film for anybody that has seen "Fight Club" and "Se7en." The stylized hues and dreary scenery creates uneasiness and a feeling of sorrow for the viewer as the crimes and investigations of "Zodiac" unfolds. The murders and crime scenes are nowhere near as gory and offensive as the visuals of "Se7en," but the camera is not afraid of showing a little violence and blood during the Zodiac Killer´s vicious attacks. The warm California sun creates a number of colorful exterior scenes in the film, but much of what occurs in "Zodiac" is during dark encounters and noirish interior settings. The newly added scenes are seamlessly integrated into the film.
"Zodiac" is a picture that cannot be called beautiful because of its dark nature, but it is a technically sound DVD release. Detail is quite striking and as the characters artificially age during the film, the number of gray hairs can almost be counted. The period costumes and vehicles look absolutely incredible and "Zodiac" nicely recreates the early Seventies. With its numerous dark moments and a few rainy days, the digital transfer of "Zodiac" consistently holds up. No matter how much movement is occurring on-screen and no matter how dark the visuals get, there are no visible artifacts or flaws in the transfer. Film grain is absent for much of the picture and both black levels and shadow detail hold up without any problems. This is definitely a top-notch DVD release.
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