This film wastes no time getting right into the story of the Zodiac killer, which has audiences on the edge of their seats from the get-go. The director, David Fincher, of such genre changing films as “Se7en” and “Fight Club“, decides to treat this story not only as a crime drama but as a nail-biting thriller. With the assistance of a well chosen cast, Zodiac harkens back, but does not eclipse, the ultimate mass murder thriller, “Silence of the Lambs“. In this film’s defense, its story has to follow the true life killing spree of the 1970s mass murderer from California, and therefore has a large span of time to cover and the final third of the story may prove unsatisfactory to some members of the audience.
Newspapers figure strongly into the overall story of the Zodiac killer, as he uses them to get his message of terror out to the public. He contacts the San Francisco Chronicle in a letter, threatening to go on a killing spree if the newspaper does not print a cypher that he has created for the front page. The newspaper editor and managers of its different departments, must decide whether to print or not to print. Involved in these meetings is Paul Avery, the crime beat reporter, as portrayed by the brilliant Robert Downey Jr. (“Good Night and Good Luck”) who truly inhabits his character and a low key performance by Jake Gyllenhaal (“Brokeback Mountain”) as the paper’s cartoonist -and ultimate writer of the Zodiac book- Robert Graysmith. Also figuring prominently in the story are several police detectives, hand-writing experts, and professional and amateur cryptologists, who are trying to track down the Zodiac killer before he kills again.
It is important in reviewing thrillers to tread lightly because you do not want to give away too much information, so as to ruin any surprises in the film or the ultimate ending to the story. Even though this film is based upon a book and real-life events, it is likely there are people who do not know what ultimately happens. I prefer to focus on how the story will make the viewer feel, and how well acted the performances are. The portrayal of the killer, from the little you can see of him, shows the coldness of a man unhinged and the ultimate stabbings and shootings of the victims are handled in an almost mundane manner by the psycho. This adds to the intensity of the scenes and their tendency to stick with you after the film has ended. Gore is not necessary to get across the brutality of the slayings, and its limited use in the movie adds to the terror when you do see blood. A scene with the Zodiac killer calling into a morning talk show, is startling and unique, which adds to the audiences’ fear of the mass murderer.
The dialog in the film is also quite crisp and sharp, not simply used to further the plot, but to explain the characters’ relationships to each other and their interests and abnormalities. Gyllenhaal’s performance of Graystone shows a man unsure of himself, and underappreciated at his work -an unusual main character in a thriller- but able to ultimately contribute in helping to track down the killer. The film is rather lengthy, but only rarely do you feel the passage of time, as the movie keeps you engrossed. I strongly recommend it to anyone who enjoys a dramatic thriller.
4 out of 5