Of surveillance and saxophones: ’The Conversation’ turns 50

A half-century ago, between Godfathers, Francis Ford Coppola made the ultimate ‘70s conspiracy thriller.

Everyone knows that Francis Ford Coppola directed The Conversation between his making of The Godfather and The Godfather Part II, a practically unparalleled run in the history of movies and one that sticks out even in the heyday of the New Hollywood era. 

But there’s something else significant about the film’s production between 1972 and 1974: The Conversation was filmed during the interregnum between the Watergate break-in and Nixon’s resignation. It was a time in history when clandestine surveillance was particularly salient, especially in the service of dark political conspiracies.