The letter's author, who identified himself as Zodiac, claimed responsibility for both shootings and even offered detailed information that wasn't released to the public. The letters included a 408-symbol cryptogram that, according to Zodiac, revealed his identity. This letter spurred a multi-region investigation and takes center stage in David Fincher's 2007 film, Zodiac.
Zodiac: Director's Cut is based on Robert Greysmith's books and follows the case through several decades. Considering that the Zodiac killer is one of the most well-known serial killers in history and the movie is directed by David Fincher, who is best known for the film Se7en, viewers would assume that the film focuses on the killer. While the killer is a major player, he enjoys a shadowy, Suaron-like presence. Instead, the film is a story of obsession and uncertainty. All four of the main characters - Paul Avery (Robert Downey Jr.), detectives Dave Toschi (Mark Ruffalo) and Bill Armstrong (Anthony Edwards), and Robert Greysmith (Jake Gyllenhaal) - are obsessed with cracking the case, and the movie follows their compulsions to their bitter ends.
Zodiac is a very slow-paced, methodical film. There are few action sequences; instead, most of the film is occupied with what amounts to police reports, interrogations and discussions of the killer's identity and motives. This, along with the lack of solid answers, will likely bother viewers who need closure. There's an attempt to try and tie things up at the end, though this is based more on Greysmith's assertions rather than any proven, factual evidence. This isn't unexpected -- the movie is based on Greysmith's books - though it did bother me after the fact. Looking back, I liked the air of uncertainty and could have done without the final "tag" that attempts to wrap everything up. Yes, it would drive some viewers mad, but that's sort of the point of the movie. Uncertainty leads to madness.
Extra features are broken into two categories, the film and the case. None of the features are new and appeared on both the HD-DVD and DVD versions of the film, but they are still interesting. The behind-the-scenes stuff is fairly standard and includes commentary and a "Making of..." featurettes. The best of the bunch is a split-screen feature showing the animatics and finished versions of the murder scenes.
I've already mentioned my odd habit of researching real-life events from movies, leading me to read more about the case. Although the film helped, the features covering the case fueled my own personal obsession with the case. "This is the Zodiac Speaking" is a documentary covering all of the case's known facts and includes interviews with victims and investigators. Everything is kept low-key, which makes it even more chilling. As odd as it sounds, I was even more engaged by the documentary than the film it is attached to.
The second, "His Name was Arthur Leigh Allen" is similar to the case documentary, but focuses more on the prime suspect in the Zodiac killings. Though just as interesting and chilling as the other documentary, I had issues with it. While evidence does point towards Allen being Zodiac, it just as much points towards him not being Zodiac. I assume this stems from Greysmith's assertion that Allen is the guy, but I would have preferred something a little broader that at least took other suspects into account.
Unless you're replacing your DVD collection with Blu-ray versions, the lack of new extras keeps Zodiac well out of repurchase territory. Regardless, it's a must-see film and should find a way into your collection if it isn't already.
