I am embarrassed to say that I had never seen this amazing film until last night, which was a big loss on my part. Francis Ford Coppola not only produced and directed this thriller about an audio surveillance guru played by Gene Hackman, but he also wrote the almost Orwellian screenplay. This film grabs you from the first first stunning opening frames, and doesn't let you go -- it's classic Coppola. The Conversation is smart, savvy and an example of the brilliance of both Coppola and 1970s film-making before the big action blockbusters showed up and ended one of the golden ages of American cinema.
Look for a young Harrison Ford playing a sinister corporate frontman and Cindy Williams -- yes, Shirley!! -- playing the seemingly doomed young woman Hackman's been hired to spy on.
An interesting bit of trivia: Godfather fans will recognize Fredo in the film -- John Cazale, a young Italian-American actor who starred in only five films before dying of bone cancer. The films -- Godfathers I and II, The Conversation, Dog Day Afternoon and The Deer Hunter -- were all nominated for best-picture Academy Awards. Cazale was dying, in fact, when he made The Deer Hunter, and the studio wanted to fire him when they found out. But Meryl Streep, who was engaged to Cazale at the time, threatened to quit if he was removed from the film. Cazale, beloved for being a very kind-hearted, gentle and generous guy, died soon after.
Even though he has an exceptionally high forehead, I found Cazale disturbingly hot while watching The Conversation.
5 comments:
Thanks, Jacy. It's been on my "must watch" list forever and your post gave me the extra prodding I needed. And you're right...it's great.
Isn't it fantastic? I want to watch it again because once it all comes together in the end, you know every scene prior to it had a real significance. And imagine the impact it must have had, coming out just after Watergate.
I love too how all the actors look like real people. Again, it was before the age of everyone being nipped and tucked, teeth whitened, noses fixed -- such a great time for American film.
I have yet to see it myself — and it's been at the top of my list for eons.
I've seen the first part and remember Shirley being in it but why haven't I finished it? I think it's always on too late and I end up dozing off and let my brain take over the conversations.
I will rent it from my funky indie video shop..
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