Review of The Conversation (1974) by Jared L — 07 Jan 2009

Coppola has you looking closely at every scene for things of importance. The paranoia of the protagonist is transposed upon the viewer. Hackman offers an interesting character: a man who is very secretive but attempts intimacy, who is moralistic but empowers murderers, and who is very good at surveillance but is easily duped by a competitor.

Coppola gradually lets the contradictions build until they reach a fever pitch. He also brilliantly stages shots: the slow close up at the beginning, the sharp focus in the confessional, and the mimicry of a surveillance camera at the end.