The Conversation - 7

Turns out that Enemy of the State is a sequel. Well, not officially, but Gene Hackman's supporting role in that film is the main character in this one. This film is a thriller (in the traditional sense) written and directed by Francis Ford Coppola. Harry Caul is in surveillance, and he is the best at recording conversations even when the interlocutors are trying to avoid being heard. This also gives him heightened sense of his own privacy, he would never want anyone hearing what he says privately. He record a conversation and then starts to feel guilty as he learns more and more about what the content of the conversation is and what the possible consequences are. As he says in a dream: "I am not afraid of death, I am afraid of murder." It is an interesting study in recognizing one's responsibility and implications of one's work. While most thriller get caught up in speed this films pace works perfectly. The internal struggle of one man's guilt is not told to you, you can see it. In fact the dialogue in the film is almost minimalist, but Hackman shows you the internal struggle going on. A well made film. (a young Harrison Ford, and Robert Duvall have small roles in the film).