Reproduced with the permission of the copyright holder.
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March 7, 2007 -- This year is off to a good start with two great films already (I usually end up the year with only 6 to 8 top-rated films). The first was Bridge to Terabithia and the second one is the subject of today's review, the great crime film “Zodiac.” This, like many great films, is based on a true story. It is about the hunt for the mysterious Zodiac serial killer who stalked the San Francisco area during the late 1960s and early 1970s. It isn't about the killer so much as it is about the people who worked tirelessly to solve the murders, people who were more obsessed with the murders than the murderer was himself. This is a story of people fascinated by puzzles and obsessed with solving crimes and catching killers. It is also a story about how competing police jurisdictions and a lack of modern crime-solving technology helped the killer escape capture for years.
The main character in this story isn't a police detective. It is a newspaper man, editorial cartoonist Robert Graysmith (played by Jake Gyllenhaal of “Brokeback Mountain”) of the San Francisco Chronicle. Graysmith, who likes to solve puzzles, is intrigued by the cryptic code that the killer sends to the newspapers. He gradually becomes obsessed with the case. He, along with self-destructive Chronicle reporter Paul Avery (Robert Downey Jr. of “Kiss Kiss, Bang Bang”) are drawn into the Zodiac case, as well as top-notch San Francisco homicide detectives David Toschi (Mark Ruffalo of “All the King's Men”) and William Armstrong (Anthony Edwards of “Northfork”). The chase is on.
The movie illustrates the multiple faces of the human toll of Zodiac's murder spree, in terms of fear, death, disability, broken lives and broken marriages. One lead detective in the case is forced out of the case, another quits, getting reassigned because of the toll of the investigation on his family. One reporter's life falls apart, and another's marriage crumbles because of his Zodiac obsession. David Toschi, the man on whom the movie character Dirty Harry Calahan was modeled after, comes across as a smart, dedicated cop who plays by the rules, unlike Dirty Harry. There is even a scene of Toschi watching a Dirty Harry movie and walking out in disgust. Toschi, unlike some others trying to solve the Zodiac case, is able to avoid obsession.Unlike many crime stories, this one emphasizes basic police work, following leads, conducting interrogations, searching for evidence. The movie shows how a lack of modern technology, fax machines, computers, e-mails, mobile phones and digital cameras, hampered the investigation. In a modern, multi-jurisdictional serial murder case, it is routine to form a task force and share evidence across jurisdictional boundaries. This kind of cooperation was virtually unheard of at this point in history. The various police agencies did not cooperate well at all. Each was competing against the other to find the killer. The Zodiac killer was smart, but he made enough mistakes he would have been caught had there been a large task force looking for him.
This is an excellent movie in terms of human drama, in terms of police procedure and in terms of journalism. It shows a lot of smart, dedicated people working hard to solve a deadly puzzle. The performances of Jake Gyllenhaal, Robert Downey Jr., Mark Ruffalo and Anthony Edwards are all just terrific. Also good is Chloë Sevigny as Melanie, Graysmith's long-suffering wife. The movie gets the newsroom details right (I worked in newsrooms for over 20 years) and it captures the time period very well too.
This is a meticulously conceived and executed movie. The rich soundtrack of period songs is quite good, including one particularly haunting song, “Hurdy Gurdy Man,” by Donovan Leitch. It is worth noting that Graysmith and Toschi eventually became good friends and Graysmith remains on good terms with his ex-wife and children. The books that Graysmith wrote about the Zodiac case became best sellers. The books, and even this movie, have turned up many new leads in the Zodiac case. Graysmith may have been obsessed with the Zodiac killer, but it turned out to be an obsession with a positive result, and that includes this movie. It rates an A.
Click here for links to places to buy or rent this movie in video and/or DVD format, or to buy the soundtrack, posters, books, even used videos, games, electronics, theater tickets and lots of other stuff. I suggest you shop at least two of these places before buying anything. Prices seem to vary continuously. For more information on this film, click on this link to The Internet Movie Database. Type in the name of the movie in the search box and press enter. You will be able to find background information on the film, the actors, and links to much more information.
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