Modern Classics: Zodiac by T.E. Hodden

Modern Movie Classics: Zodiac

by T.E. Hodden

Robert Graysmith’s two books on the Zodiac killer, Zodiac and Zodiac Unmasked, are gripping tales of true crime, tracking Graysmith’s long fascination with, and attempts to identify, the Zodiac Killer. Graysmith first began keeping a scrapbook on the case while working as a cartoonist in a San Francisco newspaper at the time of the initial murders in the sixties, and spent ten years researching his first book on the case, that was eventually published in the eighties, with a sequel published in the noughties. The series of murders, and the strange letters sent to the police and media, cast a long spectre over society and pop culture, and yet we are far more likely to remember the fictionalised take of Dirty Harry, than the real terror that made parents wary of putting their children on school busses. David Fincher’s 2007 movie, written by James Vanderbilt, chronicles the investigation through Graysmith’s (here played by Jake Gyllenhaal) obsession. It draws many of the scenes directly from the books, but frames them in a context of Graysmith’s personal life, making them far more human, and as such, making the victims and those touched by the shadow of the killer feel far more human too. Starting with the killer’s first roadside shootings at the end of the sixties, at which point Graysmith was working in a busy San Francisco newsroom that receives one of a series of taunting letters from the killer (including their infamous coded messages), and tracking the confirmed murders, the police investigation, and the involvement of a broad cast of characters, to the publication of Graysmith’s book, and beyond, this is a movie that pulls the neat trick of both being a sprawling, decades long epic, and a taut, engaging thriller.

It is a dark tale, and a mesmerising film, that I believe is worthy of being remembered as a modern classic.

Exhibit A: The Tapestry Graysmith is central to our narrative through the film, but the nature of the mystery means it is a far bigger story than just his experiences. The film weaves together the events of the Zodiac’s killings, and the investigations, by police forces, journalists, and others, in a way that always makes the diverse threads feel very much a part of a whole. However, there are some nice touches that make these threads feel distinct, too. Fincher makes some subtle choices, so when we follow a character, what we see and hear is shaped by their perceptions. We follow them in tight focus. When a pair of lovers are by the lake, and glimpse a figure in the distance. We don’t cut to a shot of the Zodiac creeping up on them, or a different camera angle to better explain what is going on, we only get a clear look at him when he steps out right in front of them. In another sequence, our focus is held tightly inside a car, with a stranger offering to fix a tyre lost in shadow and rain, with only the few details the witness will later be certain of, picked out in a few shots. The effect is unnerving, and although it lends a strong sense of authenticity to the movie, its big strength is in capturing the mood of uncertainty,

and fear, that the Zodiac infused San Francisco with.

Exhibit B: The Ensemble The movie has a strong ensemble cast. Gyllenhaal’s Graysmith is often partnered with jaded crime correspondent and heavy drinker Paul Avery, played with a nervous intensity by Robert Downey Junior, his performance shifting from aloof snark, to a man far out of his depth when one of the killer’s many letters threatens him personally. Mark Ruffalo and Anthony Edwards are thoroughly engaging as SFPD inspectors Toschi and Armstrong. Edward’s Armstrong is a quiet and straight laced professional with a fatherly air about him. Toschi was the real life influence behind Steve McQueen’s Bullit, and Clint Eastwood’s Dirty Harry, and Ruffalo plays him as a man haunted by, rather than revelling in, the expectations that kind of reputation brings. Both are world weary cops, all too aware of the scrutiny the case is bringing upon them, for better or worse. Their chemistry is perfect, and they feel like partners who have worked together for years, in a far more believable and natural way than the comedic buddy-cop dynamic that other movies might have opted for. John Carrol Lynch turns up in the thankless role of a suspect, but balances his moments perfectly, between how he was perceived by those who brought him to the attention of the Police, and with being the ordinary guy trying to get on with his life. The ever fantastic Brian Cox gives a great performance as Melvin Belli, reaching out to the killer, on live television, and getting a call in reply.

Perhaps my favourite performance was Chloe Sevigny as Melanie, Graysmith’s long suffering wife, whose saint-like patience is tested, and strained, from her first date with Graysmith, through his growing obsession with the case. Exhibit C: Who Is That Man? As different characters encounter the Zodiac, and describe him differently to the Police, the killer is portrayed in four distinct ways, by three different actors, to match their descriptions. The result is eerily effective, leaving us unsure how far we can trust our own assumptions and deductions about the case. When Graysmith closes in on the suspect he believes is behind the killings, we can’t be sure. He looks about right, but isn’t he a bit taller, or bulkier, and doesn’t he move in a different way from the killer did? Graysmith is sure of his conclusions, and the moment he meets the suspect is chilling, but we aren’t afforded his certainty. After all, at the time of release of the movie, SFPD had marked the case as inactive just three years before, and opened it again in the year of release.

Vallejo PD were still investigating as recently as 2018.

Exhibit D: Times Change Given the length of time the movie covers, it should be noted that Lynch finds interesting ways to convey the passing of the years, without the film feeling like a slog, or losing our interest. Time lapse images, like a skyscraper rising, and the metal frame becoming a full building, track the flow, without breaking the tone, or feeling like a forced jump. They bridge scenes nicely, and have an organic feel, that suggests as much about the characters as it does the nuts and bolts of the story. And this, of course, is very much a character driven piece. We are seeing time rolling of, but it is life that is ticking by, with the characters caught by, or escaping, the magnetic pull of the events they are caught in.

A telling scene comes when Graysmith is tracking down a potential link to a small cinema, and the film it was showing at the time of the murders, he slowly begins to realise that the guy he is interviewing isn’t somebody who might identify a suspect, but the suspect himself. Following the

guy down to a basement, with a growing sense of unease, and claustrophobia (with somebody else seemingly in the house too), we can see the moment in Gyllenhaal’s eyes, that he realises he never actually thought what he would do if he found the killer, or found himself face to face with a dangerous suspect. We can see the pieces falling together, and his growing understanding of just how much danger he had happily walked headlong into. It is a great scene that plays with our perceptions of time. For us, it has only been the run time of the movie, and we have been on the edge of our seats the whole time. For him it has been years, more than enough time to grow complacent, and to be blinkered by his determination to unravel the mystery. In Conclusion This thriller can be a disturbing watch, but is worth it. Underrated and often forgotten at the time, it has rightfully built a cult following as a character driven, and suspenseful chronicle of one of America’s most infamous mysteries. It strips away much of the myth, to reveal the deeply disturbing history, and anchors the story firmly in a cast of interesting characters. This may not have been the instant hit, and reached the same iconic status as Se7en, or Fight Club, but in my opinion this is the better thriller, made after Fincher had honed his craft, and his eye for the perfect shot. I’m not going to deny those films are classic, but I will suggest that Zodiac is a turning point for Fincher in the same way that Psycho was a turning point for Hitchcock. It is a turning point in style, from the brutal and kinetic direction of Alien 3 and The Game, to the more fluid, and cleaner framing of Gone Girl, Girl wit the Dragon Tattoo, and The Social Network, any of which could equally deserve their place as a Modern Classic.

Make Mine A Double I took the liberty of choosing the double myself today, because in my mind, there really is only one choice: Don Siegal’s 1971 fictionalisation of the case, Dirty Harry. Clint Eastwood’s iconic role became the template for every action hero cop that followed him, right up until Die Hard broke Hollywood out the rut, which is pretty ironic, seeing as “Dirty” Harry Callaghan was clearly meant to be a dinosaur who belonged in another age: the militaristic cops better suited to the old west, or strike breakers, who was too old fashioned for the modern world of community policing and evolving society. His case though, was ‘ripped from the headlines’ story telling, with the Scorpio Killer communicating in much the same way as the Zodiac, and making similar threats to busses full of school kids, threats that the Scorpio puts into action.

The best written, and directed of the Dirty Harry films, with far more depth and charm than the sequels, this is a far better film than the one speech (where Harry seems to be the only action movie cop whose gun really does only carry six shots) that everybody remembers.

T.E. Hodden trained in engineering and works in a specialized role in the transport industry. He is a life long fan of comic books, science

fiction, myths, legends, and history. In the past he has contributed to podcasts, blogs, and anthologies. Discover more on Mom’s Favorite Reads website: https://moms-favorite-reads.com/moms-authors/t-e-hodden/