224. The Conversation

The Conversation (1974)

Director: Francis Ford Coppola

Starring: Gene Hackman

John Cazale

Allen Garfield

IMDb Rating: 8

My Rating: 8

"He'd kill us if he got the chance."

Harry Caul (Gene Hackman) is one of the best audio surveillance technicians in the United States. Even though he makes his living recording other peoples conversations, it is ironic that Harry is an extremely private man. He does not like being asked questions and is constantly leery if someone too is peering into his life. Caul is hired to survey two people (Cindy Williams and Frederic Forrest) in the crowded Union Square of San Fransisco. With the help of his collegue Stan (John Cazale), Caul goes back to his workshop to decipher the recordings of the couple in the park. At first, much of the tape seems scattered and irrelevant, but soon Harry starts to place pieces of the conversation together like a puzzle. All of his findings lead up to a conclusion that no one could have anticipated coming, including Harry Caul.

The Conversation is one of those films that builds upon itself. The initial recording of the conversation in the park is filmed very well, but lacks any suspense or real mystery. It is only later, when we start to flashback to the conversation in the park, that things start to get interesting. It's slow start is completely redeemed for in the film's final fifteen minutes. The concluding scenes of the film are timed perfectly by Gene Hackman. His performance throughout the film, but especially in the climax of the film, are surely academy award worthy. The Conversation might begin a little slow, but it gives a big pay off at the end.

Francis Ford Coppola took double bill directing and also writing the film. Coppola often gets referred to as an amazing director. Although, few people ever talk about how wonderful he was as a screenwriter. Coppola has written some of the finest scripts in the history of cinema including The Godfather Parts I & II, Apocolypse Now, and Patton. The Conversation, like his other works, is all together intruiging and suspenseful. The character of Harry Caul was written so complex, yet I think we can all see some of our vulnerabilities in him. Some credit of course goes to Hackman's acting, but Coppola's superb writing is what made the character excellent to begin with. The combination of a great writer and director is one of the keys elements to a great film. The Conversation finds itself fortunate that the writer and director are the same person.

The Conversation was released in between Coppola's first two installments of The Godfather, so it has sort of become over shadowed by them. I do recommend seeing The Conversation. It's story might start off a little dull, but that is essential to setting up the character of Harry Caul and the profession in which he is associated. I plan on going back and watching the film again. It's not a terribly complicated film, but after seeing the ending, you will want to see the first ten minutes again. If you enjoyed Alfred Hitchcock's Rear Window or the recent Lives of Others, this film is for you.