Release CalendarTop 250 MoviesMost Popular MoviesBrowse Movies by GenreTop Box OfficeShowtimes & TicketsMovie NewsIndia Movie Spotlight
    What's on TV & StreamingTop 250 TV ShowsMost Popular TV ShowsBrowse TV Shows by GenreTV NewsIndia TV Spotlight
    What to WatchLatest TrailersIMDb OriginalsIMDb PicksIMDb Podcasts
    OscarsBest Picture WinnersBest Picture WinnersEmmysSTARmeter AwardsSan Diego Comic-ConNew York Comic-ConSundance Film FestivalToronto Int'l Film FestivalAwards CentralFestival CentralAll Events
    Born TodayMost Popular CelebsMost Popular CelebsCelebrity News
    Help CenterContributor ZonePolls
For Industry Professionals
  • All
  • Titles
  • TV Episodes
  • Celebs
  • Companies
  • Keywords
  • Advanced Search
Watchlist
Sign In
  • Fully supported
  • English (United States)
    Partially supported
  • Français (Canada)
  • Français (France)
  • Deutsch (Deutschland)
  • हिंदी (भारत)
  • Italiano (Italia)
  • Português (Brasil)
  • Español (España)
  • Español (México)
  • Cast & crew
  • User reviews
  • Trivia
IMDbPro

The Conversation

  • 19741974
  • PGPG
  • 1h 53m
IMDb RATING
7.8/10
111K
YOUR RATING
POPULARITY
2,698
62
Gene Hackman in The Conversation (1974)
Trailer 1
Play trailer1:56
4 Videos
99+ Photos
DramaMysteryThriller
A paranoid, secretive surveillance expert has a crisis of conscience when he suspects that the couple he is spying on will be murdered.A paranoid, secretive surveillance expert has a crisis of conscience when he suspects that the couple he is spying on will be murdered.A paranoid, secretive surveillance expert has a crisis of conscience when he suspects that the couple he is spying on will be murdered.
IMDb RATING
7.8/10
111K
YOUR RATING
POPULARITY
2,698
62
  • See more at IMDbPro
    • Director
      • Francis Ford Coppola
    • Writer
      • Francis Ford Coppola
    • Stars
      • Gene Hackman
      • John Cazale
      • Allen Garfield
    Top credits
    • Director
      • Francis Ford Coppola
    • Writer
      • Francis Ford Coppola
    • Stars
      • Gene Hackman
      • John Cazale
      • Allen Garfield
  • See production, box office & company info
    • 442User reviews
    • 173Critic reviews
    • 87Metascore
    • Nominated for 3 Oscars
      • 14 wins & 16 nominations total

    Videos4

    The Conversation
    Trailer 1:56
    The Conversation
    The Conversation - Restoration Trailer
    Trailer 1:56
    The Conversation - Restoration Trailer
    'The Conversation' | 45th Anniversary Mashup
    Clip 1:36
    'The Conversation' | 45th Anniversary Mashup
    Sneak Previews Season 3 Episode 10
    Video 28:39
    Sneak Previews Season 3 Episode 10

    Photos155

    Gene Hackman in The Conversation (1974)
    Gene Hackman in The Conversation (1974)
    Gene Hackman in The Conversation (1974)
    Gene Hackman in The Conversation (1974)
    Gene Hackman in The Conversation (1974)
    Robert Duvall in The Conversation (1974)
    Gene Hackman in The Conversation (1974)
    Gene Hackman and Mark Wheeler in The Conversation (1974)
    Gene Hackman in The Conversation (1974)
    Gene Hackman in The Conversation (1974)
    Gene Hackman in The Conversation (1974)
    Gene Hackman in The Conversation (1974)

    Top cast

    Edit
    Gene Hackman
    Gene Hackman
    • Harry Caul
    John Cazale
    John Cazale
    • Stan
    Allen Garfield
    Allen Garfield
    • Bernie Moran
    Frederic Forrest
    Frederic Forrest
    • Mark
    Cindy Williams
    Cindy Williams
    • Ann
    Michael Higgins
    Michael Higgins
    • Paul
    Elizabeth MacRae
    Elizabeth MacRae
    • Meredith
    • (as Elizabeth Mac Rae)
    Teri Garr
    Teri Garr
    • Amy
    Harrison Ford
    Harrison Ford
    • Martin Stett
    Mark Wheeler
    Mark Wheeler
    • Receptionist
    Robert Shields
    Robert Shields
    • The Mime
    Phoebe Alexander
    • Lurleen
    Ramon Bieri
    Ramon Bieri
    • Man at Party
    • (uncredited)
    Gian-Carlo Coppola
    Gian-Carlo Coppola
    • Boy in Church
    • (uncredited)
    George Dusheck
    • TV Anchor
    • (uncredited)
    Robert Duvall
    Robert Duvall
    • The Director
    • (uncredited)
    Richard Hackman
    • Confessional Priest
    • (uncredited)
    • …
    George Meyer
    • Salesman
    • (uncredited)
    • Director
      • Francis Ford Coppola
    • Writer
      • Francis Ford Coppola
    • All cast & crew
    • Production, box office & more at IMDbPro

    More like this

    The French Connection
    7.7
    The French Connection
    Dog Day Afternoon
    8.0
    Dog Day Afternoon
    Marathon Man
    7.4
    Marathon Man
    All the President's Men
    7.9
    All the President's Men
    Blow Out
    7.4
    Blow Out
    Tetro
    6.8
    Tetro
    The Rain People
    6.8
    The Rain People
    Twixt
    4.7
    Twixt
    Midnight Cowboy
    7.8
    Midnight Cowboy
    Distant Vision
    5.8
    Distant Vision
    Badlands
    7.7
    Badlands
    One from the Heart
    6.4
    One from the Heart

    Storyline

    Edit

    Did you know

    Edit
    • Trivia
      Francis Ford Coppola's personal favorite of his movies.
    • Goofs
      When Caul is in Stett's office alone, he walks over to the desk and picks up one of Stett's wife's cookies. He smells it and puts it back in the dish and then looks through the telescope. When Stett returns, he hands Caul the money and takes the tapes. When the film cuts to a shot of Caul thinking about the arrangement, the cookie reappears. Caul puts this cookie back in the dish, too.
    • Quotes

      [repeated line from the recording]

      Mark: He'd kill us if he got the chance.

    • Connections
      Edited into The Green Fog (2017)
    • Soundtracks
      Sophisticated Lady
      (1932)

      Music by Duke Ellington

    User reviews442

    Review
    Top review
    7/10
    You Have To See This More Than Once
    This is one of those films I'm glad I gave a second chance because it got much better, and has continued getting better with each viewing (I've now seen it four times).

    I know a few other people who watch this and ask, "What's the big deal?" Well, do what I did and give it another chance. Here's a tip: put on the English subtitles. It helps understand what is going on, as the taped conversations are often difficult to discern. Then, you might discover what I did: a fascinating character study, one that did not bore me as it had on the first viewing.

    It's the study of a paranoid loner who is suffering a guilty conscience over the work he has done over the years, and what tragic consequences could happen with the latest project he's involved with. Without giving anything away, the loner's fears are realized in a shocking ending, but not in the way he imagined.

    Gene Hackman, as always, does a super job of acting. He dominates the film as the main character, "Harry Caul." The topic matter - high-tech surveillance - was intriguing, too. After watching this film, I wondered what kind of surveillance tools are available now, 30 years after this film was made.
    helpful•147
    35
    • ccthemovieman-1
    • Nov 2, 2005

    FAQ2

    • Is "The Conversation" based on a novel?
    • Is it true that Francis Ford Coppola was a wire-tapper himself?

    Details

    Edit
    • Release date
      • April 12, 1974 (Canada)
    • Country of origin
      • United States
    • Language
      • English
    • Also known as
      • Der Dialog
    • Filming locations
      • American Roofing Co. Building - 297 Kansas Street, Potrero Hill, San Francisco, California, USA
    • Production companies
      • The Directors Company
      • The Coppola Company
      • American Zoetrope
    • See more company credits at IMDbPro

    Box office

    Edit
    • Budget
      • $1,600,000 (estimated)
    • Gross US & Canada
      • $4,651,275
    • Opening weekend US & Canada
      • $5,494
      • Jan 16, 2022
    • Gross worldwide
      • $4,676,199
    See detailed box office info on IMDbPro

    Technical specs

    Edit
    • Runtime
      1 hour 53 minutes
    • Sound mix
      • Mono
    • Aspect ratio
      • 1.85 : 1

    Related news

    Contribute to this page

    Suggest an edit or add missing content
    Gene Hackman in The Conversation (1974)
    Top Gap
    By what name was The Conversation (1974) officially released in India in English?
    Answer
    • See more gaps
    • Learn more about contributing
    Edit page

    More to explore

    View list
    List
    The Best Movies and Shows to Watch in August
    See the full list
    View list
    List
    Fall TV Guide: The Best Shows Coming This Year
    See the full list
    View image
    Photos
    Double Take: Celebrity Twins
    See the full list

    Recently viewed

    Please enable browser cookies to use this feature. Learn more.
    Back to top
    Get the IMDb App
    Sign in for more access
    Sign in for more access
    • Get the IMDb App
    • Help
    • Site Index
    • IMDbPro
    • Box Office Mojo
    • IMDb Developer
    • Press Room
    • Advertising
    • Jobs
    • Conditions of Use
    • Privacy Policy
    • Interest-Based Ads
    IMDb, an Amazon company

    © 1990-2022 by IMDb.com, Inc.