The Best 1000 Films of All-Time

@James Trapp-The finale in Suspiria was very underwhelming to me. It was such a great film before that both visually and in terms of atmosphere. Then this wildly supernatural finale comes and it never works for me.

Very good list, but I can’t help but noticing no silent movies. Is there a reason for that?

@Alex – Zodiac is one of my favorite films of all time. I did a full on review, here it is

Zodiac (2007)
Notes:
Starts with nighttime aerial shot of San Franciso on 4th of July with fireworks over the bridge, this using Fincher’s trademark green/yellow color palette
3:50 Hurdy Gurdy Man playing in background with teens in car at lover’s lane
4:55 slow motion close-up shots used as Zodiac fires shoots into car
6:20 segues from anonymous call from Zodiac to police to another aerial shot/establishing shot of San Franciso but this one in daytime
10:25 Zodiac’s letters to police begin, POV shot of letter from editor at San Francisco Chronicle
14:08 nice frame in frame of colleagues in afterwork Bar, Gyllenhaal’s Robert Graysmith looking into Bar is established as a sort of outsider despite working with the men
17:44 zoom in on letter revealing Zodiac giving himself a name
20:11 composition captures power dynamic with Zodiac shown in towering status as his ankle to waist takes up height of frame with waist up off screen, while the terrified couple’s entire bodies are less than half the height of frame on left side of frame
20 min the entire lake sequence is so brutal and hard to watch
21:39 low angle shot emphasizing Zodiac’s stature and power over tied up couple
24:05 The Most Dangerous Game reference explained, Fincher seems to like incorporating literature references into his films
25:08 overhead shot tracking cab
25:30 again with the slow motion shooting and blood splatter
36:24 the inside of the Chronicle with its bright white lights contrasts with most of other settings so far
38 min jurisdiction issues shown via telephone montage
43:16 slightly canted surveillance angle as
44:44 meticulous composition with Toschi in background overlooking Station during call from Zodiac
51:08 Robert Graysmith has a penchant for Aqua Velvas, I always like details like this, may seem frivolous but it makes characters more authentic
51:35 “we weren’t all boy scouts Robert” says Paul Avery while taking a hit of cocaine, hilarious
55:08 another aerial shot continuing pattern
57:42 Zodiac show as silouette image in foreground with intended female victim in background of frame captured within window frame
1:00:15 dissolves and superimposed images in montage of Zodiac letters to police includes images over maps, pushing the narrative timeline further
1:05:21 Paul Avery in background of shallow focus frame, this followed by shot of Avery in focus wearing a “I AM NOT PAUL AVERY” button on shirt as he seemingly wants to “blend in”
1:15:09 the 2nd reference to Bullitt (1968) the first being a scene where Graysmith realizes Toschi wears his gun like Bullitt only to learn Toschi taught Bullitt (played by Steve McQueen)
1:21:19 John Carroll Lynch as lead suspect Arthur Leigh Allen
1:22:55 close ups on each of 3 detective isolated in frame, as they are interrogating Allen who becomes increasingly suspicious
1:25:50 green and yellow dominate mise en scene
1:34:00 search Allen’s trailer
1:40:40 inflection point reached; Paul Avery left Chronicle and Toschi’s partner transfers to spend more time with his family
1:44:00 Avery shell of former self
1:48:21 a stunning image overlooking the bridge surrounded by thick layer of clouds, this following Graysmith suddenly exhilarated after getting information from Toschi; this continues a pattern of using aerial shots of the city which functions as a sort of character in the film
1:59:55 phone call when heavy breathing, close up profile shot of Graysmith’s head and panicked look on his face
2:10:00 Graysmith’s wife asks why he needs to be the one to determine the Zodiac’s identity and he cannot really give a legitimate answer, it is just pure obsession
2:14:45 incredible suspense builds in this scene as Graysmith fears the man he is talking to might actually be the Zodiac; these are more conventional thriller/horror tactics that the film has mainly (and smartly) thus far but man this is intense
2:22:28 dim lit apartment with green/yellow lighting and papers and boxes scattered throughout apartment
2:27:40 similar shot to opening of Social Network even though lighting is not as extreme, Toschi and Graysmith talk shop
The stare down scene between Graysmith and Arthur Leigh Allen is a great understated way of handling this where a lesser director would have made this overly dramatic
The final scene in the airport is a low key final scene but the lack of resolution makes perfect sense for ending the film, of course this is largely because the real life case is still considered unsolved but none the less it makes for a solid ending

Thoughts:

I don’t say this lightly, but this might be my favorite film of all time. I have about 10 films that I could call my favorite depending on the day you ask. Objectively, its not a top 10 film ever but I do consider it a top 30 film and yes, I realize I am in the minority on this

Fincher is known as one of the most obsessive filmmakers, a control freak who will shoot a single -scene 100 times if he’s not satisfied with the first 99 takes. Above all else this is a film about obsession with Gyllenhaal’s Robert Graysmith as a sort of stand in for Fincher himself. There are examples of this throughout Fincher’s work; certainly, Morgan Freeman’s character in Seven, Eisenberg as Zuckerberg in the Social Network, to his most recent film The Killer

The 3 lead performances; Gyllenhaal, Downey Jr, and Ruffalo are all fantastic, but John Caroll Lynch’s performance as the prime suspect Arthur Leigh Allen also deserves praise, he has way less screen time of course by he is so effectively creepy and menacing in the time he does have

I like how Fincher does not completely hide the face of The Zodiac; he is shown committing 3 murders that they can definitely tie him (and possibly an attempted murder with the woman on the highway to and each time a different actor is used though they have similar physiques, their faces are covered by shadows each time but are not completely obscured. I like this choice from Fincher as it is almost more frustrated to almost be able to see him but not all the way, in a way resembles the efforts from Investigators to catch him

Most of the murders occur within the first 45 min and they are brutal showing the victims in close up shots and with the Lake murder and attempted murder there are extreme close ups on the faces of the terrified victims screaming out in pain and horror as they are being stabbed

I think this film would qualify as a two-act structure with the 2nd act starting around the 100 minute mark, this is when Graysmith’s character takes over the film as all the key players from earlier have moved on for various reasons. Graysmith is relentless in his pursuit of the truth like the star of a journalism film such as All the President’s Men

Fincher shows the impact of Zodiac on the films lead and some supporting characters but there is a community impact shown as well, Fincher uses montages and parallel editing in several scenes where multiple characters are shown reacting to a single event. The city as character trope works here, many aerial shots and overhead shots of San Franciso including a museum quality composition above the bridge

The Ciphers factor into the films plot but they also serve as a sort of motif; some of the Ciphers were solved about 40-50 years later

Some humor Gyllenhaal and Downey Jr getting hammered drinking Aqua Velvas, the scene with all the lunatics “confessing” to the Zodiac’s crimes, “have you ever considered that the zodiac is Paul Avery?” Ruffalo’s deadpan response “frequently”, Graysmith using his kids in his investigative work on Zodiac

There’s a great scene late in the film when Chloë Sevigny’s character confronts Gyllenhaal, who has become a mess, and she asks him point blank why solving the case is so important to him and why he has to be the one to do it and he is unable to answer the question. He gives some BS answer, but it is clear that even he does not truly know why he feels the need to know the Zodiac’s identity. I thought this scene was a culmination of all the events in the film leading up to it. Gyllenhaal does such a great job conveying the power of his obsession and how it has completely taken over every aspect of his life

The dedication to color palettes in the mise en scene is extremely meticulous. The screenplay is excellent, no wasted or unnecessary sequences. It just keeps moving along and a brisk pace but without any thriller/mystery cliches like jump scares or other basic audience manipulations tactics

The editing is incredible during the first murder sequence of the two teens in a lover’s lane; it involves slow motion with close ups on the faces of the terrified victims in a state of shock, the stylized nature of the sequence and the shadow looming over the shooter is haunting. The second shooting scene of the cab driver, Paul Stein also features slow a slow motion shooting
I love the use of montage in this film as it is effective in pushing narratives along their respective timelines. There are three distinct sequences of this in the film giving the time lapses a seamless transition.

I really don’t have any complaints about this film. It succeeds at every level; amazing performances, rich character details, incredible period detail with the cars and clothes, consistent color palettes, great editing using montages and some dissolve edits transitioning between scenes. It is both sprawling and efficient, every scene has a purpose, great music choices. I like the frequent god’s eye view and aerial shots; unlike other Fincher films this is not told through the perspective of one main character

Verdict: MP

@Ethan – we have a discord server for this purpose: https://discord.gg/MTEKGvDC