The Conversation

Dir: Francis Ford Coppola, 1974 (10*)
Palm d’Or (Cannes)
If not for a film called Godfather II, this film would likely have won best picture itself in 74 (it was nominated), and may arguably be Coppola’s best; it’s certainly his tightest, and did win the grand prize at Cannes. Gene Hackman plays a electronic bugging expert, usually hired to scope out corporate secrets, often requiring ingenious methods to record conversations, like multiple eavesdroppers, some on the move. He unwittingly discovers that perhaps someone who hired him has committed a murder, which he discovers examining conversations he bugged. Saying very much would spoil this excellent, tense crime film with many implications. This is my favorite Gene Hackman performance, and most subtle, that just goes deeper and deeper as it progresses.