Harry Caul's Guilt In The Conversation

While Marcello’s work in the secret police will brings him guilt at the films conclusion, Harry Caul’s work as a surveillance expert brings him guilt from, the very outset of The Conversation. Harry expresses a pointed apathy towards the lives of others, especially those of his surveillance targets. The reason for this pointed disinterest becomes clear during Harry’s own confession. Harry like Marcello is shown making his confession in a close-up profile shot. However Harry trembles as he confesses his sins, and his fear that his tapes will be used to hurt someone (as they have in the past). As the camera pulls in he is slowly consumed almost entirely by darkness. His overwhelming guilt over the devastating impact of his work on the lives of other is evident— his disinterest in the matters of his subjects, and related withdrawal from the matters of others is clearly an affectation to help cope with these feelings. However the prospect of the past repeating is so troubling it causes this mechanism to fail.
Later Bernie Moran exposes, before a party of several people, that the tape to which Harry referred in confession led to the subsequent murder of an entire family. Moran, dying to know how Harry managed to get the recording, brings up the fateful job. Harry tries to …show more content…
However, after Harry rejects Moran’s offer for partnership, Moran shows the whole party that he has bugged Harry and recorded his conversations. Harry blows up and kicks Moran out, breaking up the party in his rage. Harry’s fury at being recorded, even in jest, shows how obsessive he has become over his privacy. In Harry’s case, guilt has motivated an irrational fear—one that matched with the disinterest he affects to avoid guilt, has rendered him unable to connect meaningfully with