THE CONVERSATION

US, 1974, 113 minutes, Colour.
Gene Hackman, Robert Duvall, Frederic Forrest, Cindy Williams.
Directed by Francis Ford Coppola.

The Conversation was acclaimed by critics and received awards at Film Festivals but was singularly unpopular at the box office. People may have been frightened by its theme or put off by its difficulty. However, it is an excellent film and will probably be constantly re-released for film societies and for discussion.

Francis Ford Coppola became an important person in movies with The Godfather and its sequel. He was one of those directors helped to fame by Roger Corman who backed his 1963 horror thriller Dementia 13. Coppola made such films as You're A Big Boy Now, The Rain People and Finian's Rainbow, as well as writing such films as This Property is Condemned, Is Paris Burning?, Patton, The Great Gatsby. He is a versatile and sensitive artist.

The Conversation was a personal project dealing with bugging and the modern invasion of privacy, the industry of surveillance. The film gains interest and evokes disgust at this invasion of privacy and highlights the dehumanising effect of not being involved with real people, as well as the danger of over-involvement and misinterpretation. Gene Hackman, a good actor anywhere, gives an excellent performance in a film which has been called an aural equivalent of Blow Up. Supporting performances, music and the technical background of the surveillance industry make the film very worthwhile.

1. The film received critical acclaim. Why? Is it deserving of such praise? It did very poorly at the box office. Can you see why? Why would people not like it? How topical is the film? How realistic in its presentation of a modern topic - surveillance? Are people afraid of this topic and its implications? Its reflection of the early seventies in America? How frightening was this?

2. The film was a detailed study of the use of sound and recording. How well was this portrayed and explored visually? The showing of the mechanisms and techniques to experiment with and to tape sound? Of putting sounds together? A technological poem exploring the possibilities of sound? How did the music contribute to the atmosphere of the film? And to Harry Caul's drama? The dramatic impact of the music?

3. One of the principal themes was that of privacy. How strong was the theme in the film? What was the judgement of the film-makers about a man's privacy? What rights have people to privacy? When can this privacy be invaded? Without a person's will? How is privacy invaded? How can it be invaded? The example in the film itself? The ending, with Harry's being invaded?

4. What is your reaction to the science and industry of surveillance? Is this a good thing? Has it its uses in the modern world? For politics etc.? Or is it just an invasion of privacy on a grand scale? The film's detailing of the technology of surveillance? The convention? Harry Caul's initial experiment with the three sources recording the conversation etc.?

5. What kind of people are Involved in surveillance? How emotional can they be? What is the result of such detachment? What happens when they become involved in the life of the people they bug? The result on Harry? Why did it happen to him in this case? His previous avoidance of emotional involvement?

6. What did the film have to say regarding judgements made on such evidence of surveillance? The fact that Harry misinterpreted this evidence? That evidence can be interpreted many ways? The evil consequences of judgements made? The emotional involvement and effect on such judgements?

7. What judgment did the film make about technological advances? The background of the convention and the details of the people there? Of the gadgetry? The parody of the sales talk regarding the gadgets? The gathering at Harry's office afterwards? The technological espionage that is possible? The using of people, e.g. the lust for espionage purposes? Espionage and the invasion of privacy?

8. How well did the film explore Harry Caul's personality? The qualities of Gene Hackman's performance? The intricacies of his mind and his life? His background and previous successes? His total involvement in his work? His emotional upheaval and reliance on pick-ups? The importance of his being a Catholic? The sequence of his going to confession? The symbolising of this as a use of privacy and surveillance? The trivial nature of his confession? The concealing of his true self from this seeming invasion of privacy? What was the result of Harry letting his emotions become involved? His relationship with his assistant? His abuse of him and the assistant wanting to leave him? Could Harry keep friends? The crisis that the investigation of the conversation had on him? What was left of him at the end?

9. Could the audience identify with Harry? To what extent? Could the audience identify with the couple whose privacy was invaded?

10. What was your impression of the couple? Of their conversation? Did your impressions change as you heard the conversation over and over again? Varying snippets? Trying to hear more clearly what was not heard previously? What was your interpretation of the conversation? Did this change? Were you emotionally involved with the couple? Why?

11. How did Harry's visits to the director's office alter your interpretations of the conversation and your emotional involvement? Did you like the director's assistant? your impressions of the director himself? Were they hostile? Did you fear for the couple?

12. What really happened as regards the director's death? What was in Harry's imagination and dreams? How well filmed were Harry's fantasies, dreams, fears; why was Harry so paralysed in the hotel room? How strong was his emotional involvement? Why could he not act? His revulsion at the plastic and blood in the toilet? His reaction to the couple after the director's death? What had happened to him? What had happened to you?

13. How much effect did the surveillance have on Harry himself? What happened to him when his privacy was invaded? His fear, his obsession, his ripping up his house, his invasion of privacy? What judgement was made on him?

14. At the end Harry was left by himself playing his saxophone. Alone in a private hell. What impact did this final image of the film have? Did it sum up the themes of the film?