I finally got around to watching it the other day, prompted by Tony Scott's death and the connection between this movie and his Enemy of the State.
The connection between the two is Gene Hackman's character. But apart from that they couldn't be much more different!
Coppola made The Conversation between The Godfather parts 1 and 2.
In the commentary, he says that he wanted to explore the use of repetition in movies. And it is certainly used to good effect (although Groundhog Day, Memento, and Source Code subsequently took that to new levels!)
IMDB indicates that both Coppola and Hackman regard the movie as their personal favourite.
Now while I can admire the movie, I have to admit that I don't really like it. It's too dark for my liking. It basically seems to be a study in how secrecy can ruin a life (and perhaps a person's mental health too).
Rating: 7.5/10
Question/Spoiler (please select the text below to make it visible):
One thing I can't understand about the story is why "The Director" went to the hotel even though he had heard the recording of the conversation?! Perhaps if I listen to the commentary right the way though, Coppola will answer this question.