Some would argue, myself included, that Francis Ford Coppola was at the top of his game when he made The Conversation in the mid-70s. I've spoken with a few people who viewed it and felt it was boring, and slow. I couldn't disagree more. There's a lot of building in this film from start to finish. It all starts with it's main character, Harry Caul, played so masterfully by Gene Hackman. Caul is an extremely private man, and very paranoid within the confines of his world. His one outlet is playing the saxophone while he's not on the job, a job that has him running surveillance of people he's hired to track. One gets the feeling this guy never has any fun, and his only true outlet is his work.
As the story begins he's tasked with tracking a young couple, in park in San Francisco. The deeper we get into the film's second and third acts we see how increasingly paranoid Caul is that this couple he was spying on in the beginning of the film, are going to get murdered. Add to it, he thinks it will be at the hands of the person who hired him to track their every move. (Uncredited character played by Robert Duvall, as well as his assistant played by a young Harrison Ford) Surrounded by this major plot element are more intimate details of Caul's life, and the relationship he has with his main co-worker, Stan, played by the late John Cazele. Stan never feels as if Caul lets him into the know on what's really going on with their work. That drives Caul to the point of quitting as his right hand man. It all connects to the complexity and darker side of Caul. A very private man who wants to do things his way, regardless of anyone else's opinions. It also lends a connection to how he feels about the women in his life. We see a scene where Caul visits what seems to be his main love interest in the film (played by Teri Garr), yet he keeps his distance from her. It's obvious from this scene Caul is a loner, and has no real need for a woman to be living with him. All of these emotions are sold so well by Hackman in the role, you almost forget he is even acting. Even better, midway through the film, Caul is treated to a party from co-worker friends, and essentially a call girl spends the night in his dark, murky apartment. When he wakes up and realizes she isn't there, it really sets off a rage in his face that lets you know he's got some hidden demons when it comes to the relationships of his past. This is a man who has indeed been hurt before.
So as the story nears the films climax, Caul is running around watching his back, and ever so paranoid about what may happen to this young couple that he's convinced will be taken out by his former boss. There's no time to spoil what happens, but if you've never seen this film, the end result of Caul's findings will more than likely have you covering your mouth. Sure, it's not as extreme as some of the vivid things you see in the cinema today, but for 1974, it was a pretty big deal! The rest of this classic is wrapped up beautifully by the soundtrack of David Shire (Some may remember his contributions to the Saturday Night Fever soundtrack a few years later), as well as the fantastic sound design, that brought the audience into the world of a surveillance expert. You get to hear so many unique and interesting sounds, and voices you've probably never heard mixed in a film before. For that reason alone, this film begs a viewing on blu-ray, in 7.1 surround sound. You'll think your sucked into the world that Coppola created with this tense, and dark masterpiece. I'm even going to say this film reminded me a lot of the same themes you see in another classic of the same era, Taxi Driver. Two main characters who really start to open their eyes at how dark the world can be, without any light at the end of the tunnel. Nuff said.
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