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Surveillance expert Harry Caul (Gene Hackman) values his personal privacy and anonymity above all else. When he and partner Stan (John Cazale) are hired by a mysterious client known only as 'the director' (Robert Duvall) to follow a young couple, Harry deduces that the woman, Mary, is the director's wife, and the man an employee with whom she is conducting an affair. Harry becomes convinced that the director intends to murder the pair and, haunted by guilt from a previous assignment where the information he provided resulted in loss of human life, sets out to prevent the killing himself.
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54 of 60 people found the following review helpful
By Robert Morris
TOP 100 REVIEWER
Format:DVD
Most of us know at least one person who can compartmentalize her or his life, separating business from pleasure, career from family, etc. Such people have exceptional focus and determination. Brilliantly portrayed by Gene Hackman, Harry Caul is such a person. (Even his girlfriend Amy, played by Teri Garr, does not know where he lives.) Harry is an expert technician who is retained to conduct electronic surveillance of those identified by his clients. In effect, he is a high-tech private investigator. What he records becomes evidence of illegal, unethical, or immoral behavior. Harry has no personal interest in the private lives he invades surreptitiously. But then he accepts an assignment and begins to suspect that the subjects of his surveillance will be murdered. The "compartments" in his life which Harry has so carefully separated begin to merge (albeit gradually) and he begins to have second thoughts about how he earns a living. Of course, he is better qualified than any other character in the film to understand (if not yet fully appreciate) the implications of an invasion of privacy. Under Francis Ford Coppola's brilliant direction, Harry begins to feel paranoid.
I view The Conversation as a dark film because its raises so many questions which seem even more relevant today than they were in 1974. How secure can any life be? Who is accumulating personal as well as professional data about whom? Why? Satellites convey camneras thast can take photographs of a license plate. All of the data on computer hard drives can be recovered. DNA tests can determine whether or not a monarch was poisoned hundreds of years ago. In so many ways, "there is nowhere to run and nowhere to hide" from modern technologies.... Read more ›
I view The Conversation as a dark film because its raises so many questions which seem even more relevant today than they were in 1974. How secure can any life be? Who is accumulating personal as well as professional data about whom? Why? Satellites convey camneras thast can take photographs of a license plate. All of the data on computer hard drives can be recovered. DNA tests can determine whether or not a monarch was poisoned hundreds of years ago. In so many ways, "there is nowhere to run and nowhere to hide" from modern technologies.... Read more ›
33 of 37 people found the following review helpful
By A Customer
Format:VHS Tape
'The Conversation' concerns Harry Caul (Gene Hackman), a saxophone playing surveillance expert, who records a conversation between two people in a busy San Francisco square. It should have been a routine job for him but its contents haunt him and he gradually descends into paranoia.
The film appears to be a classic 70s thriller in the vein of 'The Parallax View' or 'The French Connection' but is, in many ways, more similar to European art films, particularly Antonioni's 'Blow Up'. It is a consideration of the morality of surveillance and a study of the crippling of a man overcome with guilt and fear.
The film deserves considerable re-viewing not only because of the elaborate growth of Coppola's screenplay but also to consider his sparse images of despair that constantly enforce the invasion of privacy. Gene Hackman delves so deeply into Harry's character that it is almost stifling while David Shire's score is constantly unsettling. Walter Murch provides the innovative sound design and also helps to create the film's atmosphere with his beautiful editing.
The film was the basis for the recent Tony Scott film 'Enemy of the State' and even features Gene Hackman as a Harry Caul like character but the Hollywood update pales in comparison with the original.
This is a considered, intelligent and crafted film and seems more personal than the other, more familiar Coppola classics.
3 of 3 people found the following review helpful
Format:DVD
The Conversation is about a private surveillance expert called Harry Caul (played by Gene Hackman) who gets personally involved in a case after being hired to record a conversation between two people. Caul begins to suspect that the couple may have murder in mind............
The film begins in a straightforward manner, but soon becomes a tricky state of affairs and delves deeply into Caul's personal psyche. This makes it a gripping character piece revolving around loneliness and paranoia; a familiar subject of 70's filmmaking. You only have to witness the likes of Taxi Driver and Serpico to recognise the value of such a theme and ironically, such themes are still important now as they were then.
With it's less than two hour running time, the film still demands patience as Coppola's European `art house' direction ensures a slow burning and absorbing thriller, where he deliberately pans from scene to scene to give that CCTV camera effect. There are also good cameos from a young Harrison Ford and it's nice to see the late John Cazale make another rare appearance.
Francis Ford Coppola directed The Conversation between the two Godfather movies and since he went on to make Apocalypse Now; it's obvious that he was at the height of his creativity. As usual we get a passionate and informative audio commentary from Coppola where he admits the complications surroundings the film and also dedicates his brave attempt at suspense to the Great Alfred Hitchcock. However such complications do reveal a handful of plot holes, but don't let that put you off - as ultimately the film is about personal interpretation and there are no right or wrong answers. At certain stages in the film, Caul is highly paranoid and deep into his own thoughts.... Read more ›
The film begins in a straightforward manner, but soon becomes a tricky state of affairs and delves deeply into Caul's personal psyche. This makes it a gripping character piece revolving around loneliness and paranoia; a familiar subject of 70's filmmaking. You only have to witness the likes of Taxi Driver and Serpico to recognise the value of such a theme and ironically, such themes are still important now as they were then.
With it's less than two hour running time, the film still demands patience as Coppola's European `art house' direction ensures a slow burning and absorbing thriller, where he deliberately pans from scene to scene to give that CCTV camera effect. There are also good cameos from a young Harrison Ford and it's nice to see the late John Cazale make another rare appearance.
Francis Ford Coppola directed The Conversation between the two Godfather movies and since he went on to make Apocalypse Now; it's obvious that he was at the height of his creativity. As usual we get a passionate and informative audio commentary from Coppola where he admits the complications surroundings the film and also dedicates his brave attempt at suspense to the Great Alfred Hitchcock. However such complications do reveal a handful of plot holes, but don't let that put you off - as ultimately the film is about personal interpretation and there are no right or wrong answers. At certain stages in the film, Caul is highly paranoid and deep into his own thoughts.... Read more ›
43 of 50 people found the following review helpful
By Andy Millward
VINE™ VOICE
Format:DVD
Forget the fact that The Conversation didn't get the headlines or awards of the Godfather. No flashy razamatazz, just quality writing, directing and acting, not least the finest performance of a glittering career by Gene Hackman as the intensely private and paranoid sound recording expert Harry Caul, who uncovers a plot, but finds himself digging too deep and losing control. The subtlety of Hackman is evident from the spare dialogue - he says little, but expresses his character's thoughts and emotions as though you could read his mind.
This is an intense, smouldering character study with a brilliant twist, fully deserving its place in my personal top 10 films of all time. As with all the best films, it stands repeated watching to appreciate the hidden depths within its apparently simple architecture.
Furthermore, at this price it is an absolute bargain. Buy and enjoy!
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Most Recent Customer Reviews
4.0 out of 5 stars
Very Good!
Francis Ford Coppola's tense thriller ironically lost out at the Oscars to Coppla's second Godfather film. This in no way diminishes it though. Read more
Published 15 days ago by D Brown
1.0 out of 5 stars
Too slow, too dated!
I saw a write up for this when they showed it on tv recently, and it sounded very good and I like Gene Hackman too so thought this would certainly be worth watching. Read more
Published 2 months ago by I. S. Dixon
3.0 out of 5 stars
The story of a surveiilance specialist
This film was written, directed and produced by Francis Ford Coppola. Some of the films of his that I have seen (e.g. Read more
Published 9 months ago by Dr. H. A. Jones
3.0 out of 5 stars
A Prophecy?
Francis Ford Coppolla's 1974 film The Conversation is interesting from the point of view that phone tapping and a world where nothing truly is private started back when the film... Read more
Published 15 months ago by Brawny Withed
5.0 out of 5 stars
First Class
The film has survived the passing of years very well. The technology is dated but the plotting, acting and directing are still as first class as I remember. Read more
Published 17 months ago by David
2.0 out of 5 stars
Missled
After reading reviews on this film I thought I would purchase this film, big mistake. The film was very slow and sometimes difficult to follow, in fact I went to sleep on and off... Read more
Published 19 months ago by Backrow
5.0 out of 5 stars
A film not to miss
If you want to see a Hollywood actor actually act, then this is for you. Hackman is outstanding in a film with no gimmicks just a great script and great acting. Read more
Published on 5 Feb 2011 by Mr. J. D. Brigden
1.0 out of 5 stars
The Conversation - Yawn!!!
I love Gene Hackman and think all his films are well worth watching. I had not seen the Conversation and was so disappointed, I just could not get in to it and neither could the... Read more
Published on 3 Oct 2010 by Scottie
5.0 out of 5 stars
The Conversation
Q. What kind of film is this? A. A good film! Why? Well first off it has quality. Very nicely paced, intense and claustrophobic, reminiscent of Blow Up perhaps? Read more
Published on 30 Sep 2010 by MOTC
4.0 out of 5 stars
Good film
Decent film and if your studying film/media an essential watch. Gene Hackman's performance is great and the script is good.
Not much else to say really.
Not much else to say really.
Published on 15 April 2010 by T. Stansfield
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