La conversazione

A paranoid, secretive surveillance expert called Harry Caul (reportedly Gene Hackman's favorite movie in which he has acted) will go anywhere to bug a private conversation , as he is becoming increasingly uneasy about his current job . He is a solitary man in both his personal and professional life, only helped by his assistant Stan (early deceased John Cazale of Deer Hunter) , as they are watching a young couple (Cindy Williams , Frederic Forrest , Coppola's fetish actor) when Harry begins to suspect that they are murder targets . The professional eavesdropper haunted by the time his bugging cost the lives of some people and terrified that it is happening again , as he has a crisis of conscience when he suspects that a couple he is spying on will be murdered . As Harry refines and re-refines the recording, he interprets what he hears in different ways . As Harry discovers shattering revelation believes that the lives of the young couple are in jeopardy .

This interesting flick turns out to be a powerful statement about privacy , guilty and responsibility ; being ¨surveillance¨ as the basis and theme of the film . The picture contains thrills , emotion , thought-provoking issues and plot twists during the last reel . Very good acting by Gene Hackman as a freelance surveillance expert as well as an intensely private and solitary mature man . His mood of isolation and loneliness is pretty well established . The ¨Tapper¨ Gene Hackman learned to play the saxophone especially for the film . Gene Hackman later plays a former NSA agent who is a surveillance expert in ¨Enemy of the state¨ (1998) by Tony Scott , and the images of his character in his younger days are taken directly from this film . Secondary cast is frankly good , such as John Cazale as his business associate , Allen Garfield as Bernie Moran , Frederic Forrest as Mark , Cindy Williams as Ann and special appearance by Robert Duvall as the Director . In addition , a pre-stardom Harrison Ford , Billy Dee Williams and Teri Garr appear in minor characters .

David Shire's original music was composed prior to production and played for the actors prior to their scenes to get them into the proper moods. Evocative and appropriate cinematography by Bill Butler and Haskell Wexler as uncredited director of photography . This well-made motion picture was stunningly directed by Francis Ford Coppola . In fact , this is Francis Ford Coppola's personal favorite of his movies. Coppola had written the outline in 1966 but couldn't get financing until The Godfather (1972) became a success. ¨The Conversation¨ resulted to be one of the best films of the 70s . Rating : Better than average , don't blink during throughout the film . Essential and indispensable seeing for thriller lovers and Gene Hackman fans .

Harry Caul (Gene Hackman) is surveillance expert in San Francisco. He is very professional and stays away from the content of what he's recording. He is extremely private and paranoid about being watched. He's a devout Catholic and a jazz lover. He has no friends other than business associate Stan (John Cazale). He's secretive even with girlfriend Amy Fredericks (Teri Garr). Director (Robert Duvall) hired him to spy on couple Ann and Mark. Martin Stett (Harrison Ford) tries to get the tapes but Caul refuses. They bring back a bunch of fellow investigators attending the surveillance convention and it's revealed that he's haunted by an incident in New York. He become concerned about what is going to happen to Ann and Mark.

This is a really fascinating character. It taps into the 70s paranoia about technology and surveillance. What starts as fascinating technical idea turns into a deeply disturbed personal struggle. It doesn't give easy answers. The audience strains to understand what's going on in the case. That's part of the appeal from Francis Ford Coppola. He lays out the cards but doesn't necessarily explain them.

"The Conversation" is a really great movie. I was quite surprised when I saw it. Not at how good it was, but how few people have seen it or heard of it. This is a classic suspense thriller, and a terrifying psychological horror film! From the opening credits, I, like the characters, was unsure of where I was going, or what the opening conversation (which is what the entire film is built around) might lead to. It seemed so unusually powerful, despite its masterfully simplistic execution. There is no overkill or excess in this film, nor is it under written or underplayed. It's just perfect! And I was even more surprised at how little was shown, and how much it could engross or frighten the hell out of me! My heart was racing, even though there was little action! This is the kind of film Alfred Hitchcock would have been proud to direct. The direction went to another master instead, Francis Ford Coppola. I felt ahead of the movie at its opening credits. But then, it blasted me and got miles ahead of me. It is an attack on our psyche and our fear, and it's amazing how, like the film itself, the conversation in the film that seemed so small and irrational could lead to something as big as it did!

This is one of those films I'm glad I gave a second chance because it got much better, and has continued getting better with each viewing (I've now seen it four times).

I know a few other people who watch this and ask, "What's the big deal?" Well, do what I did and give it another chance. Here's a tip: put on the English subtitles. It helps understand what is going on, as the taped conversations are often difficult to discern. Then, you might discover what I did: a fascinating character study, one that did not bore me as it had on the first viewing.

It's the study of a paranoid loner who is suffering a guilty conscience over the work he has done over the years, and what tragic consequences could happen with the latest project he's involved with. Without giving anything away, the loner's fears are realized in a shocking ending, but not in the way he imagined.

Gene Hackman, as always, does a super job of acting. He dominates the film as the main character, "Harry Caul." The topic matter - high-tech surveillance - was intriguing, too. After watching this film, I wondered what kind of surveillance tools are available now, 30 years after this film was made.

Harry Caul: `I'm not afraid of death, but I am afraid of murder.'



Two weeks ago I wrote a review of `The Silence of the Lambs' I said I thought that it was one of the greatest suspense films of all time. Well Francis Ford Coppola's ingenious and frightening film isn't one of the best suspense films of all time; it simply is the greatest suspense film of all time. It follows professional ease dropper Harry Caul's job on a conversation that goes way beyond anything that he ever could expect. This film is truly something else in its own right. Coppola is such a master, such a brilliant mind. This film is him at his best, after `The Godfather' and before part two. He makes this film so brilliantly and so knowing of what emotions the audience will feel, every pause and every silence is direct and timed. The film is completely intentional. It is constructed off of films like Michelangelo Antonioni's `Blow-up' or most Hitchcock films. Coppola takes these aspects brought by most of the great filmmakers and takes them to a whole new level of personal texture. He puts so much more into it. Making him (I can't say this enough) one of the greatest filmmakers of all time, and most misunderstood. His films are like pie, they look good, they taste good, heck they even smell good, but you never really know what they are made of. All his films are deeper then they seem, it takes a true (TRUE!) film lover to respect what influences the man has made. Look at it like this, the greatest Hollywood film of all time, `The Godfather,' the greatest War film of all time `Apocalypse Now,' The greatest Sequel of all time `The Godfather Part II,' and the greatest Independent/Suspense film of all time `The Conversation.' What else is there to conquer? Science Fiction? His next film `Megalopolis' will tackle that void. Who cares about his slips, he has made some of the greatest films of all time.



In this film his talent is at its best with an involving, brilliantly executed screenplay and flawless direction. He makes cookies into Danish, if any other man ever made this film it would be good no doubt, but the greatest suspense film of all time? I think not. Harry Caul's (Hackman) character is so deep and so magnified. He is such a character's character; this film is a pure and simple character study. Not to mention the flawless cinematography and music. The little jazz piano riff fits the film perfectly and the cinematography is so mechanical like a piece of surveillance equipment. The dialogue in the first few minutes is so perfectly written it makes the viewer cringe wanting to know what it is the couple is saying so when we find out it is more of a gift. The conversation that the film is based on is set up so well all threw out the film, the more we hear the more we think, it is repetition at its perfection. The repetition is a true part of the film, the more the viewer hears something they ask themselves why am I hearing this again, what does it mean? Then the conversation tears at the viewer until they fall apart, just like Harry. The viewer understands his motivations, they see his reasons. We are set up and moved around this maze of murder and mayhem, we are Harry (J). This is just one of many brilliant aspects of the film. It never dives down or falls off it always stays paranoid like the main character. `The Conversation' is a haunting and well constructed masterpiece that molds great acting with brilliant storytelling. This is what films in this day and age should try to do. But they won't, they never will, and `The Conversation' will hold its ground as the most thoughtful and suspenseful film of all time.



Mark: He'd kill us if he got the chance.