MovieChat Forums > Zodiac (2007) Discussion > Too many names= hard to keep track

Too many names= hard to keep track

posted 10 years ago by Milkyway123
19 replies | jump to latest

Was it just me having difficulties with memorizing all the different names mentioned in the film? There were dates and names of people and places flying around the entire film. It really took me out of the movie a couple of times, cause I was trying to memorize it to better follow the story. And it's not just this film, but all movies where the plot gets more intricate and multiple characters are introduced (usually murder mystery movies genre).

A lot of times you get a little help in form of ID of the characters on screen (just like how they wrote out names of places and dates on screen), but in Zodiac, for example, they thank a guy named "Bryan" for helping ID what they believe is the Zodiac's voice. I was thinking to myself: "is that the guy from the lake that got stabbed? Did they even reveal that that guy's name was Bryan or am I just magically required to know this? Yes, he looks familiar, but I am not sure."

It seems like a waste to let the audience have such thoughts instead of paying attention to the drama/story instead.

[–] jeghederbilal-59-260653 10 years ago

That is actually quite typical for a David Fincher movie, he throws a lot of exposition at you, which is what most directors try to shy away from, but considering the type of movies Fincher makes, it just makes it more interesting that the viewers is enticed to try to keep up, or figuring out the puzzle himself.

If you are interested there is a brilliant YouTube video about the characteristics of David Finchers filmmaking style it’s called: David Fincher - And the Other Way is Wrong

[–] Milkyway123 10 years ago

If you are interested there is a brilliant YouTube video about the characteristics of David Finchers filmmaking style it’s called: David Fincher - And the Other Way is Wrong

Thanks! Will surely check that out. It looks interesting.

[–] Zuider_Zee 9 years ago

I was doing okay with knowing the large cast until it came to the basement scene. It seemed like the projectionist and the man who drew the posters appeared from nowhere but I have to assume that I missed something in the movie that would have clued me in as to who they were.

[–] frankzappayay 9 years ago

I have this problem with a lot of films but especially this one.

[–] turtl289 9 years ago

I kinda think that the confusion was kind of intentional. There were just so many different "Big names" that every department liked more than the other departments. There were so many different suspects and circumstances with different things that it was just so confusing, almost why they never really caught Zodiac. I still forget some names and I've seen it like 8 times at this point.

[–] 9 years ago

[deleted]

[–] Michael71 8 years ago

Yeah I agree I got confused with the Rick character and Leigh Allen, is Rick in the film, this is the one thing that confused me, and at the beginning I thought Robert and Paul were cops before we find out they are reporters.