The Conversation

Unfortunately, it appears with every passing day that the great American paranoid political thrillers of the 60's and 70's, with its strongest work bookended by 'The Manchurian Candidate' (eerily foreseeing the JFK assassination) and 'All the President's Men' (placing a coda of closure on the Watergate scandal), simply haven't aged a day, and are as timely as ever in conceptualizing the palpable fear that ordinary citizens have in those in control of their destinies, namely the police and government of their communities. It's the American ideal that any person born, regardless of circumstances, is in control of their destiny, and that with hard work, guile and determination, can make something of himself. Whether that was ever the case is q...

"The Conversation" is a tense thriller that explores how paranoia can take over all aspects of everyday life once something disturbing is discovered.

Paid to eavesdrop on two people in a public place, Harry Caul ( Gene Hackman ) records the conversation and after some work produces a tape with clarity for his client. However Harry is riddled with guilt from a previous job that led to the people involved being hurt and both a woman and child murdered. This leads him to question his actions and clearly the job he is doing.

Despite colleagues, friends and suppliers of surveillance equipment looking up to Harry as one of the best in the business he clearly has lost his edge and his way. This is shown over a period of time through variou...

Gene Hackman is superb here as "Harry" - a super-efficient surveillance expert who discovers in the line of duty that a couple he is monitoring might well be about to be murdered. It becomes clear that the couple - Cindy Williams & Frederic Forrest are having an affair but that is just the tip of the conspiratorial iceberg in this tautly scripted/directed effort from Francis Ford Coppola. It's a slow burn, at times it certainly does drag, but the subtleties with which the cat and mouse swap places, alongside some great supporting roles from John Cazale and Harrison Ford make it quite an enthralling watch - and certainly one of Hackman's best, most emotionally charged, performances.