The Conversation

THE CONVERSATION, Francis Ford Coppola's 1974 masterpiece of societal paranoia in the guise of a wiretapping thriller coincidentally released during the culmination of the Watergate scandal, returns to the big screen in a new 50th anniversary 4K restoration, opening at New York's IFC Center on August 9 (the 50th anniversary of Richard Nixon resigning the presidency).

Of the new restoration, Francis Ford Coppola says: "As you will notice, I have never offered a new version of THE CONVERSATION, which is a film I have always been proud of, I've never felt the need to improve. It also features my wonderful collaboration with its editor (along with Richard Chew) and sound designer, Walter Murch, which reinforces my belief that cinema is a collaborative effort. I am gratified to have made a film that has lived for 50 years."

Lonely wiretapping expert and devout Catholic Harry Caul (Gene Hackman) is hired to record a seemingly innocuous conversation in San Francisco's Union Square between two lovers (Frederic Forrest and Cindy Williams). Upon re-hearing the tapes, however, Caul believes he may be putting the couple in danger if he turns the material over to his client (Robert Duvall). But what one hears can ultimately turn out to be quite different from what was actually recorded.

Sandwiched between the filmmaker's first two GODFATHER epics, THE CONVERSATION was a smaller, more personal exploration of humanity becoming enslaved and ultimately destroyed by the development of highly sophisticated surveillance technology. The timing of the film could not have been more prescient, with the concurrent revelation during the Watergate hearings of a secret taping device in the Oval Office. Although the cutting-edge electronics of that time now look like Victrolas compared to the pocket-sized gadgetry of today, the themes of social alienation, ruthless corporate behavior, and a testing of one's faith resonate even deeper in the second decade of the 21st century.

Winner of the 1974 Palme d'Or at Cannes, and nominated for three Oscars including Best Picture (losing out to Coppola's own THE GODFATHER: PART II), THE CONVERSATION features a cast of Coppola regulars, including John Cazale, Harrison Ford, and Teri Garr. The minimalist piano score by David Shire is considered one of the great films scores of that era.

The original negative was accessed for the first time and scanned in 4K. An approved reference print was used for the color grading and the 5.1 soundtrack was created in 2000 by Walter Murch. The restoration was fully approved by Francis Ford Coppola.

"Thanks to Walter Murch's keen, intuitive sound montage and Hackman's clammy, subtle performance, the movie captures [an] elusive and universal fear — that of losing the power to respond, emotionally and morally, to the evidence of one's own senses." — Michael Sragow

"A BLEAK AND DEVASTATINGLY BRILLIANT FILM!" — Time Out

"An immaculate thriller, a study in paranoia and loneliness, partly inspired by Antonioni's Blow-Up, and released as the Watergate scandal was unfolding, with one of Gene Hackman‘s greatest performances." ~ Philip French, The Guardian

Awards and Nominations:
Palme d'Or (Cannes Film Festival, 1974)
Best Picture, Best Original Screenplay, and Best Sound nominations (Academy Awards, 1975)
Best Motion Picture - Drama, Best Director - Motion Picture, Best Actor in a Motion Picture - Drama, Best Screenplay - Motion Picture nominations (Golden Globes, 1975)
Best Film Editing, Best Soundtrack (BAFTA Awards, 1975)
Best Actor, Best Direction, and Best Screenplay nominations (BAFTA Awards, 1975)
Best Film, Best Director, Best Actor, Top Ten Films (National Board of Review, 1974)
Named to the National Film Registry, 1995

”I’ve always been especially proud of THE CONVERSATION, partly because it was from my own original story and screenplay. I count it among the most personal of all my films and I’m happy the movie became the very thing it was about — invasion of privacy and its erosive impact on both victims and perpetrators. This was my goal when I conceived it over 40 years ago, and to my surprise, the idea still resonates today. I’m glad Rialto is bringing the film back to theaters so people can experience it the way it was first presented, on the big screen.“ — Francis Ford Coppola