Death of a Salesman
Salesman Willy Loman is in a crisis. He's about to lose his job, he can't pay his bills, and his sons Biff and Happy don't respect him and can't seem to live up to their potential. He wonders what went wrong and how he can make things up to his family.
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- Cast:
- Dustin Hoffman , Kate Reid , John Malkovich , Stephen Lang , Charles Durning , Louis Zorich , Jon Polito
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Reviews
Very very predictable, including the post credit scene !!!
There is, somehow, an interesting story here, as well as some good acting. There are also some good scenes
There's no way I can possibly love it entirely but I just think its ridiculously bad, but enjoyable at the same time.
A terrific literary drama and character piece that shows how the process of creating art can be seen differently by those doing it and those looking at it from the outside.
A thought-provoking, heartfelt and tragic story that is based on a Pulitzer Prize winning play, Death of a Salesman is a very compelling character study of an aging man who is blinded by his pride, integrity and overly-ambitious goals he carries for his eldest son. The film expertly evokes themes of work, love, family and fatherhood, as an old salesman struggles to cope with the emptiness of his life, while also constantly being tormented by his own personal frustration and disappointment. Dustin Hoffman gives an outstanding performance in the leading role and is accompanied by a strong supporting cast, with John Malkovich and Kate Reid being particularly noteworthy, as all the characters are key in contributing to the overall moral of the story. However, perhaps the most interesting aspect presented in Death of a Salesman is that it does not seem to invite one to sympathize with the characters and their fate, but rather hopes for the audience to observe the struggles of life and use the film's profoundly touching story as a tool for learning and reflection.
Famous play which has had several film depictions. I understand this movie was filmed in a theater.Aging salesman who is delusional and suicidal cannot cope with his failed life.The main character Willy Loman is played by Dustin Hoffman. I did not see Willy Loman;I only saw Dustin Hoffman playing that part. I understand there are far better portrayals of Loman elsewhere. In this movie I thought Kate Reid stole the show closely followed by John Malkovitch.This film succeeds as an intense and compelling drama not because of Hoffman but despite him.7/10
Death of a Salesman is one of those plays that some people love and consider it a classic and others hate because it isn't entirely accurate with history and doesn't seem to quite work. I honestly don't mind the play BUT the movie... that's a different story.The movie decides to be a little too accurate to the play... and by a little too accurate I mean it is almost word for word exactly the same as the play and virtually scene for scene the same. I actually watched it with the script of the play in front of me and found only a few minor things altered. Now Romeo+Juliet did it and that movie didn't turn out half bad, but what do I find so annoying about the way this movie does it? Maybe it is because the movie is literally on stage-set...I'm not even joking, when the characters look at the ceiling there is NO CEILING! Just an opening of the set! There aren't even walls to the house, they are just movable pieces so there are huge gaps in them. While some people might find this "unique" that a movie decided to make a stage adaptation and make into a film, I can only say this: Why in the world would you make it into a movie with this format? I mean seriously, I watch a movie to watch a movie and to break the realm of a play. A movie is simply a play with more freedom and more opportunity to tell a story. But this movie restricts the freedom that is given to a movie and tries to limit the power of the story and make it just a play. I still have no idea why someone thought that was a good idea! Plays are plays and movies are movies. You might as well go on youtube and just watch a video of someone recording the actual play. There is no reason for this movie to pretend that it is a play.Now how is the acting? Well... pretty darn good. Dustin Hoffman gives a solid performance and all of the actors do pretty well. All of the acting is done well and I think everything the play was trying to portray was portrayed in the "movie". If there was one problem I had with the play and with this film is that the son is too much of a coward to tell his mom why his father and him are arguing. Pretty much every problem that occurs in this movie could be easily resolved if everyone was just a tad bit smarter. It makes me mad when there is a conflict only for the sake of conflict. I find it a bit unrealistic that the conflict didn't get resolved, because it is evident that if everyone knew the truth then everyone would be at equal grounds and a resolution would take place. But alas, that is not how the story goes.Overall, the Death of a Salesman isn't a terrible movie, but it isn't really a movie. It is a play. That is why I don't really consider this a good movie because it isn't a movie. In all honesty, if someone were to film the play A Death of A Salesman and release it in theaters I bet it would get extremely low reviews because it isn't a movie. I feel like if this "movie" would've attempted to transfer the play into a movie format I would've been able to enjoy it a bit more, but all of the glaring mistakes of a play are still obvious in this movie. I'm sure it was a cute "joke" when this movie was made, and at first it was kind of funny that there was no ceiling, or no walls, but it quickly wears away at the movie once you realize the movie is just being cheap.
'Death of a Salesman' is a well-made, well-told story, but above it's merits as a story, it's the performances by it's actors, Dustin Hoffman & John Malkovich, that stand out & shine the brightest. 'Death of a Salesman' Synopsis: An aging traveling salesman recognizes the emptiness of his life and tries to fix it.Based on the 1949 play of the same name by Arthur Miller, 'Death of a Salesman' succeeds by becoming an absorbing cinematic tale as well. It efficiently structures the story of an aged man, who is on the verge of killing himself. The Writing Material is engaging & very human, if I may say so. Volker Schlöndorff Directs this story, with maturity. Hoffman & Malkovich, as mentioned before, stand out with their performances & shine the brightest, they overshadow the narrative, to a large extend. Hoffman is astonishing as an aging traveling salesman, while Malkovich is magnificent as his troubled son. They both deliver legendary, unforgettable performances, that deserve immense praise. Among other performers, Kate Reid does exceedingly well as the wife of the salesman. On the whole, A story worth watching, with 2 impeccable performances coming in-tact with it.