Synopsis
Zodiac, the elusive serial killer who raged in the late 1960s and spread terror in the San Francisco area, was America’s Jack the Ripper. Lavish in cryptic messages, he sowed clues like so many white pebbles, and took great pleasure in taunting the press and the police. Robert Graysmith, a young and shy press cartoonist, threw himself body and soul into what would become the investigation of his life.
NB: The image comparisons (.jpg compression, 8-bit) are strictly for illustrative purposes and are not representative of what the Ultra HD Blu-ray will broadcast on your calibrated UHD HDR screen.
In order to highlight the concrete use of Wide Color Gamut (WCG) on this edition (see tutorial here), the pixels which are located in the standard/BT.709 range (confined inside the small triangle REC.709) are presented to you here entirely desaturated. Conversely, those part of the expanded BT.2020 range, exclusive to the 4K Ultra HD Blu-ray disc (which extend outside the small triangle REC.709) are presented to you in color:
🕵️♂️🔍 “In this cryptogram is my identity.”
In the sunny streets of San Francisco, an icy wind is blowing. Evil lurks, invisible and merciless. The Zodiac Killer, a masked specter, sows terror in the golden city. His letters, soaked in black ink and cryptic threats, defy the police and chill the blood. David Fincher, master of suspense, takes us into a gut-wrenching story, inspired by real events, where obsession becomes a death trap.
Zodiac goes beyond the simple story of bloody crimes. The film explores the haunted faces of those who hunt the beast. Locked in a labyrinth of clues and false leads, these men become consumed over time. Robert Graysmith, a simple press cartoonist, plunges headlong into the affair. The police reports, the Zodiac letters: everything becomes an obsession that devours his life, then his family. Paul Avery, a brilliant but fragile journalist, is pushed towards the abyss by the killer’s threats. Dave Toschi, legendary inspector, sees his aura tarnished by the failure of his investigation. These three men, each in their own way, embody human fragility in the face of the unknown, in the face of absolute evil.
The atmosphere is suffocating. From the opening, Fincher imprisons us. A car, flashes of light, and already the tension is palpable. Then virulent gunshots. And there, the horror sets in. The camera places us as close as possible to the murder. It’s terrifying. The cold and clinical photography recreates a San Francisco of the 70s with disturbing precision. You can almost smell the rain on the asphalt, the bitter taste of coffee in the offices. The music, composed by David Shire, discreet but haunting, itself insinuates a constant unease.
The myth of the Zodiac embodies a fractured America. The euphoria of the sixties is crumbling, replaced by suffocating paranoia. Masked and elusive, the Zodiac becomes the shadow of a troubled era. His coded messages and mysterious symbol have made him a legend. The film, like the real investigation, ends on a note of uncertainty, leaving the viewer facing an always distressing void.
Video Quality
Zodiac (2007) has recently been available in the USA in a 4K Ultra HD Blu-ray edition from Paramount. The film is presented in an upscaled version to 2160p with new HDR color grading. Both HDR10 and Dolby Vision options (DV-FEL, 12-bit) are available there. A UHD disk (BD-100) was used, with 91.7 GB of disk space mobilized.
David Fincher, accompanied by cinematographer Harris Savides, opted for a visual approach that was both refined and realistic in order to recreate the atmosphere of the San Francisco Bay of the 1960s and 1970s. Inspired by photographs of At the time and the police archives linked to the Zodiac affair, they relied on meticulous authenticity. The film was shot using digital camera Thomson Viper FilmStream, one of the pioneers of digital cinema, but limited to a native resolution of 1080p. This choice of digital, daring for the time, brought a hybrid aesthetic: at the crossroads of a news report and great traditional Hollywood cinema. The absence of grain added in post-production evokes a slight “video effect”, which Fincher considered relevant to illustrate the journalistic and clinical aspect of the investigation. Furthermore, sophisticated calibration made it possible to provide Zodiac with a vintage patina reminiscent of the chic atmosphere of the 1970s.
The arrival of Zodiac (2007) in 4K Ultra HD Blu-ray invites a comparison with the previous Blu-ray. It is important to note that, given the technical limitations of the Viper FilmStream and its 1080p capabilities, the gains in pure definition are, by nature, very limited. The framing is completely identical. And on this UHD edition, if we feel a certain additional firmness on these images, in particular thanks to optimized video compression, the differences remain tiny. Even zooming in on background details (like those in Robert Graysmith’s apartment) or the finesse of the costumes, the result is very close to the rendering of the Blu-ray edition. This is not a fault in itself: this fidelity to the original material respects the creative approach of Fincher, who also resisted the temptation to use generative tools based on AI for this upscaled version.
The real advantage of this UHD edition lies in its new HDR calibration. However, here too, expectations should be tempered. Harris Savides had, at the time, conducted extensive tests to understand the weaknesses of the Viper, particularly in terms of sensitivity to overexposure, and to get the most out of it. And these weaknesses are felt through this HDR calibration, which struggles to recover sensitive information in highlights. In the offices of San Francisco Chroniclethe tubular lights located on the ceiling caught our attention. Without details at their core on the Blu-ray edition. They have an identical rendering in HDR version. And the approach responsible for enhancing the light intensities could not be more timid on this title. Even if this takes nothing away from the extraordinary work on the lighting effects orchestrated by the cinematographer… Indoors, the lights are often subdued, rather soft and diffused. The average peak light measured at only 91 nits agrees with these propositions. This is one of the lowest measured by us. Also note that in proportion, only 6% of light peaks exceed 150 nits on this title.
Where this 4K UHD edition stands out a little more from the rest is in its exploitation of the Wide Color Gamut. The warm, chic tones of the 1970s (browns, beige, orange) take on a new dimension. The bright yellows, notably those of the taxi where one of the Zodiac murders takes place, are displayed with unprecedented vivacity. The new calibration introduces appreciable adjustments here and there in contrasts and flesh tones. The importance of these contributions must nevertheless be assessed according to each person’s perspective.
Audio Quality
Few changes from a sound point of view. The 5.1 channel mix remains similar to that of previous editions. David Fincher and music supervisor George Drakoulias spent months searching for songs that captured the spirit of each location. There are also extracts from radio and television broadcasts, creating an immersion in the period. This mix favors realism rather than bombastic effects. That said, there are some spectacular passages. One of the most striking moments occurs during the scene of the first murder, where the gunshots, incisive and impactful (at 4:50), catch the ear, bringing a striking intensity to the moment. An intensity that we will only find two or three times later… However, what will capture your attention is the meticulous approach taken to the reconstruction of the soundscapes. The offices of San Francisco Chronicle particularly: the hubbub of conversations in the background, the clicking of typewriters, the sound of telephones… all these elements contribute to shaping a realistic and immersive atmosphere. The surround channels also fulfill an enveloping role which cannot be excluded. The deceptively peaceful atmosphere of Lake Berryessa, the noise of car traffic, the raindrops at 1:09 a.m., or the storm brewing at 2:16 a.m. may hold your attention.
The original version is reproduced in Dolby TrueHD 5.1 (24-bit, 3635 kbps). No VF. No STFR on this imported edition. The indicator of Loudness Range (LRA)now favored in our chronicles in the appreciation of the dynamics (Thank you Charles), was measured on Zodiac at 14.6 (LU). It measures the variation in perceived loudness between the quietest and loudest passages across the entire mix. We will put this value into perspective throughout the chronicles.
Bonus
– Film in cinema version (without VF or STFR) on the UHD disc
– 2 vintage Blu-ray discs with bonuses
Conclusion
Zodiac (2007), initially captured in 1080p, was not the most obvious choice for a 4K Ultra HD Blu-ray release. However, taking into account the context of the work, it is essential to recognize the benefits and limitations of this new edition. The gains in definition and sharpness are minimal, and the lack of exuberance in terms of HDR is clear. Nevertheless, this UHD version offers the strongest presentation of David Fincher’s film, showcasing photography and color grading that could not be more refined. It also benefits from more advanced video compression and color mobilization in Wide Color Gamutwhich on this title, bring perceptible differences. You will have to wait in France anyway, because unfortunately on this import edition, VF and STFR are absent subscribers.
How does the film “Zodiac” reflect the societal fears and paranoia in San Francisco during the Zodiac Killer’s active years in the 1960s-1970s?
1. How does Zodiac (2007) convey the atmosphere of 1960s-1970s San Francisco and the Zodiac Killer’s impact on the city?
2. What is the significance of the use of technology and the media in capturing the Zodiac Killer’s identity and the subsequent impact on the lives of the investigators?
3. How does the film show the human toll of the Zodiac Killer’s actions, especially on the career and mental health of Paul Avery and Dave Toschi?
4. Can you discuss the visual approaches taken by Harris Savides in capturing the era and the choice to shoot digitally instead of film? Do you think this decision impacted the overall aesthetic of the film?
5. What challenges did Fincher and his team face in adapting Zodiac for a 4K Ultra HD Blu-ray release given the limitations of the original footage and the decision to prioritize authenticity over enhanced visual effects?
