Cinema
Drama thriller
The Conversation (1974): Cast, Ratings, Box Office & Plot
The Conversation is a 1974 drama thriller directed by Francis Ford Coppola, starring Gene Hackman and John Cazale. It runs 1 hour 53 minutes and earned $4.9 million worldwide. It won 3 awards from 13 nominations, among them 3 Oscar nominations. Critics gave it 88 on Metacritic.
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- Released
- Runtime
- 1h 53m (113 min)
- Director
- Francis Ford Coppola
- Original language
-
English - Studio
- Paramount Pictures
- After the credits
- No No extra scene
The story
What Is The Conversation About?
The premise of The Conversation without spoilers. The whole story is in the plot summary further down.
A surveillance expert's life is thrown into turmoil when he becomes convinced he may have inadvertently recorded a crime. As he investigates the incident and the mysterious woman involved, his meticulous world begins to unravel, leading him down a dangerous path filled with paranoia, intrigue, and unsettling questions about his own actions and the truth he seeks.
The Conversation Themes & Keywords
· 50 tags- surveillance
- paranoia
- tape recorder
- birthday
- murder
- hotel
- saxophone
- psychological thriller
- wiretapping
- phone booth
- hidden microphone
- union square san francisco
+38 more Show fewer
- confessional
- overflowing toilet
- eavesdropping
- mime
- neo noir
- loner
- convention
- san francisco california
- national film registry
- deception
- audio engineer
- trade show
- audio surveillance
- dream sequence
- crime scene
- surveillance expert
- seduction
- ballpoint pen
- corporate espionage
- workaholic
- midlife crisis
- virgin mary statuette
- elevator
- catholic
- perfectionist
- psychological drama
- bathroom
- video surveillance
- business rivalry
- privacy
- cartoon on tv
- scene during end credits
- male protagonist
- violence
- blood
- birthday card
- theft
- guilt
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Cast & crew
The Conversation Cast
Gene Hackman leads the cast, with John Cazale. Directed by Francis Ford Coppola.
-
Director Francis Ford Coppola
Ratings
The Conversation Reviews & Ratings
Critics gave The Conversation 88 on Metacritic.
-
Metacritic 88 Metascore
User score 7.9
See on Metacritic
Plot
The Conversation Plot Summary
What happens in The Conversation from start to finish, spoilers included, with a timeline of 14 key events. The opening is below; the full summary is a 2-minute read.
Spoilers ahead
Harry Caul, a seasoned surveillance expert based in San Francisco, is a master of wiretapping services. Hired by an enigmatic client, known only as “the Director,” Caul and his team are tasked with eavesdropping on a couple as they navigate through Union Square. With the cacophony of city noise surrounding them, Caul skillfully processes and merges the audio tapes, ultimately producing a clear recording that is fraught with ambiguous undertones.
Full summary
The whole story of The Conversation, scene by scene
Box office
The Conversation Box Office
The Conversation grossed $4.9 million worldwide. $4.9 million came from the US and Canada and $26,175 (1%) from the rest of the world.
Worldwide gross
$4.9M
- US & Canada
- $4.9M
- International
- $26.2K
US & Canada 99%
Rest of the world 1%
Awards
The Conversation Awards & Nominations
The Conversation won 3 awards from 13 nominations, among them 3 Oscar nominations. Its biggest night was the BAFTA 1975, with 2 wins from 5 nominations.
3 wins13 nominations4 ceremonies
-
BAFTA 1975 2 wins · 5 nominations- Won Best Editing
- Won Best Sound
- Nominated Best Actor in a Leading Role – Richard Dreyfuss
- Nominated Best Direction – Francis Ford Coppola
- Nominated Best Screenplay – Francis Ford Coppola
-
Golden Globes 1975 1 win · 4 nominations- Won Best Motion Picture – Comedy or Musical
- Nominated Best Director – Francis Ford Coppola
- Nominated Best Performance in a Motion Picture – Drama (Actor) – Gene Hackman
- Nominated Best Screenplay – Francis Ford Coppola
-
Oscars 1975 3 nominations- Nominated Best Picture
- Nominated Sound
- Nominated Writing (Original Screenplay) – Francis Ford Coppola
-
DGA Awards 1975 1 nomination- Nominated Feature Film – Francis Ford Coppola
Videos
The Conversation Trailers & Videos
5 videos: 3 trailers, 1 clip and 1 featurette.
- Trailer Trailer
- Trailer Official Trailer
- Clip Clip
- Featurette Walter Murch on The Conversation and working with Francis Ford Coppola | BFI Q&A
Quiz
How Well Do You Know The Conversation?
10 questions about the story, each with a hint if you get stuck. Pick an answer to see whether you were right.
Question 1 of 10
- Question 1: not answered
- Question 2: not answered
- Question 3: not answered
- Question 4: not answered
- Question 5: not answered
- Question 6: not answered
- Question 7: not answered
- Question 8: not answered
- Question 9: not answered
- Question 10: not answered
Who is the main character of 'The Conversation'?
Cars
Cars in The Conversation
27 cars on screen, including the 1973 Dodge Coronet and the 1949 Fageol Twin Coach 44-TTW.
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1973 Dodge Coronet Important role -
1949 Fageol Twin Coach 44-TTW Minor role -
1972 Ford Econoline Minor role -
1970 Ford Mustang Minor role
Details
The Conversation Also Known As
33 alternative titles, including “对话” and “Das Geheimgespräch”.
- Also known as
-
- 对话
- Das Geheimgespräch
- Прислушкивање
- Keskustelu
- 더 컨버세이션
- 컨버세이션
- Avlyttingen
- La conversazione
- Konuşma
- Der Dialog
- Conversation secrète
- Magánbeszélgetés
+21 more Show fewer
- La conversación
- Разговор
- 窃听大阴谋
- O Vigilante
- Avlyssningen
- Η συνομιλία
- Aflytningen
- השיחה
- Rozmowa
- A Conversação
- Prisluškovanje
- Conversația
- Rozhovor
- カンバセーション…盗聴…
- Pokalbis
- Разговорът
- Розмова
- 對話, საუბარი
- گفتگو
- La conversa
- ดักฟังอันตราย
Seen The Conversation?
More like this
Movies Like The Conversation
Films with a similar story, tone or audience, including Surveillance, Conspiracy Theory and Seclusion.
From the blog
Articles About The Conversation
Our article about The Conversation: “The Art of Film Editing: More Than Just Cutting”.
FAQ
The Conversation FAQ: Cast, Box Office & Awards
Runtime, release date, director, cast, box office, ratings, awards and post-credit scenes of The Conversation, each answered in a sentence.
How long is The Conversation?
The Conversation runs 1 hour 53 minutes (113 minutes).
When was The Conversation released?
The Conversation was released on April 7, 1974.
Who directed The Conversation?
The Conversation was directed by Francis Ford Coppola.
More films by Francis Ford Coppola Who is in the cast of The Conversation?
The Conversation stars Gene Hackman and John Cazale.
How much did The Conversation make at the box office?
The Conversation grossed $4.9 million worldwide ($4.9 million domestic, $26,175 international).
How is The Conversation rated?
The Conversation has 88 on Metacritic.
What awards did The Conversation win?
The Conversation won 3 awards from 13 nominations, including Best Editing at the BAFTA 1975.
Does The Conversation have a post-credit scene?
No. The Conversation has no extra scene during or after the credits.
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