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The Conversation, 1974

The Conversation

English

USA

Rating:8.0
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Profile of The Conversation

The Conversation can be described as mind bending, contemplative, and suspenseful. The plot revolves around a losing-it hero, a life turned upside-down, and witnessing a crime. The main genres are thriller and mystery. In terms of style, The Conversation is neo-noir and involves twists and turns. In approach, it is serious and realistic. The storytelling is slow paced. The Conversation is set, at least in part, in an urban environment. It is located in San Francisco. It takes place in the 20th century. The Conversation has received attention for being a Cannes festival winner, essential viewing, and critically acclaimed.

Summary of The Conversation

Francis Ford Coppola's THE CONVERSATION is a towering achievement, a masterfully constructed portrait of one man's descent into madness. Gene Hackman delivers a devastating performance as Harry Caul, a surveillance expert who gets paid to invade the privacy of strangers. The film's classic opening shot is a long, slow zoom into Union Square in San Francisco, as a young couple, Mark (Frederic Forrest) and Ann (Cindy Williams), are having what seems like an otherwise mundane conversation. However, when it is revealed that Harry and his assistant Stanley (John Cazale) are eavesdropping from a nearby van, it becomes clear that something more serious is happening. Later, after Harry painstakingly reconstructs the conversation from several different audio sources, he uncovers a snippet of dialogue that unsettles him. Suspicious of his client's motives for wanting the tape, Harry becomes uncharacteristically worried about the people he may have endangered, sending him into a dangerous mental tailspin.

With Harry Caul, Coppola and Hackman have managed to create one of cinema's most unforgettable characters, a man who appears to be in control on the outside but who is, in fact, crumbling on the inside. Though Teri Garr, Harrison Ford, and Allen Garfield deliver standout supporting turns, THE CONVERSATION is Hackman's show. Inspired by Michelangelo Antonioni's BLOW UP (1966), THE CONVERSATION in turn went on to influence Brian De Palma's own surveillance thriller, BLOW OUT (1981).

Details

Language: English
Country: USA
Release date: 7 April 1974
Runtime: 113 min
Awards: Cannes

Awards

Awarded Palme d'Or at the 1974 Cannes

Cast and Crew

Gene Hackman as Harry Caul in The Conversation
Gene Hackman

as Harry Caul

John Cazale

as Stan

Photos

The Conversation (1974)
The Conversation (1974)
The Conversation (1974)
The Conversation (1974)
The Conversation (1974)
The Conversation (1974)
The Conversation (1974)
The Conversation (1974)
The Conversation (1974)
The Conversation (1974)
The Conversation (1974)
The Conversation (1974)

Critics Reviews

The New York Times
Mr. Coppola, the writer as well as the director, has nearly succeeded in making a great film but has, instead, made one that is merely very good.
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  • by: Vincent Canby
Variety
A major artistic asset to the film - besides script, direction and the top performances - is supervising editor Walter Murch's sound collage and re-recording.
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  • by: Staff (Not Credited)

Users Reviews

The Conversation, 1974
This is a brillant film, it just isn't entertaining. This is a mood piece. The film goes very slow and by the end you can feel the paranoia of the main character, played by Gene Hackman. He is specialized in bugging people and plays the tortured...
  • 05.January.2011
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  • by: wriswith
  • wriswith rated this movie7/10Good
I always thought it was a small, interesting film, with a good twist at the end. What made this especially enjoyable on DVD was the edition of audio commentary by the editor, Walter Murch and by director Francis Ford Coppola. I had no idea so much...
  • 22.March.2009
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  • by: donp17
  • donp17 rated this movie8/10Great
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