David Fincher isn’t a perfect filmmaker. Sure, he’s one of the best working today, but his films aren’t always instantly beloved. His 2007 crime drama, “Zodiac,” is one of those films. At the time of its release, there were definitely fans, but there were also those who didn’t necessarily get it. Is it a true crime story about the Zodiac? Is it a family drama about the impact this investigation had on specific people? However, over the years, the film has earned itself a higher ranking in many film fans’ minds, as “Zodiac” has gone from mid-tier Fincher to what some would say is top shelf. That said, Fincher is well aware there are people who still dislike the film, especially as a piece of true-crime filmmaking.
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Speaking at the Tribeca Film Festival, in a discussion with Steven Soderbergh (via THR), David Fincher talked about the reaction “Zodiac” has earned over the years, and why he thinks there are people who still are unhappy with the film. As mentioned above, there is an issue with the story told in “Zodiac,” in the eyes of many who watch the film. It doesn’t necessarily come to any conclusions about the identity of the killer. In fact, it doesn’t really focus on the actual killer all that much to begin with. And because of that, there are people who will automatically dislike the film for not being a deep-dive into the possibilities of who was under the Zodiac mask. But in Fincher’s mind, those people are missing the purpose of the film.
“There was so much flak after ‘Zodiac’ came out about people saying, ‘Why didn’t you go down this rabbit hole? Why did you only go down the Graysmith rabbit hole?’” said Fincher “That’s the book that we bought. We didn’t buy everyone’s book about the Zodiac.”
Fincher also discussed the responsibility that a filmmaker must take into consideration whenever a film is made about real people or real events. Films such as “Zodiac” and “The Social Network,” as well as TV series like “Mindhunter,” need to be more aware of how they portray characters because this affects real people.
“You have a responsibility to make sure that you are saying what you want to say because chances are they can deck you in an airport,” Fincher said. “So you want to be conscious and be smart about it. Making movies about things that are ripped from headlines is a slippery slope. I think it’s important to be responsible, and by the same token, you also have to entertain an audience.”
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Well, for his next film, “The Killer,” it doesn’t appear like Fincher will have to be too worried about upsetting any real-life counterparts, as that film follows the story of a fictional assassin. However, there will always be discussions about true-crime filmmaking, as it relates to how the victims and perpetrators are portrayed. So, it would stand to reason that the discussion surrounding something like “Zodiac” isn’t going away anytime soon.
