The Conversation (1974)

Since the leap year gave us another day in the month, why not make the most of it with another review? Time to get back to the featured Letterboxd Lists. This time we’ll take a peek at the Cannes Palme d’Or Winners list with…The Conversation (1974).

Title: The Conversation

Director: Francis Ford Coppola

Runtime: 1 hour 53 minutes

Released: April 7, 1974 (New York City)

Available to stream on: Netflix

Harry Caul (Gene Hackman) is one of the best in the surveillance industry, specifically audio surveillance and wiretapping.

His latest assignment has him and his team in a public square during the busy lunch hour. The target happens to be a couple who already seem to be onto the fact that they are being watched. They keep weaving in and out of the crowd while walking in circles.

Despite their best efforts, they’re no match for Harry Caul. Harry has people positioned on rooftops with parabolic microphones aimed at the couple as they weave through the plaza. There’s also an additional man on the ground in the plaza, wired for sound. Unfortunately, the man on the ground has his cover blown but Harry has more than enough to deliver back to his mysterious client.

Showcasing his skills, Harry pieces together the different tapes into one cohesive recording. He then listens to the tape and then he rewinds and listens again. This pattern continues to the point where Harry has convinced himself that the couple is in grave danger.

Should he speak up about what he believes is on the tapes?

Or is the smart play to take the money and just move on to the next assignment?

I’d heard nothing but great things about this and was slightly nervous that it might not live up to the hype. Well friends, it absolutely lived up to every ounce of hype.

Yes, The Conversation (1974) is a thriller. All of the surveillance scenes, the tension in the conversations between characters, it all keeps you on the edge of your seat. It also happens to be a fantastically written and edited character study of Harry Caul.

I am very well aware of the fact that Gene Hackman was an incredible actor, yet I am still blown away every time he pops up in something. It is hard to imagine anyone else in this role and the film still working as well as it does.

All of his friends might think he is one of the best in the business, but we as the viewer see Harry Caul in a different light. There are subtle, and some not so subtle, clues sprinkled in throughout to allow us to see the real Harry Caul. The silent range shown by Hackman is a thing of beauty. I could talk for days about it but experiencing this movie knowing as little as possible pays dividends, trust me.

The Conversation (1974) grabs your attention early on, keeps you on the hook throughout, and delivers a mouth-dropping twist at the end.

If, by chance, you haven’t seen it, please correct that as soon as possible.

If you have seen The Conversation (1974), I want to hear what you thought.

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