The Conversation

"Harry Caul is an invader of privacy. The best in the business."

1974 1h 55m EN

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7.5

SOLID

★7.5TMDB · 2,133

CrimeDramaMystery

Synopsis

Spoiler shield

A paranoid, secretive surveillance expert has a crisis of conscience when he suspects that the couple he is spying on will be murdered.

“Harry Caul is an invader of privacy. The best in the business.”

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Where to watch · US

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Cast

Gene Hackman
Harry Caul
John Cazale
Stan
Allen Garfield
William P. 'Bernie' Moran
Frederic Forrest
Mark
Cindy Williams
Ann
Michael Higgins
Paul
Elizabeth MacRae
Meredith
Teri Garr
Amy Fredericks

Credits

Behind the camera

Director: Francis Ford Coppola
Writers: Francis Ford Coppola
Languages: English
Countries: United States of America

Want more? Switch to Cinephile mode in the header for DP, composer, budget, box office, production companies, keywords, and release history.

Did you know?

Fun facts 🍿

1 / 8

MONEY

Did you know

Shot for just $1.6M — micro-budget by Hollywood standards.

MoodPlayr · trivia#01

2 / 8

ERA

Did you know

52 years old — a genuine piece of film history.

MoodPlayr · trivia#02

3 / 8

DIRECTOR

Did you know

Directed by Francis Ford Coppola, shot by Wilmer Butler. Note their partnership — DPs and directors often return to each other across a career.

MoodPlayr · trivia#03

4 / 8

DIRECTOR

Did you know

Original score by David Shire. Worth a dedicated listen after — most great films lose half their impact without the score.

MoodPlayr · trivia#04

5 / 8

DIRECTOR

Did you know

Editor Richard Chew shaped the rhythm. On an edit-heavy film, the editor does more to control your pulse than the director.

MoodPlayr · trivia#05

6 / 8

CAST

Did you know

Gene Hackman and John Cazale and Allen Garfield carry the top of the cast.

MoodPlayr · trivia#06

7 / 8

FACT

Did you know

Marketing tagline: "Harry Caul is an invader of privacy. The best in the business.".

MoodPlayr · trivia#07

8 / 8

WILD

Did you know

IMDB entry: tt0071360 — still the authoritative cross-reference for credits and trivia.

MoodPlayr · trivia#08

Cinephile deep dive

The take

Francis Ford Coppola directs. Wilmer Butler behind the camera. David Shire scores. Richard Chew cuts. Profitable at the box office. Produced in United States of America. Dialogue in English.

Trivia

Things worth knowing

1Shot for just $1.6M — micro-budget by Hollywood standards.
252 years old — a genuine piece of film history.
3Directed by Francis Ford Coppola, shot by Wilmer Butler. Note their partnership — DPs and directors often return to each other across a career.
4Original score by David Shire. Worth a dedicated listen after — most great films lose half their impact without the score.
5Editor Richard Chew shaped the rhythm. On an edit-heavy film, the editor does more to control your pulse than the director.
6Gene Hackman and John Cazale and Allen Garfield carry the top of the cast.
7Marketing tagline: "Harry Caul is an invader of privacy. The best in the business.".
8IMDB entry: tt0071360 — still the authoritative cross-reference for credits and trivia.
9Classified under 18 themes, including "isolation", "shadowing", "san francisco, california", "technology".
10Released under 10 different titles around the world.

The technical file

Cinematography: Wilmer Butler
Original score: David Shire
Editing: Richard Chew
Production design: Dean Tavoularis
Costume design: Aggie Guerard Rodgers
Sound: Walter Murch
Runtime: 115 min · 1h 55m
Aspect ratio (typical): 1.37:1 (Academy)
Status: Released
Budget: $1,600,000
Box office: $4,794,457
Return: 300% of budget
Original language: EN
Certification (US): PG
IMDB: The Conversation (1974)

Awards

National Board of Review: Top Ten Films
National Board of Review Award for Best Actor
National Board of Review Award for Best Film
National Society of Film Critics Award for Best Director
BAFTA Award for Best Editing
BAFTA Award for Best Sound
National Board of Review Award for Best Director
Palme d'Or

Individual records documented via Wikidata; the summary above may count more.

Also by

Francis Ford Coppola

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Community reviews

What people are saying

talisencrw2016-05-02
★ 10/10
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 questionable, but it seems more than ever that the people in power are in control of way more than we could ever suppose, or would ever want to know. This was a nice smaller-scale film that, incredulously, Coppola was able to dish up in a run that is one of the finest a director would ever have, up there with Hitchcock's in the late 50's-early 60's, and Melville a decade later. It's definitely excellent work by Hackman (along with his Popeye Doyle in the pair of great 'French Connection' movies), and is up there with the greatest dissertations ever about the double-edged sword of surveillance, namely De Palma's 'Blow Out' and Antonioni's 'Blow-Up'. As a human being, I only wish this film wasn't as important as it is.
tensharpe2023-01-26
★ 8/10
"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 various actions. His flat is easily broken into by his landlord and his mail read. Harry is easily duped at a trade show by a competitor who bugs him with a pen and his girlfriend states "once I saw you up by the staircase , hiding and watching for a whole hour". Meanwhile despite his phone being supposedly unlisted both his landlord and his client have the number and to his surprise call him. After listening many times to the tapes of the conversation, Harry believes that the two involved fear they could be hurt or even killed for their actions. However a trick is a trick or job is a job ( according to his girlfriend/ escort ) but riddled with guilt he fails to deliver. Once again he shows his unprofessionalism by allowing the tapes to be stolen ( by his girlfriend/ escort ) As the film concludes it becomes clear that conversations can be misinterpreted and may not be as obvious as first thought. Harry's paranoia is compounded even more once he discovers the truth behind "The Conversation," which results in a very satisfying ending.
CinemaSerf2023-05-27
★ 7/10
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.