Review of The Conversation (1974) by Tim S — 19 Feb 2010
Having spent some time studying filmmaking and the people behind those films, I've always found Francis Ford Coppla and his work to be the most fascinating. That doesn't change one bit with The Conversation, which was Coppola's answer to paranoic political intrigue movies.
I'm sure he didn't have a type in mind, but that's what it ended up being anyways. It's also a film he wasn't heavily involved in writing, but he's so hands on with every facet of the production, including the actors and the dialogue that they say, that it's very much his film.
Gene Hackman's performance also deserves mention because it's fantastic, and this is a side of Hackman we rarely see, which is a vulernable human being. He's so paranoid by everyone around him that the only way he can talk about himself personally is in his dreams, and when he does relent, he's ridiculed slightly for it.
The piano score from David Shire is also fantastic, a score which was a kind of rarity (still is). The film is expertly paced to draw you in, taking a bit of inspiration from Blow-Up, but it's also one of the edgiest films in the thriller genre.
It's not quite a thriller per se, but that's about as close to a genre as it gets. It was released the same year as The Godfather Part II as well, both of which swept up nominations at the Oscars.
I can't imagine any other filmmaker being in that kind of position and still coming out on top.
This review of The Conversation (1974) was written by Tim S on 19 Feb 2010.
The Conversation has generally received very positive reviews.
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