Sunday, January 15, 2012

THE CONVERSATION: A PARANOID CLASSIC







In 1972 director Francis Ford Coppola made one of the greatest movies ever done THE GODFATHER. Using the clout he developed from that film he made another classic that didn't get near the intention. That movie has just arrived in blu-ray format. Its name is THE CONVERSATION.

Gene Hackman stars as Harry Caul, a surveillance expert with a reputation for being able to record anyone, anywhere. The film opens with Harry and his crew recording a conversation between a young couple in an open air park. Using various pieces of equipment from parabolic microphones to microphones hidden in bags they put together each to come up with a conclusive piece of work.

But the movie isn't all about this conversation. It's more about Harry himself. As portrayed by Hackman, Harry Caul is a loner, a man without much in his life with the exception of his work. He does have a girlfriend (Teri Garr) that he provides for and sees on occasion. But there is this underlying nagging fear we witness in Caul that has him keeping people at arms length including the people who work for him. Harry Caul is a classic paranoid individual but one who knows how easy it is to gain access to the details in a person's private life. Knowing this means Harry realizes how vulnerable we all truly are and how susceptible each person is to being watched.

As the pieces come together on the project Harry is working on he begins to wonder about what he's recording. Filters are used to fine tune each piece, to bring together a comprehensive conversation where no words are distorted or left out. In the past Harry has made a practice of not becoming involved, in not listening to the things he was recording. But as he puts this one together, he begins to worry that perhaps this couple is about to be killed by his employer.

When he goes to give the tape to his employer he is first pushed aside by his aide played by a young Harrison Ford. Eventually he meets with the man portrayed by Robert Duval. Paid for his services Harry leaves but still feels concern about what will happen.

Going to a trade show of security and surveillance experts, one of Harry's employees is there working on the side with another expert. Bernie Moran (Allan Garfield) is perhaps second only to Caul. But rather than downplay his expertise, he's capitalized on it becoming a major player and manufacturer of electronic surveillance equipment.

Eventually Harry is talked into allowing Moran and friends up to the loft he uses where they work. Moran continues to push Harry trying to find out how he did a particular job back east that resulted in the deaths of several people. But the reclusive Harry holds back, acting rather shy with the group. When it's revealed that Moran placed a microphone on Harry in an ink pen, Harry explodes and orders everyone out.

Still concerned with the conversation he recorded Harry checks into the hotel where the couple said they would meet. Taking the room next door, he overhears an argument and then witnesses through a frosted pane of glass someone being murdered. Plagued with these images it tears at him.

When he tries to confront the man who hired him, Harry is turned away. To give away what happens during the final portion of the film would be akin to telling you who the mother was in PSYCHO.

The film is a dive into the mind of a man who peers into the private lives of other and who attempts to not have a private life of his own for fear someone will do the same to him. This lone individual with a conscious is doing unconscionable things, but continues to do so to make a living. It is brilliantly made and perhaps one of Coppola's best films but overlooked by many.

Hackman gives an outstanding performance. His role could have been played over the top with rages and flamboyance but instead Harry Caul has more depth in the slow moving actions and scenes that have him doing nothing more than listening than many actors offer when chewing scenery all around them. His role here should have landed him an Oscar.

While the movie was overlooked in many ways for years fans have had the chance to find it as it has been released in formats from VHS to DVD. Now that it's available on blu-ray it is one that should be added to the collection of any die hard movie fan. And if you're a fan of Coppola or Hackman you should be out there picking up a copy as soon as you finish reading this piece.

Click here to order.

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