Paranoia Recorded - The Conversation

Definitely one of my favorite films by far, I couldn’t control myself from geeking out to the line of getting a “fat recording” as well as seeing numerous reel-to-reel tape machines, and mics that were recording perfect sound targeted from over 200 yards! The movie The Conversation was written and directed by Francis Ford Coppola (who also has a great series of wine) and is stated to be his favorite movie of all time that he has directed and written. Within this conspiracy flick we’re introduced to a bitter and hidden Harry Caul played by Gene Hackman.
We’re introduced to him before even knowing his name, which is an interesting correlation in its own. Before we know who he is we are already able to see his character, a very reserved lone man, seemingly minding his own business, and trying to walk away from that damn mime. He picks up his pace to leave the mime behind and continuously looking behind him to see if he is out-gaining him as if this guy were to be trying to kill him.
Now this paranoia of Harry’s has been something in the making since he started the business of being a wire tapper. His name is infamous within the wiretapping community, no one but fellow colleagues really know who he is upon first meeting him, but his name is goes beyond his conservative manor. A man who has recorded people without their consent or even them knowing, to get their secrets, has no secrets of his own, at least to share. The moment he opens up to someone, who seems to be a stranger, Bernie; played by Allen Garfield, as a prank (and slight sales pitch) records this conversation and invades Harry’s comfort zone, and he lets him know that. Which is weird his disillusionment that talking to a stranger that probably he figures wont see him again or really care about him, is safer than someone who he possibly loves.
The spoken and recorded word is so powerful, especially with the way something is presented or perceived. Your words can be twisted and turned, but when you put emphasis on one tiny word can change the whole meaning of a statement. We see this with the word “us”, as the movie continued you realized on how a man says this word changes the context of what he is saying from these two people are going to be killed, to they need to kill this man before he kills them. All without saying they’re going to kill, a small two-letter word changed whose life was truly in danger.