The Conversation
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A hovering perspective, hypnotic in its descent. Union Square bustles. Through the first transition programmable servo lens, engineered for this very shot, we hone in on a thousand little theaters settling on a disquieting mime. Long reaching shadows breed paranoia as the wondrous sound design is at once jazzy and dissonant, much like Harry Caul himself.
Direct Link | Format: QuickTime H.264, 720×400 | Size: 37 MB | Running Time: 3:21 | Year: 1974
Audio Extra: Editor and Sound Mixer Walter Murch’s comments about this opening sequence.
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Created by: Francis Ford Coppola and Walter Murch
My favorite Coppola film. And thank the Lord for Walter Murch! Even though we are instantly (from frame one!) complicit in the world of surveillance, the length of the shot also acts as a nice slope of experience taking us into Caul’s world. And, beautifully, we are observing HIM, not one of his jobs, thus drawing attention to our own act of watching. Considering the film’s themes, how could you do any better than that? Brilliant!
So true. One of best films made. It’s a great opening.
The idea as described by Murch — If I recall — was to make use of the ultra-long lens that would be the sort of visual equivalent of the long-range microphone; also, it is made possible by the use of a motorized zoom control, something relatively new at the time of the film I believe. Nice use of new technology