The Conversation

We celebrate the 50th anniversary of Francis Ford Coppola’s Palme d’Or-winning surveillance thriller, a film that continues to grow in relevance and stature. Gene Hackman has rarely been better than he is in this conspiracy thriller, playing surveillance expert Harry Caul. A solitary, intensely private individual, Harry strives for an ethical approach to his work, even as he struggles with pangs of guilt for his past mistakes. His obsession with latest job – he believes he may have discovered a murder plot – makes him increasingly paranoid. Coppola wrings every last drop of tension from his lean screenplay while an impressive supporting cast and David Shire’s celebrated score contribute to a sense of unease. Released at the height of the Watergate Scandal in the US, the film now feels prophetic in its portrait of an all-pervasive surveillance culture. *Season 3 ‘Classic + Cuppa’ strand is bought to you as part of Cinema Rediscovered, the UK’s leading festival of classic cinema that brings rediscoveries and rarities back to the big screen.