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Zodiac: 2-Disc Directors Cut
[Blu-ray]
Blu-ray ALL - America - Paramount Home Entertainment Review written by and copyright: Jarrod Baker & Noor Razzak (4th March 2009). |
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The Film
 The Zodiac Killer, a serial murderer who terrified Californian residents during the late 1960's has inspired numerous books, television programs and films over the years. Scorpio, the antagonist in the first "Dirty Harry" (1971) film was based on the Zodiac killer, and numerous fictional serial killers have since followed in his footsteps. Unlike the Zodiac-themed films that have gone before it however, David Fincher's "Zodiac" takes a much more documentary approach, explicitly attempting to recreate the real events of the case. Based on Robert Graysmith's non-fiction books on the case, "Zodiac" and "Zodiac Unmasked", the film focuses on the people involved in investigating the murders, including crime beat reporter Paul Avery (Robert Downey Jr.), SFPD detectives Dave Toschi (Mark Ruffalo) and Bill Armstrong (Anthony Edwards), and Graysmith himself (Jake Gyllenhaal). This is Fincher's first film since 2002's "Panic Room", and represents an impressive return to form - or perhaps it's a continuation of the pattern he has displayed thus far, where he alternates exceptional films like "Se7en" (1995) and "Fight Club" (1999) with merely okay ones like "The Game" (1997) and (cough) "Alien3" (1992). Regardless, although "Zodiac" might not reach the cinematic heights of "Se7en" or "Fight Club", it's still an engrossing, rewarding film that feels thoroughly like the product of Fincher the auteur. Shot completely on digital (It was the first major feature to be shot entirely using the Thomson Viper digital cinema : Michael Mann's "Collateral" (2004) also used this camera, but also used footage from other sources), the film is visually striking, if perhaps lacking some of the dynamism seen in Fincher's previous films. Any film based on actual events skates several fine lines : the primary goal of a movie is to entertain, and if the subject matter is approached too dryly then the picture can fail on this count. On the other hand if corners are cut in the name of entertainment then the movie can become less a depiction of real events and more a somewhat misleading mess (see "Saving Private Ryan" (1998), "Braveheart" (1995), etc). "Zodiac" manages to balance these competing interests well, helped in part by the fact that it's based on a somewhat partisan source material : Graysmith was deeply and viscerally involved in the case, and has a particular viewpoint on the killer's identity (albeit one that isn't supported by much in the way of physical evidence); because of this the film doesn't necessarily have to be fair and balanced, representing as it does one individual's experiences. It also helps that the filmmakers have obviously put a great deal of time and effort into getting the facts right. They conducted a great deal of additional research, contacting the principal figures from Graysmith's book (including the Zodiac killer's surviving victims) and convinced many of them to serve as advisors for the film. "Zodiac" may be too long and too detailed for some audiences : particularly those who go into the film expecting another generic serial killer film. For everyone else, it makes for thoughtful and thoroughly worthwhile viewing.
Video
Presented in 2.40:1 ratio this widescreen transfer is presented in high-definition 1080p 24/fps and has been created using AVC MPEG-4 compression. Last year I had the chance to review the Australian Warner Brother's release of this film on Blu-ray (see here for that review). That version of the film was about as perfect as they come. This edition comes courtesy of Paramount and has been spread over two discs, with the film and it's commentaries on the first disc (a generous 50GB disc) and the extras on the second. As a result of splitting the film and its extras onto two discs has allowed Paramount to master the film with a much higher bitrate, this the image looks much better than any previous releases. You'll notice this difference with big displays, if you have a small TV under 30 inches then then spotting the differences will be a bit harder. What I did notice was improved sharpness, depth and detail. The film was shot on an HD digital format on the state-of-the-art Viper camera and the transfer was sourced direct from the original digital master making this as flawless a presentation as you'll likely ever see. There's no dirt, specks or any other imperfections. It's simply magnificent.
Audio
Paramount has released this dilm with a stunning English Dolby Digital TrueHD 5.1 surround sound track. Although I'd prefer a DTS-HD Master Audio or uncompressed PCM track this TrueHD track is just as solid. The audio presents dialogue clearly and without distortion. Ambient sounds and environmental surrounds are well mixed within the sound space and the film's music cues add a further layer to the already complex and rich mix that immerses the viewer. Optional subtitles are included in English, English for the hearing impaired, French and Spanish.
Extras
Paramount has released this 'Director's Cut' with two audio commentaries, three documentaries, a featurette, some previsualization comparisons and the film's theatrical trailer as extras. Below is a closer look at these supplements. DISC ONE: First up we've got a feature-length audio commentary by director David Fincher, fans of his films will know that the director likes to oversee this DVD releases and pack them with as much information on the making of the film as possible. Those that have listened to his previous commentaries on films such as "The Game", "Seven", "Fight Club" and "Panic Room" will almost certainly know what to expect. The passionate filmmaker delves into the production covering almost every aspect and leaves virtually no stone unturned, it can be quite intense and daunting for some but a totally rewarding experience none-the-less. He takes us through his involvement in the project and having memories of the killing taking place when he was a kid through the storytelling process and shooting the film on digital. He comments on the cast, production design, score, music, editing, among many other things in this informative track. You get a sense for what he wanted to achieve and more importantly budding filmmaker's get a rare perspective into the mind of this underrated filmmaker, his techniques and meticulous attention to detail. A second feature-length audio commentary is next and features producer Brad Fischer, screenwriter James Vanderbilt, and author James Ellroy along with actors Jake Gyllenhaal and Robert Downey Jr., the actors were recorded separately and the track was edited together. While not as riveting or compelling as the previous track this one still holds a lot of value, the producer, writer and author comment on the case elements, discuss the theories and various aspects regarding the case and also on the film and its interpretation of that information, while the two actors talk about their roles, working with the director and the research they did on their characters and also on the subject matter. Compared to the other participants they didn't have too much to say as the track was primarily dominated by the producer, writer and author Ellroy who by the way had no involvement in the film but sits in as a fan of the film and seems to know a lot about the Zodiac case. DISC TWO: "Zodiac Deciphered" is a documentary which runs for 54 minutes 13 seconds, this covers the making of the film rather comprehensively and focuses on the Zodiac case and his impact on California, on getting the rights to the book and adapting it for the screen as well as getting Fincher onboard to direct. The feature takes a look at the research conducted for the film along with plenty of behind-the-scenes footage taken during the film's production which provides an insight into the process of a director such as Fincher and explores areas such as costumes and production design and how these departments used reference material such as crime scene photographs and evidence to create the look. Furthermore the locations of the actual crimes are scouted and used for the filming among other things. This is a great feature that we've come to expect from Fincher's DVD's and covers a vast amount of information about the production and really gets you inside his head as to what we wanted to achieve stylistically and performance wise. Next up is "The Visual Effects of Zodiac" a featurette that runs for 15 minutes 19 seconds and takes a look at the work Digital Domain did for the film, because this is a period film spanning several decades, that era San Francisco doesn't exists anymore therefore visual effects were used to build 60's and 70's era San Francisco for the backgrounds including an opening aerial shot that flies past the port. Also looks at the creation of CG blood splatter and tracking movement, the task was to achieve subtle and seamless effects that when you watch the film you don't notice them which is what they managed to do in this case. Following that are 3 Previsualization sequences, these feature the original Previz that was created to help flesh out the scene and select the shots as compared to the final version seen in the film and they include: - "Blue Rock Springs" which runs for 1 minute 7 seconds. - "Lake Berryessa" which runs for 4 minutes 22 seconds. - "San Francisco" which runs for 1 minute 2 seconds. "This is the Zodiac Speaking" a feature-length documentary that runs for 102 minutes 11 seconds and takes a in-depth look at the Zodiac case specifically dealing with the murders that took place in Lake Herman Road, Blue Rock Springs, Lake Berryessa and San Francisco. The feature includes comprehensive interviews with police officers and investigators, Graysmith himself, as well as surviving victims and covers their perspective. Throughout the feature you'll see some crime scene photographs and letters from the Zodiac as well as vintage news footage. The feature not only examines the case and the murders but also participants comment on events and conversations as detailed in Graysmith's book among other things. Next is "Prime Suspect: His Name was Arthur Leigh Allen" another documentary which runs for 42 minutes 33 seconds and takes a closer look at the investigation's favorite suspect. This feature interviews friends and acquaintances of Allen as they provide an idea of his character and personality. The police and investigators also chime in as to his character and the evidence, including a profiler who doesn't believe Allen was the Zodiac. Differing opinions are presented here for his innocence and for his guilt but regardless of which he was it still paints a rather disturbing image of Allen. Rounding out the extras is the film's original theatrical trailer and runs for 2 minutes 33 seconds.
Overall
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