Fincher’s trademark BEV tracking shot creates an eerie mood in ‘Zodiac.’

The film Zodiac (2007), cinematography by Harris Savides, uses specific aspects of the shot to manipulate what is communicated to the audience. The cinematography is crucial in emphasizing the setting and tone of the film, notably in the opening shot. The camera pans horizontally along a suburban neighbourhood on the 4^th of July; a usually cheerful celebration in a usually friendly neighbourhood becomes ominous through the slow pan, and the low key, high contrast lighting, and the repetition of the eerily similar houses. The long shot allows us to see the outlines of the people in the shot; we get a sense of them through their body language, but not their facial expressions, and the shot therefore becomes impersonal, almost voyeuristic. We have not met any characters before this shot, and this point of view could potentially be that of the killer’s. This sets the mood and theme for the film: paranoia and obsession.

Savides creates a rich tonal landscape in both day and night scenes. The historical setting (1970s San Francisco) is recognisable through the colours and forms. The night scenes are especially effective, using high tonal contrast, emphasizing rich, deep blacks. Spotlighting focuses the audience’s attention towards details the director wants them to notice, as well as hide elements. For example, the face of the killer is often hidden in shadow in the murder scenes, allowing him to blend into the dark background and creating suspense by hiding his identity.

Furthermore, framing also guides the audience’s understanding of Zodiac’s narrative. In the murder at the lake scene, the woman stares off screen at the killer. Although we cannot see the man ourselves, we assume that he exists in the off screen space as the female character sees him. This expectation is later gratified when he is framed within the on-screen space and enters the scene.