The Conversation| Review

This film stands alone as the single most underrated film of the 20th Century. Francis Ford Coppola has become one of the most celebrated filmmakers of our time. The Godfather Part 1 and 2, Apocalypse Now, and Bram Stoker's Dracula were all critical and commercial successes. Many of his films have gone down as some of the greatest of all time, but one of the films in his catalog that surely deserves a spot of its own has been unrecognized again and again, The Conversation.

The Conversation remains one of my favorite(make sure to check out the list of my 50 Favorite)films of all time. Coppola's amazing direction adds to the film's overall high quality and my own personal taste. He basically turns a stereotypical detective film and molds it into a melancholic character study. I like films that contradict film making stereotypes in exchange for a much deeper quality. Not every single film succeeds at completing this task, which indefinitely raises the quality of The Conversation.

The Conversation follows Harry Caul, played by Gene Hackman, as he investigates a series of recordings of what seems to be a conversation between two people planning a murder, but the investigation isn't what is important in the grand scheme of the film. The film is more about what goes through a detective's head and how it affects his mental stability and personal life. Harry's associate, Stanley, is played excellently by John Cazale who appeared in both The Godfather and The Deer Hunter.

Overall, The Conversation is an amazing triumph in Francis Ford Coppola's catalog, and film making in general.

Time Stamp: January 1, 2020