The Conversation
Published March 17, 2024
Film info
- Title The Conversation
- Director Francis Ford Coppola
- Year 1974
- Run time 1hr 53m
- Genres Drama, Crime, Mystery
- Tagline Harry Caul is an invader of privacy. The best in the business
Surveillance expert Harry Caul is hired by a mysterious client’s brusque aide to tail a young couple. Tracking the pair through San Francisco’s Union Square, Caul and his associate Stan manage to record a cryptic conversation between them. Tormented by memories of a previous case that ended badly, Caul becomes obsessed with the resulting tape, trying to determine if the couple are in danger.
Live blog
| Time | Comment |
|---|---|
| 6:40 | Never put lipstick on in front of glass like that… oof! |
| 11:42 | Security conscious, I like it. |
| 13:53 | Saxophone isn’t a particularly apartment-friendly instrument, is it? |
| 23:00 | “I don’t have any secrets,” says the most mysterious man ever. |
| 29:17 | Ooh, Harrison Ford! |
| 36:12 | Accusing him of sloppy work just because you’re in a bad mood is harsh. |
| 41:10 | I was thinking swearing ain’t so bad, but stealing newspapers is confession-worthy. |
| 44:28 | I love a good trade show. |
| 48:28 | Don’t trust a free pen from any of these suckers. |
| 51:51 | “I’m not following you, I’m looking for you. There’s a big difference.” |
| 1:05:56 | Stan really doesn’t seem to understand his boss at all. |
| 1:17:01 | I’m now suspicious of everyone and everything. |
| 1:36:40 | Surely they’d be suspicious if something happens in that room and he had asked for that room too. |
| 1:49:09 | The harmonica thing, right? |
Thoughts
This was SO GOOD. It felt almost like an indy film - slow, patient, quiet, but absolutely engrossing, focused on the people more than the story, letting them allow the plot to unfold around them. Of course it’s not an indy film, it has Gene Hackman and Harrison Ford in it, but it’s just brilliant. An unexpected but immediate favourite.
Rating: 5 / 5