Guide Note

The Conversation is a thriller written and directed by Francis Ford Coppola in 1974. The story is about a surveillance expert, Harry Caul, who listens in on other people's conversations, but is paranoid about his own privacy. The films was nominated for three Academy Awards, including Best Picture, Best Sound & Best Original Screenplay.

Fast Facts

1. Director: Francis Ford Coppola
2. Distributor: Paramount Pictures
3. Starring: Gene Hackman, John Cazale, Allen Garfield, Cindy Williams, Frederic Forrest, Harrison Ford, Teri Garr & Robert Duvall
4. Release Date: April 7, 1974
5. Running Time: 113 min.
6. Budget: $1,600,000
7. Piano score by David Shire
8. Released after the Watergate scandal

Origins of the Film

Coppola wrote The Conversation in the mid 1960s and drew influence from Michelangelo Antonioni's film Blowup which explored the themes of voyeurism and perception. Similarly, there are a few overt choices that are placed in The Conversation that already existed in Blowup, such as the use of mimes and a medium. When the film was released in 1974 it found itself following the Watergate scandal and became a great stage to echo the political issues of the time involving responsibility and privacy.