Zodiac (Director's Cut)

The Film

With three very similar viewpoints already offered on the site it seems pointless adding a fourth given that I have much the same appreciation and reservations about Fincher’s latest. Even the new Director’s Cut version which is present on this release warrants little additional discussion, as I was hard pushed to notice the extra scenes or additional dialogue which is present and required the commentary by Fincher to point one of them out, and IMDB to verify the others. The only addition I spotted myself was an extended music montage over a black screen which is used to depict the passing of time in the film. It’s superbly done, and like the other minor additions is seamlessly integrated into the film.

The HD DVD

A two-disc set, the choice of case is slightly disappointing (a hub on both sides instead of the hinge/flap option) as they’re more prone to arriving with a disc loose (mine did). On top of that, the wonderful artwork could really have done with a cardboard slipcase to fully sell the concept, instead we just get a regular HD DVD amaray which diminishes most of the impact.

The film and commentaries are located on Disc 1, with all other extras on Disc 2. The menus on both discs are well designed, mixing montages from the film with clever Zodiac code which is translated to English as you select the various options (Play, Setup etc).

Picture and Sound

The 1080P AVC encode of Zodiac exhibits none of the problems associated with the theatrical DVD releases, and instead proves to be a technically impressive transfer that exhibits sharp contrast and fine detail throughout with the combination of richly textured interiors and darkly contrasted exteriors all handled with great care. Being that the film was shot almost entirely on digital, Zodiac is perfectly suited to high definition while Fincher’s attention to detail and excellent use of the 2.35:1 frame makes this a visually stunning transfer, though maybe not one that leaps out at you due largely to the muted colour scheme and mundane everyday locations.

The same could be said of the Dolby Digital Plus 5.1 Surround mix, for while this may be a dialogue heavy film with little in the way of “action” it is a carefully constructed piece of sound design combining music and ambient sound effects to great effect. The soundstage is mostly used to draw you into the world the film depicts, from the pops of the fireworks enveloping the room in the opening scenes to the bustling arena that is downtown San Francisco later in the film, the speakers are always alive with activity but for the most part it's very subtle with the front soundstage dominating through dialogue and music. As the film reaches the late seventies there is a definite sense of the rear speakers being put to greater use (particularly through the film's original score), and I wonder if this is reflected by something Fincher mentions in the commentary, how he wanted the film to move from mono to stereo as the world did during the timeframe the film covers. Obviously the soundtrack is not in mono at any point in the mix, but the soundstage does seem to open up as the film moves on in time.

The film is subtitled in English, French and Spanish.

Extra Features

Disc 1 features two commentary tracks…

The first commentary is with David Fincher who jumps straight in – quite literally, forgetting to even introduce himself – with a very scene specific offering in which he rarely pauses right through to the end of the very last shot. An eloquent, down to earth personality Fincher is never a dull speaker, not even here over two and a half hours where he drifts seamlessly from technical aspects of the production (such as the many impressive tracking shots, set design and digital touch ups seen in the film) to discussion on the actors and casting and finally through to his own thoughts on the Zodiac case. What is most interesting here are the comments he has on casting with relation to the investigation undertook prior to making the film, where he was able to meet with many of the characters’ real-life counterparts, and this investigation also overlaps into his own comments on the case where Fincher discusses elements he included that he does not necessarily believe himself, but are necessary to ground the overall case. In turn there are also segments of the film where artistic license was taken, be it meetings where no one really knows the intricacies of what went on or simply aspects which are changed in the film subtly to improve the theatrical experience. All of this adds up to a commentary which is entertaining and informative, and should you have the time to take it in on one sitting, I doubt you would have any trouble doing so.

The second commentary track is almost completely different in tone, and features actors Jake Gyllenhaal and Robert Downey Jr. recorded together in one session, and writer/producer James Vanderbilt, producer Brad Fischer and novelist James Ellroy recorded together in another session, edited together to create one not-so-seamless commentary. Actually, that’s not completely true, as the contributions from Gyllenhaal and Downey Jr. are so minor (and generally crap) that the other group almost completely dominates, offering a very chatty track which looks at the film within the crime genre, discusses the Zodiac case and through the mouth of Ellroy offers an independent critique on the film (though as he explains, he considers it one of the half-dozen best films within the crime genre). Within this group, Ellroy and Vanderbilt dominate, creating a very engaging back and forth which sees Vanderbilt graciously accept Ellroy’s very positive comments about the film without ever becoming over inflated. Ellroy’s presence is certainly welcome, as not only does he have a radio-type voice but he loves to present his comments in the form of a story, very enthused throughout and more often than not found to be spouting hyperbole this only makes what he’s saying all the more entertaining while his appreciation always rings true so combined with Vanderbilt and Fischer this makes for a very interesting and engaging track. It’s also worth noting that it’s almost entirely non scene-specific, so unlike Fincher’s track which really needs to be listened to as you watch the film to fully appreciate, you can leave this one running in the background and get on with something else as you listen. This I found to be incredibly useful as over five hours of commentary total between the two tracks is a lot of time out of anyone’s day!

The extras found on disc two of this set are presented in high definition and split into two areas covering The Film and The Facts…

The Film:

“Zodiac Deciphered” (54:15mins) – This behind-the-scenes documentary is propelled forward by on-camera interviews with the writer, producer and costume designer in amongst on-set footage showing the cast and crew at work. It’s a good piece, showing the attention to detail put into the film by director and crew, along with the efforts the actors went to in order to get into their roles, all told via audio interviews with those involved and the on-set footage we are seeing. What’s also notable is the order in which the documentary takes place, following the major events of the movie, as opposed to the usual pre-production, production, casting, post-production approach most making-of documentaries do. This allows the various aspects of the production to be touched upon in a more natural fashion, delving deeper into a location or a shot or a character when that aspect is most prominent in the timeline of the film. There are some of the usual superlatives thrown around by those involved in the on-camera interviews, but for the most part the on-set footage grounds these elements. The documentary is split into 7 chapters for easy navigation.

“The Visual Effects of Zodiac” (15:19mins) – The guys of Digital Domain walk us through a number of the subtle visual effects work which you see on screen. For the most part Zodiac is not a film you might associate with heavy effects work, but this is David Fincher and there are a number of shots with digital enhancements which have been quite expertly applied so it’s a pleasure to see how these were achieved. Some of the more elaborate and obvious effects shots used to establish the time in which the film takes place are also covered and these are equally impressive. The tight running time certainly helps a great deal here as we’re never bogged down in detail, simply given an overview with plenty of before, after and intermediate examples.

“Previsualisation” – The only extra content not presented in high definition, these short sequences show split-screen comparisons of 3D animatics and the final shots for the three murder scenes in the film.

Theatrical Trailer – The original trailer.

The Facts

“This is the Zodiac Speaking” (100mins) – This new documentary written and directed by David Prior is not what I was expecting or hoping for, though given its inclusion under a section entitled “The Facts” maybe my expectations were unwarranted. Split into four sections (and subsequently four chapters) and featuring new interviews with the original investigators, first responders and the two male survivors from the Zodiac’s second and third double-homicide attempts this is predominantly a talking faces piece which sticks entirely to the facts. By this I mean we are taken from each major crime scene, the three double-murder attempts in secluded lovers-lane type areas in smaller towns through to the murder of the cab driver in San Francisco, with each individual case presented to us via fresh interviews with the various police officers and the survivors whose dialogue guides us through the events and the initial investigation which took place on the night. Beyond this however very little is covered, with only the San Francisco segment offering some additional insight to the investigation into the letters. This section also features a high quotient of original news footage from the day. My particular hope for this piece was something that would offer a perspective into the investigation on a larger scale, with maybe some analysis of the Zodiac and a look at various theories on whom he might be. Taken for what is though, a highly factual piece which isn’t afraid to present conflicting recollection from the officers and individuals involved, it makes for engaging viewing with contributions from the male survivors in particular very interesting. Notable by their absence however are the main San Francisco detectives Bill Armstrong and Dave Toschi, whose input would surely have been invaluable during the closing segment of the documentary.

“His Name War Arthur Leigh Allen” (42:35mins) – Taking the same approach as the previous documentary, and also written and directed by David Prior, this substantial piece features interviews with friends and acquaintances of the prime suspect in the Zodiac case. Once again, there is no attempt to put forward any theories by the documentary maker nor is there any leading of the interviewees, but where the facts as presented by those involved overlap and counter each other, answers are edited together to present each side. There are also interviews with investigators from the time as well as comments by the author of the book Zodiac is based upon, Robert Graysmith, alongside some criminal psychologists. Including these as well as asking the question “Do you think it was Allen?” does give this shorter documentary more closure than the previous effort while still leaving the viewer with plenty of character evidence with which to draw their own conclusions.

Subtitles are present on all Disc 2 extras in English, French and Spanish. The commentaries on Disc 1 are not subtitled in any language.

Overall

A technically accomplished and beautifully constructed film is given the treatment it deserves with a superlative transfer and a selection of varied and interesting extras that are presented in High Definition and feature very little overlap. You can’t really ask for more than that, so it’s very easy indeed to recommend this HD DVD release to anyone with even a passing interest in the film.