As a seasoned true-crime enthusiast with a knack for delving deep into the intricacies of unsolved mysteries, I find myself utterly captivated by David Fincher‘s masterpiece, “Zodiac.” Having spent countless hours poring over case files and documentaries related to real-life serial killers, I can wholeheartedly attest that this film resonates on a profound level.
How would one create a movie based on an actual event without a definitive conclusion? This is the storytelling conundrum faced when crafting films about the elusive Zodiac Killer, who haunted California’s Bay Area during the 1960s and ’70s. Two possible solutions to this dilemma exist: One option is to leave open-ended questions unanswered, or alternatively, one can form personal interpretations. However, if you are watching “Zodiac” (now available on Peacock), you get a blend of both approaches.
2007 saw the release of David Fincher’s masterpiece, “Zodiac,” a chilling period drama based on Robert Graysmith’s book of the same name. As a fan, I can confidently say that this film stands tall among Fincher’s finest works, almost two decades later. The faceless monster at its core is as haunting today as it was then.
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Zodiac‘s Atmosphere of True Terror
Apart from Jack the Ripper, the Zodiac Killer is arguably the most well-known unidentified serial murderer, largely due to his deliberate construction of an enigmatic persona in the media through codes, phone calls, and even a chilling description of his attire by one of his victims – an all-black killing suit. Even those with only casual interest in true crime are familiar with his name, symbols, and the ominous character he crafted in the public consciousness. This image is so potent that it requires minimal effort to summon, and as evidence, the opening murder sequence of “Zodiac” presents the killer indirectly, allowing our minds to fill in many of the gaps.
Instead of merely exploring the infamous Zodiac killer and his gruesome acts as commonly imagined, the movie delves much deeper. Pivotal death scenes, similar to those throughout the film, are purposefully filmed to immerse us in the victims’ experiences rather than keeping us detached or offering fleeting glimpses like a true crime documentary might. Instead of observing from afar, we find ourselves right in the midst of events – sitting in the car, by the lake, on the streets of San Francisco. This way, we grasp that these are ordinary people whose lives are dramatically and sometimes awkwardly interrupted by unimaginable terror.
One of the most chilling examples of Fincher’s mastery can be found in the terrifying sequence from the 21st century – the Zodiac’s attack at Lake Berryessa. In this scene, the killer, rather than appearing as an otherworldly figure of unparalleled danger, is portrayed as an ordinary individual who has chosen to inflict harm. His actions, though workaday in nature, are made all the more startling by their abruptness. This portrayal of the Zodiac as a man who has willingly committed heinous acts adds a crucial layer to the filmmaking, as Zodiac delves further into the enigma of why and who he is.
The Unsolvable Puzzle at the Heart of Zodiac
The story primarily focuses on Robert Graysmith, a cartoonist at the San Francisco Chronicle who enjoys solving puzzles, as he becomes increasingly intrigued by the enigmatic Zodiac killer. Although not a crime reporter or investigator, the coded messages from the Zodiac captivate him. The intricate symbols left behind by the Zodiac spark his curiosity, leading him to pursue any clues that might come his way, often working alongside the newspaper’s crime reporter Paul Avery in search of new information.
Graysmith’s keen sense of puzzle-solving and his hunger for any new details about the Zodiac persist throughout the film, as he digs deeper into the mystery and examines every twist as a new piece of the code, a new symbol that must be unraveled, to fit into the larger picture. What starts as a kind of dark hobby, an endorphin-spiking quest to make progress on something that’s caught his eyes, soon develops into a full-blown obsession, consuming years of Graysmith’s life as he closes in on his own preferred suspect, a man named Arthur Leigh Allen (John Carroll Lynch).
In this film, we journey alongside Robert Graysmith as his fixation unfolds. We witness how it disrupts his family life, strains his partnership with San Francisco Police Department inspector Dave Toschi (portrayed by Mark Ruffalo), and complicates the already intricate Zodiac Killer mystery. The movie excels not only as a crime drama but also as a critique of true crime, mirroring the experience of any dedicated true crime enthusiast who becomes entangled in a profoundly enigmatic case. Such cases often present the allure of endless answers leading to more questions, a sense of being lost amidst intricate details that is both baffling and exhilarating. In the case of ‘Zodiac’, the depth of these details proves so profound that even when Graysmith believes he’s cracked the code, there remains an elusive aspect to the mystery – making it equally captivating and heart-wrenching.
The Crimes Left Unspoken
Each detail in this setup is meticulously arranged to reflect Fincher’s distinct filmmaking approach, which some critics have labeled as cold due to his focus on details often leaving less room for emotional depth. However, Zodiac challenges this perception because it delves into unspoken crimes rather than just the visible ones.
We are fascinated by the Zodiac Killer, whoever he was and wherever he may be now. As with numerous other murderers and fiends throughout history, we get lost in the whirlpool of his deeds, his words, his taunts. It spins us around, threatens to suck us under, and what Zodiac eloquently tell us is that for some people, that whirlpool is not temporary. For people like Graysmith and Toschi, people like Zodiac’s surviving victims, that whirlpool will never stop. The lives Zodiac destroyed, or at the very least altered forever, aren’t just those of the people he attacked. The obsession over what he did has run roughshod across countless lives, and if we can’t pull ourselves away from his darkness, we might join them. It’s a raw, deep, unnerving emotional well in the center of this thrilling true crime saga, and it helps to make Zodiac a masterpiece.
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2024-08-28 01:16