Zodiac General Analysis

What Sub Genre is "Zodiac" 

"Zodiac" by David Fincher is a Crime-Thriller Film based on a true story. The reason it earns this title is due to the dialogue intensive style of the film. There is almost no dramatic action or physical drama until the very last scenes (more on that later). Zodiac centers around two journalists and a detective who attempt to solve a murder mystery and catch a serial killer, therefore based on the narrative plot, it is by definition a crime film. As for the thriller part, there are certain scenes such as the stranger's house scene where a threatening atmosphere is created. A presence of a physical danger by definition "thrills" the audience.

An odd choice for a Thriller?

"Zodiac" is quite an odd choice for a thriller when considering the context and background info of the film. The omnipotent narrative follows two journalists and a detective as they attempt to apprehend the Zodiac killer who terrorized Vallejo, California throughout the 1960-70s. What is odd about this is that (Spoiler Alert) the killer is never caught and none of the main characters were ever placed in any real danger. This prevented the film from creating an effective climax and overall had to convey long boring, monotonous dialogue scenes that take place in broad daylight in a densely populated location. The setting is evidently different from most thriller which occur in isolated areas (e.g. House out in country from "Scream") and pose a true ominous threat. The very fact that Zodiac finishes unconventionally with a cliffhanger also defiles traditional thriller film structures, hence making it an odd choice with so little source material and a loose story to work with.

A Restricted Narrative

Zodiac's plot structure can be read on two distinct levels; the obvious and the implied. Although we witness his kills, the true identity of the killer remains a mystery throughout the film. By limiting our access to the hidden mysteries of the plot, Fincher builds suspense and allows the viewer to construct their own theories about the Zodiac killer's identity. Moreover, there is no distinct narrative voice (as with a voiceover, for example) to establish a framework for interpreting the plot. Furthermore, we can draw inferences about the characters by observing their actions, but our impressions are limited by brief scenes and the extensive time-span of the plot. This is a gamble on the part of the director, but also a core characteristic of the genre. After all, if we are told who the killer is at the beginning of the film, the investigating would hold no suspense for the audience. The absence of a decisive payoff at the end of the film, which not very cathartic from an audience standpoint, is also faithful to the realism of the film and reinforces the sense of a restricted narrative.     

An Unrestricted Narrative

Although Zodiac keeps its cards close, it's sheer variety of characters and settings also provide the viewer with an extensive amount of information about the case as it develops, including the various parties involved in the investigation (police, journalists, amateur investigators like Graysmith) and the accumulation of evidence like bullet casings that allow the viewer to in a sense 'investigate' the case alongside the characters themselves. This is a limited omniscient perspective; we get to see little bits and pieces of a large, complex picture.