Francis Ford Coppola's the Conversation

¶ … Francis Ford Coppola's the Conversation that reflect typical conspiracy thrillers of the 1960s and '70s -- chiefly, the theme of religion, a mysterious and seeming omnipresent Director, and a clinically paranoid protagonist named Harry Caul. It is discovered early in the film that Harry Caul is a religious man, with respect for the names of God and Jesus Christ. A figurine of the Virgin Mother is on display in his apartment. Perhaps due to these religious beliefs, Caul finds himself getting morally involved with his latest case.

It is revealed early in the film that before Caul moved out West, he was involved in a surveillence job that caused the murder of two people. He develops concerns that his current case will end in a similar fashion, and feels responsible for the outcome. In this sense, the Conversation is very like other conspiracy thrillers of its day. The undertaking of a moral duty to aid one's fellow man was -- and is today -- a popular motivation for a character.

However, in most films of the '70s, this obligation to society led the protagonist to intervene and save the day, or to sacrifice his own life for the greater good. We see this plotline in every kind of character-driven thriller, from the early conspiracy drama the Poseiden Adventure to the beloved children's movie Homeward Bound: The Incredible Journey. In the Conversation, Harry Caul does not intervene in the classic, heroic sense.

He does not find Ann, warn her that she and Marc may soon be murdered, or try to find the Director and beg him to change his mind. Rather, he takes the hotel room next door to the murder scene, and bugs the wall, waiting for the murder to occur. It seems that Caul is more concerned with washing his hands of the situation that with preventing Ann and Marc's early demise.

The Director -- the man who hired Caul to follow Ann and her lover Marc -- is a mysterious character who remains unseen for more than half of the film. Much like in the smash hit thriller Jaws, the antagonist is a specific being who stays in the shadows for most of the film. The clout surrounding this evil force is built up for the majority of the first and second acts, until finally -- at the most pinnacle of moments -- the audience finally sees the shark.

In the case of the Conversation, the Director is barely seen at all. He enters, pays Caul his $15,000, and disappears with equal speed. That is the last that is heard from before his untimely death. Of course, the Conversation hides the true evil mastermind until the last moments of the film, when it is revealed that the Director was the victim all along. This, again, is an unusual plot twist for a conspiracy thriller. Perhaps the sting works so well because of how unexpected the twist is.

If Jaws set the precedent for shady villains watching the hero's every move, the writers would have been hard-pressed to find a way to flip the plot and expose the shark as the innocent victim. The character of Harry Caul is the one element of the Conversation that is completely typical of conspiracy thrillers. He is what Peter Knights calls a "clinically paranoid" protagonist.

This is a man who sees the world as the thing out to get him and him alone; in this case, the Director and the Director's assistant Martin. The clinically paranoid protagonist is put in contrast to a paranoid politician, who see other forces -- Communism, Russia, North Korea, or even an opposing political part -- as being out to get "us" as a nation. There is a sense of community preached by the paranoid politician that is absent from the clinically paranoid.

Caul has reason to suspect that Martin is following him, has bugged him, and may physically harm him in some way. Caul demolishes his apartment search for this bug, which may not even exist. He is so knowledgeable about the ways in which a man can.