The Conversation (1974)

The Conversation (1974)

Should the government or any private corporation be allowed to spy on citizens? Is spying an ethical duty to protect one’s country or livelihood? These are very relevant questions one must consider when watching 1974’s The Conversation, written and directed by Francis Ford Coppola. When the film was first released, people believed it was a response to the Nixon administration’s handling of the Watergate Scandal, where it turned out that Nixon was spying on his opponents. This film is also relevant in today’s post-9/11 world because the government was saying it should be legal to spy on people in order to fish out national security threats. As the film was released before the Watergate fiasco and the script reportedly written in the mid-1960’s, Coppola claims this film had nothing to do with Watergate and it all was a major coincidence. That said, the film raises very interesting questions about the morality and ethics of spying on other people.

The movie is a quiet, contemplating, and very intelligent paranoia thriller that invites the audience for quite the thrill ride. Harry Caul (Gene Hackman) is a very private man who prefers life in solitude with nothing but his jazz discs and saxophone to keep him company. He has no friends and his girlfriend, Ann (Cindy Williams) knows nothing about him. He also happens to be the best spy on the West Coast who creates all his spying equipment. He is also a devout Catholic, and he feels guilty about his last spy job because it resulted in the death of three people. He always made clear never to get involved….but he always seem to do so. His latest job with his associate Stan (John Cazale) is to bug a couple in San Francisco’s Union Square on the request given by Martin Stett (Harrison Ford), an assistant to somebody named “The Director.” Caul listens to the conversation and he believes they will be killed if he turns in the tape. Caul, himself, may be the one being tailed and followed.

Gene Hackman has said that this film was his favorite role. Coppola mentioned that it was a struggle for Hackman to play this role, because it was so against Hackman’s type. Hackman was an outgoing fellow who loves to dress in Hawaiian shirts but Harry Caul is socially adept and dresses himself with a large raincoat and these strange-looking frames. Out of all the fantastic roles Hackman did over the course of his career, this may have been his best role. I think it is ridiculous his performance was not recognized by the Academy. He played such a tragic character that was enveloped in a world of paranoia. The supporting cast also did very well. John Cazale, Harrison Ford, Cindy Williams, Frederic Forrest, Allen Garfield, Teri Garr, and even Robert Duvall in a small cameo.

1974 saw Francis Ford Coppola release two major films; The Conversation and of course The Godfather Part 2, which went on to win Best Picture. This rarely happens if ever, but Coppola had two movies nominated for Best Picture in the same year. Both movies were magnificent pieces of work in their own way, but this movie is the one with the important message. What is the difference between reality and perception? Between right and wrong? That line is blurred in the eyes of Harry Caul and the audience as the movie progresses towards the end. Speaking of which, the ending is something I did not see coming at all and I thought it was fantastic!

Written and directed by Francis Ford Coppola, The Conversation is a quiet, slow-paced thriller that will force you to ask a lot of questions with answers that may not be so easy to find. Is bugging/spying invasion of privacy? Should it be legal? Gene Hackman delivers a tour-de-force performance. It is the first of two films to be released by Coppola in 1974. It may not be the best film out of the two, but it is the most important film because it still resonates in today’s world.

My Grade: B+