The Conversation
Written and Directed by Francis Ford Coppola
Starring Gene Hackman, John Cazale, Allen Garfield, Cindy Williams and Michael Higgins
Runtime 1 hour and 53 minutes
MPAA Rating PG
New 4K restoration playing in New York and Los Angeles on August 9, expands to more theaters soon in celebration of the 50th anniversary

by Rosalie Kicks, Editor in Chief and Old Sport

“I don’t care what they’re talking about. All I want is a nice recording.”

The Conversation is a terrific film, even if the the main character does not do a lot of the talking.

Much of The Conversation’s runtime is spent with main character, Harry Caul (Gene Hackman). What is interesting is that, by the time the end credits roll, the viewer knows very little about him. That is, except for him being an obsessive, paranoid, workaholic. His occupation as a surveillance expert is not something he simply does, instead it wholly defines who he is. Hackman might be billed as the star, but it truly is the titular conversation that owns this motion picture.

Coppola opens this tale with a couple being followed in a bustling downtown area of San Francisco. Eyes and ears are all over the duo who complete continuous laps around a historic monument of sorts. While conducting their chat, they notice someone following them and it is at this moment when Harry’s team has been busted. They reconvene in a nearby van and, despite being spotted, still got what they came for.

My first encounter with The Conversation was close to twenty years ago when I viewed it during a film class. Even after just a single watch, it managed to always stick with me due to Harry’s compulsion to fixate on his work endeavors. I also loved witnessing him toil away in what I have deemed his laboratory. Seeing all the audio equipment is fascinating to me, especially as a budding audiophile. There is also his social ineptitude that I can not help but relate to. When it comes to my personal interests, I have always had a bit of an obsessive personality. With my recent change in careers, I now literally eat, sleep, and breath movies to the extreme. I have essentially transformed into a piece of celluloid. When I am not talking about movies, I am watching them, and when I am not watching or talking about them, I am writing about them. My husband says I suffer from movie madness and, well, he isn’t wrong. I am a manic cinephile, there is no doubt about it.

There is a scene that comes to mind in which I feel Harry’s neurosis is on full display. After he attends a vendor convention for cohorts in his field, he and a few peers have a small soiree at his workshop. While the gang serve up common chit chat, Harry is quiet, reserved and there is a sense that he is extremely uncomfortable about them not only being in his space but the overall socialization aspect of this affair. That is until someone starts talking shop. Harry can’t help himself but join in and is practically foaming at the mouth. These fellas pine and pray for him to reveal his secrets; Harry knows better. He would not be the best in the business otherwise. Throughout the film, Gene Hackman delivers a tremendous performance. He especially shines in the scenes in which it is nothing but him and the camera. His dialogue free moments deliver the most impact.

Something that resonated with me during my second viewing is that I could not help but see this story as a horror. Harry becomes possessed by the audio recording. He thinks about it even when he is not listening to it. His mind is constantly spinning various scenarios of what this discussion could possibly be about that it drives him to hysteria. He doesn’t eat, he does not sleep, and most noticeable is that he never stops working. One of the most fascinating aspects of The Conversation is to watch not just the spiral of this individual, but their actual unraveling. In the initial scene, Harry coolly says that he does not care what they are talking about… instead his only concern is the actual sound of the recording. That is, until he listens. This decision inevitably takes him down a path of self destruction, paranoia, and an unwelcome visit to trauma town.

Released the same year as The Godfather II, it is fair to say that 1974 was a busy year for writer and director Francis Ford Coppola. In fact, Coppola was only able to receive the financing for The Conversation due to the success of The Godfather (1972). Sure, I like The Godfather as much as the next person but, for me, The Conversation is the one that is more than likely to get me chattering.

See the new 4K restoration playing in New York and Los Angeles on August 9. The film is set to expand to additional theaters in celebration of the 50th Anniversary. Find more information about the release here.