Welcome to a new installment of WHY HAVEN'T I SEEN THAT?, where we talk about a must-see or iconic movie that we have never seen...until now. This week we take a look at one of Francis Ford Coppola's under-appreciated films...THE CONVERSATION. Enjoy
In the late 1960’s through the 1980’s and even today we received a group of directors that are referred to as the cinema nerds. Directors who understood the auteur theory created by the French New Wave directors and utilized this theory in their own films to make them very personal and make a statement in a ways. Directors like Martin Scorsese, Steven Speilberg, George Lucas, the guys who were making the big movies back in the days. Today we look at one director in particular, Francis Ford Coppola and specifically his film The Conversation.
If there’s anything that Coppola is known for it’s being the mastermind behind films that have been considered some of the greatest films ever made. Films like Apocalypse Now and The Godfather trilogy. But he also has a ton of smaller projects that show off his directorial talents even more so than his massive conquering films. One of these smaller films is called The Conversation and has been said by Coppola as being his most personal film and his favorite to make.
It revolves around Henry Caul, played by the immaculate Gene Hackman, a secret surveillance agent who takes a job to spy on a couple and figure out what they discuss and return the evidence to a CEO of the company. As the film goes on, Henry realizes this job holds much more baggage than he can handle and it begins to drive him mad. The film is full of many twists and turns and takes you on a roller coaster of emotions as far as Henry’s emotions fluctuate throughout the film.
The film is very well crafted. In the surveillance scenes, there is an incredible use of editing skills and cinematography skills. The surveillance scenes are very fun to watch and it actually creates a much more exciting feeling than most action scenes now a days. Another thing that the film does very well is makes us feel compassion for Henry Caul. As Henry runs through the motions of what is seemingly just another job we completely understand the stress, frustration, and just pure paranoia that soon follows.
The Conversation holds copious amounts of symbolism and deeper meanings that are almost a chore to analyze. But it actually holds quite a bit on interest and incredibly surprising facts are pointed out that create an even more incredible overall emotion and attitude toward the film.
Coppola is known for creating some of the greatest films ever made, and even his smaller projects are masterpieces and should be held among his other pieces. Coppola is possibly the greatest director among the cinema nerds, and he has crafted several of my favorite films and I cannot wait for him to continue to show off his craft to is.
Joshua's Score: 10/10
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