The Conversation Written and Directed by Francis Ford Coppola
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The Conversation
Written and Directed by Francis Ford Coppola
(1974)
This film is an American Zoetrope Production, which we have learned in class was one of the New Hollywood production studios. Francis Ford Coppola, undeniably one of the finest auteur/directors of the genre, created a superb Psychological Thriller with The Conversation. It appears at first be very understated, but the climax is anything but. The element that I found most striking in this film was the use of the more visually obvious components of the mise-en-scene such as props, places, and people, including a Mime in San Franciscos Union Square, to convey the mysterious complexity of the multi layered theme which questions our ability to interpret visual and audio information, recognize deception and determine what is true or real.
Something appears solid, yet it may merely be a reflection of what is perceived as reality. Under clandestine surveillance an event has been captured on tape or on film, yet it is shrouded in a veil of uncertainty. The movie begins with the Mime whos work it is to imitate life as he sees it. Therefore does Harry Caul (Gene Hackman), a top notch audio surveillance expert, record conversations for his clients which are also a reflection of reality not unlike that of the mime. Harry must gather his information and report it with a sort of scholarly detachment. We, the audience, begin to interpret the message of The Conversation using our own instincts and trusting Harrys expert knowledge and judgement, which we soon discover has not always been so spot on. He has been deceived in the past which has contributed to his intense sense of self preservation, privacy, and growing paranoia.
Throughout most of the film Harry wears a somewhat sheer, yet cloudy raincoat where ever he goes. Initially this raincoat may innocently seem to be a representation of his eccentricity, but then it begins to tie in with other props in the film, such as the smokey dividing walls at his office loft. Only certain characters are seen and filmed through these smokey walls. They are the people who are deceiving him in some way. He himself is frequently veiled behind these dividers, but during the party scene he removes his protective raincoat. He lets down his armor for that sequence and this is when the real trouble begins. The only other moments in the film we see him sans raincoat are when he is at home alone or locked (sometimes literally in what appears to be a cage) into his work. Otherwise, the raincoat remains on his back, even when hes in bed with his girlfriend.
Further, the analogy of deception and faulty perceptions of “reality” are mirrored with the literal use of mirrors as we see in the scene with Harrison Ford (as Martin Stett) who finds Harry at the surveillance convention as Stett sits on a red couch in front of a large cobbled mirror. This is just after Harry views Stett via video-cam device. At the office, where Caul goes to turn in the tapes of the surveillance job he was commissioned to perform and retrieve his payment, we are confronted with more veils and vehicles of deception. Firstly, where is the man , the director of the company who actually commissioned his work? He does not make that appearance. Does he even exist? So, we are left guessing if Cauls commission was actually made by the director of the company (played by Robert Duvall) or by his assistant, Stett. From the moment Caul enters the office we are bombarded with these veils, including foggy dividing walls, sheer blue window shades and even sheer folding chairs in the office where the transaction between Caul and Stett takes place, or rather doesnt take place as Caul makes the bold decision to guard his tapes until he sees the director in the flesh, an effort which is ultimately to no avail. For damage still results. Harry himself is in the business of deception which surely contributes to his paranoia.
Interestingly though, the scene in the Directors office is without veils, smoke or mirrors. The furniture is all very solid. The View is clear through the windows and there is a set of weights in the center of the room that seem to indicate a sense of solidity. The dog; a mans best friend, is solid, strong, and true reflecting the sense we get of the Director. The only deception which is glaringly apparent is the actual tape of the conversation of the directors wife Ann (played by Cindy Williams) and her lover (Fredrick Forrest) as it is played during the scene. When Stett asks the Director if he wants to hear the rest of the tape the Director retorts with, “You want this to be true.” Another allusion to illusion.
In other parts of the film as the character of Harry Caul develops we get glimpses of his private life. He has 3