Zodiac (2007)

A San Francisco cartoonist becomes an amateur detective obsessed with tracking down the Zodiac killer.

Director:

David Fincher

Writers:

James Vanderbilt (screenplay), Robert Graysmith (book)

Stars:

Jake Gyllenhaal, Robert Downey Jr., Mark Ruffalo

4 wins & 43 nominations.

Cast

Cast overview, first billed only:
Jake Gyllenhaal	...	Robert Graysmith
Mark Ruffalo	...	Inspector David Toschi
Anthony Edwards	...	Inspector William Armstrong
Robert Downey Jr.	...	Paul Avery
Brian Cox	...	Melvin Belli
John Carroll Lynch	...	Arthur Leigh Allen
Richmond Arquette	...	Zodiac 1 / Zodiac 2
Bob Stephenson	...	Zodiac 3
John Lacy	...	Zodiac 4
Chloë Sevigny	...	Melanie
Ed Setrakian	...	Al Hyman
John Getz	...	Templeton Peck
John Terry	...	Charles Thieriot
Candy Clark	...	Carol Fisher
Elias Koteas	...	Sgt. Jack Mulanax

Storyline

A serial killer in the San Francisco Bay Area taunts police with his letters and cryptic messages. We follow the investigators and reporters in this lightly fictionalized account of the true 1970's case as they search for the murderer, becoming obsessed with the case. Based on Robert Graysmith's book, the movie's focus is the lives and careers of the detectives and newspaper people.

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Plot Keywords:

serial killer | zodiac | reporter | cartoonist | zodiac killer | 

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Taglines:

There's more than one way to lose your life to a killer

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Genres:

Crime | Drama | Mystery | Thriller

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Certificate:

14A

Details

Official Sites:

Paramount Pictures [United States] Warner Bros [France]

Country:

USA

Language:

English

Release Date:

2 March 2007 (Canada)

Also Known As:

Le zodiaque

Filming Locations:

4th Street, Downtown, Los Angeles, California, USA

Box Office

Budget:

$65,000,000 (estimated)

Opening Weekend:

£818,369 (UK) (18 May 2007)

Gross:

£3,440,289 (UK) (22 June 2007)

Company Credits

Production Co:

Paramount Pictures, Warner Bros., Phoenix Pictures

Technical Specs

Runtime:

157 min 162 min (director's cut)

Sound Mix:

SDDS Dolby Digital DTS

Color:

Color

Aspect Ratio:

2.35 : 1

Did You Know?

Trivia

The murder victims' costumes were meticulously recreated from forensic evidence that was lent to the production.

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Goofs

The livery of the United Airlines airplanes shown in the establishing shot of Ontario Airport was incorrect, in the 1991 scene. At that time, United Airlines planes had the first Saul Bass ("rainbow") livery, which was white with orange, red, and blue stripes. The liveries on the planes shown in this shot are the "Mainliner" livery, which the airline had retired, in the mid-1970's, in favor of the Bass design.

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Quotes

[first lines]
Mike Mageau: Where have you been? I've been waiting since 7:00.

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Crazy Credits

Consultants: THE ALLEN FAMILY

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Connections

Referenced in Smagsdommerne: Episode #5.16 (2007)

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Soundtracks

Young Girl
Written by Jerry Fuller
Performed by Gary Puckett and The Union Gap (as Gary Puckett & The Union Gap)
Courtesy of Columbia Records
By Arrangement with SONY BMG MUSIC ENTERTAINMENT

User Reviews

Good, but not what you'd expect

Usually when a film gets made about a media grabbing unsolved crime, the resulting movie tends to be overtly sensational and at best remotely connected to what really happened. Considering that director David Fincher's last film about a serial killer was the gripping but deeply disturbing Se7en, his take on the Zodiac killer almost seemed primed to be an extreme, nail-biting thriller.

Instead what he's given us is a well argued thesis on the possible identity of the Zodiac. While there are some very intense scenes, Fincher takes a somewhat unexpected approach on the subject. All of the killings take place pretty early on in the movie, with the bulk of the story centering on the actual investigation into the killer by both the cops and a cartoonist who becomes obsessed with the case. In fact, the depictions of the murders are done in a manner that is fairly reverent towards the victims while still conveying the cruelty of them.

Some people may find themselves disappointed by this two and a half hour epic if they go in expecting the usual serial killer fare. But it's a must see for any fan of Fincher's work, or anybody who likes a good detective story.