Within these rules are amazing discoveries - Jake Gyllenhaal on David Fincher

On 23 May, ITV4 ran a programme on The Making of Zodiac, unfortunately in the wee hours of the morning. Earlier I posted some pictures from the programme, which, although squished, gave some idea of what it was like, at times, on the set of Zodiac and demonstrated how Jake Gyllenhaal, undoubtedly a comparative youngster, found within himself the ability to transform into this almost emotionally and physically compacted character.


Elements of Jake's interview for this programme, as well as extra bits, can be found dotted around, including here, but this time they are accompanied by wonderful pictures of a tired-looking, rather dishevelled and dishy Jake in purple. Definitely a plus! As David Fincher says to the cast during the rehearsals of filming the below scene in the Chronicle office: "Graysmith's presence in this room is only because it's incumbant upon the editorial cartoonist to be part of the discussion of what the politics of the paper are and where the paper is leading. But he's [pointing at Jake] obviously the kid."




David explains what it is that interests him, and doesn't interest him, about the Zodiac killer: "I'm not interested in exploiting this... Part of the reason people are going to see this movie is because people got killed - and that's unfortunate that that's dramatic. But that's not what my movie's about. My movie's not about aggrandising a mass murderer. I don't want to see a guy at home sharpening his knives. I'm not interested in that character. I'm interested in all the ancilliary people who were kind of left in the wake and how they picked up and moved on when there was no satisfaction."



Jake continues about the draw of working for Fincher and how, although gruelling, the constant re-takes and attention to detail were a vital part of immersing oneself into the portrayal of an obsessed individual "At first, I didn't know anything about the story - I didn't know the Zodiac. I didn't know about Robert Graysmith. But I did know about David Fincher. There's a sense in his movies - an interesting numbness in them and I think that comes from him - there's something in him and I think his process brings that out too. The way he does it forces you into the sort of state, and within that state is a David Fincher movie... It was gruelling in terms of the mindset you had to be in, particularly with David, he does lots of takes."



Chloe Sevigny agrees: "David wanted everything to be just rght, everyone had to be in at the top of their game and make sure every prop was reset in the exact place and the cameraman had to be right. He expects the best out of everyone in the crew and you have to really step it up when you're around him and be really sharp." Jake agreed: "He knows what he wants. It's sort of like working on Shakespeare - you have to stay within the parameter - you have to stay within the rules but, within those rules are, I think, amazing discoveries."



Jake also had to find a way, not only to deal with David Fincher's exhausting style of direction, but also with Robert Graysmith's motivation, which, at first, it appears as if Jake couldn't understand. After all, this is, unusually, a man who is prepared to put his family on the line because of an obsession which is not entirely motivated as one would expect. "I discovered that Robert Graysmith's obsession had less to do - when you're working on it as an actor - less to do with me obsessing about the facts, and why he found it so fun. Because I think that Robert found it actually fun. I think that's what's hard for people to understand - that this man enjoyed searching for this person. Whereas a cop would have done it because it's his job, or a journalist would have done it as his job, he really had fun!"

Robert Graysmith is under no illusions himself, well aware of what the Zodiac cost him: "I guess I'm the kind of person that doesn't like to give up. Once I have my teeth into a project I like to stick with it. You know, Dave Toschi gets a case every three weeks but I got ONE and I've got to give it my all, even if it takes ten or fifteen years."



The programme includes footage of the scene in which Robert Graysmith takes Toschi out for lunch - the scene when Graysmith first unveils himself to Toschi as a man obsessed. The footage shows repeated analysis of one or two lines that Ruffalo has to speak, while Jake looks on, drinking his coffee, not a little bewildered. Jake says to Fincher on his character's motivation: "It's exciting! This is Dave Toschi - this is Zodiac! But I also know that..." and Fincher interrupts: "He is the greatest thorn in his side."



Off Topic Rant: Umbrage

I want to take this opportunity to express some umbrage at Jake being called a 'douchebag' simply because he requested that a waiter should ask a woman to stop staring at him in a restaurant in Beverly Hills a few days ago. Apparently, according to this questionable code, it may not be all right to take photographs of a celebrity while he's eating, but it's perfectly acceptable to stare at him to the point where he becomes uncomfortable and then feel like you've been 'slapped in the face' because Jake has asked politely that you stop. I don't think that being a filmstar means that you have to live a life - especially while eating inside a restaurant for heaven's sake - without the manners and respect that are due to us all. Rant over...

Thanks to a DC friend for straightening these photos.