San francisco, California. where some of the greatest thrillers in film history have taken place, is the location of one of the most haunting and painstaking character studies in the genre. Gene Hackman is simply brilliant in his personification of a surveillance expert sunk by guilt, who gradually succumbs to the insidious and intricate scheme he is struggling to find out. Profoundly insightful and conspicuous.
Talk about inability to trust! Hackman surely succeed at portraying this super efficient private detective, really a deeply conflicted man, haunted by his fears and isolation, umbelievable guarded and unable to trust, get comforted or even relax or having a good time (unless he's playing saxophone). Having recently watched Das Leben der Anderen, I couldn't help but remember that other meticulous, lonesome East German secret agent. But that's so another story. Watch The Conversation for a very interesting acting from Hackman (first time for me seeing him in a role like this one), paused, elegant Coppola story-telling, and very young Harrison Ford. The movie sure leaves you thinking about technology and private life.
A well made drama about a man whose life spirals out of control as he becomes enmeshed in a conspiracy of murder. Or is all in his head. Wire tapping and a stellar performance from Gene Hackman makes this a must see.
Small, minimal movie saved by the acting of Hackman. Slow moving at times, suspense percolates to an unsatisfying conclusion. Live by the sword, ......
Possibly Gene Hackmans best performance to date???
Unmistakably good, dark and troubled. A fine watch from start to finish. Highly recommended.
A subtle yet brilliant performance by John Cazale leaves you wondering where his acting career would have gone had it not been cut by a devastating disease.
a tense, taught thriller about privacy and technology and communication. a coppola masterpiece featuring a great performance by gene hackman and a beautiful score by david shire.
I need to give this another shot sometime. I watched it in class and everyone was getting really restless, which made me restless even though I was incredibly interested in the movie.
Innovative sound use (it lost the Sound Oscar to a fucking earthquake movie?) and an awesome ending compensate for the occasionally flat plot.
I'd really like to say this is a perfect film, and it very well might be, but I think only another viewing or two can decide that for me. Anyway, The Conversation is a film made by Francis Coppola during, arguably, his prime as a director. It stars the great Gene Hackman as Harry Caul, a surveillance expert who runs into a personal conflict when he is apprised of the knowledge that the young couple he has been recording very well may be murdered. Everything about this film just pops. Coppola's direction is as tight as it can possibly be; everything about is smooth and efficient and maximized in terms of effectiveness. It is enhanced by a very good score that doesn't overpower but perfectly complements and sometimes enhances the tension. If Coppola is at his prime as a director here, so, too, is Gene Hackman. I've read on IMDB this is Hackman's personal favourite of his roles, and this is not surprising as it I think it's very likely his best performance throughout the years. Harry Caul, the ultra-secretive, ultra-cautious loner seems to be stream seamlessly through Hackman - he completely embodies the part in as much as it's possible. The film really does rest pretty much solely on Hackman, and the quiet magnitude of his work here makes it all the more memorable. This is considered a classic, and all the reasons above and more indicate why. The Conversation is not to be missed for any film fan.
what a good film this is . i can see how it got overshadowed by Coppola's other films from that time.but this film shouldent be missed.i find everytime in decide to watch it again i enjoy it more and more ... hackman is awesome in this and harrison ford is menacing in his bit part
Francis Ford Coppola's slick espionage caper in between his two masterful Godfather installments is well worth while to watch. 'The Conversation' follows a surveillance professional, Harry Caul (Gene Hackman) who becomes madly obsessed and sort of in love with his client. Gene Hackman gives a performance nothing short of riveting that should have earned him an Oscar nod, no ifs, ands or buts. 'The Conversation' is so intricately written and crafted it earned three Academy Award Nominations in 1974 including Best Picture and Best Original Screenplay, but the film was out-shadowed since it was released the same year as The Towering Inferno, Chinatown, and of course, The Godfather Part II. This interesting espionage thriller also stars John Cazale, Robert Duvall, Cindy Williams, Teri Garr and a very young Harrison Ford. 'The Conversation' is a little slow moving at first, but it pays off big time towards the end. The Oscar nominations in 1974 for this classic should have been - Best Picture, Best Director - Francis Ford Coppola, Best Actor in a Leading Role - Gene Hackman, Best Original Screenplay, Best Film Editing, Best Sound. I highly recommend this. Grade: A-
Coppola déclarait, il y a de cela quelques années, que malgré le succès monstre que s'est attiré sa trilogie du Parrain, son film favori demeurait, et de loin, The Conversation. Un scénario de base, un Hackman qui apparaît tout désigné pour le rôle d'Harry Caul, et on se lance dans ce qui risque d'être l'un des meilleurs suspense de notre vie. Erreur.
Ce n'est pas si formidable que cela apparaît. Dans un certain sens, c'est peut-être une pâle copie d'Alfred Hitchcock, puisqu'on ressent un peu la même ambiance, mais en mettant de côté l'importance capitale des dialogues qui instaurent la situation et les personnages tout en favorisant un climat tendu et suspicieux. Certes, le personnage d'Harry Caul demeure tout de même intéressant, même si Coppola aurait pu le développer davantage, mais le scénario m'apparaît un peu faible, sauvé par un dénouement qui nous surprend tout de même, mais pas assez pour sauver tout le reste. Personnellement, même si j'ai souvent baillé, la scène finale m'a réellement touché.
Apocalypse Now demeure donc mon film préféré de Coppola, et de loin, puisque la trilogie du Parrain m'a sincèrement ennuyé. Pour Jack, sans commentaire. Qui sait, Apocalypse Now est peut-être si excellent justement parce que Coppola le hait fermement...
Coppola made Godfather, Apocalypse Now and Godfather Part II in the 70's but my word this one surpasses them all in my books and thats no exaggeration. The Conversation is a very unconventional thriller which sucks you into the plot right from the start. Gene Hackman was brilliant and the soundtrack is one of the best.
When Coppola was getting pressure from the studio to make _The Godfather 2,_ he made his agreement to do so contingent on receiving a green light and financing for _The Conversation._ It's a little dull at times but provides a fantastic examination of the art of surveilance. Its messages about recording are particularly poignant since it itself is a recording.
Excellent paranoid thriller...very non-apparent mis-direction and all the actors are top-notch...including Teri Garr as the long-suffering girlfriend of Gene Hackman.
Coppola's chilling and totally original masterpiece unfolds slowly in a perfect and addequate way. We really get to know the actual thoughts, emotional state and traumas of the main character. Gene Hackman is awesome. Nice cast and a solid storyline with a strong script make of this a classic thriller gem. Another masterpiece from Coppola. Deserves more credit for this film.
A psychological thriller for the purist. I am inclined to view the art of directing as a process of selective intervention - that is to say the director keeps things ticking over nicely for the course of the film, and adds creative flourishes at certain points where he or she believes they will serve to enhance it - in The Godfather, such interventions were rare, and it worked because the material didn't require them. The Conversation adopts an entirely different tone and hence we see more visibly what Francis Ford Coppola is really like as a director. The fact that the film leaves you in a cold sweat suggests that he plays it exactly right. Although he shouldn't get all the credit, since Gene Hackman turns in the finest performance of his career, part Popeye Doyle and part Brill Lyle; he is tense, moody and frantic, and his paranoia gradually seeps through the screen and into the viewer. Sadly the film is so much about Hackman and Coppola that you don't really notice Harrison Ford, John Cazale etc so much, but perhaps this helps to reinforce the theme of introvertion: to Harry Caul, only his own thoughts are in focus, while all else is blurred, and the viewer comes to see the film similarly. This is all turned on it's head though by the film's final twist: like the protagonist, we miss the wood for the trees. Enthralling.
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