Death of a Salesman Movie Review

Death of a Salesman (1985)

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Written by: Arthur Miller (teleplay, play)
Directed by: Volker Schlöndorff
Starring: Dustin Hoffman, Kate Reid, John Malkovich, Stephen Lang
Rated: PG
Watch the trailer

Plot
An aging traveling salesman recognizes the emptiness of his life and tries to fix it.

Verdict
Disappointment pervades the story. Willy is upset with his life and he takes that out on everyone in his wake. It's contagious as his mood affects his family. I get the sentiment of not having the life one dreamed, but it doesn't make for an engaging movie. He's not a likable character, and the problems he faces are of his own creation. The larger themes is Willy's generation becoming obsolete. It's a battle every aging generation faces. It's also clear this is based on a play with the long monologues and production design.
Skip it.

Review
Based on Miller's 1949 stage play, this made for television movie largely follows the play's script with only a few differences.

Traveling salesman Willy Loman (Dustin Hoffman) is tired of traveling, his job, getting older, and really the world. His boss doesn't appreciate him, and he's getting pushed out of a job. Willy is worn down, complaining about it to his wife. Willy's kids have visited, and he's frustrated with one of his sons who hasn't found a career. This feels like a play with the dialog and interactions, and it looks like a play that was recorded with the kitchen being the main set.

Dustin Hoffman plays Willy Loman

Willy romanticizes the past while being disappointed with his present. He became a salesman to travel and be somebody, but that feeling has long since dissipated. In turn he hopes to live vicariously through his children, but they're very different. Nearing retirement, Willy considers his life and the choices he's made. He's faced with the result of his hopes and dreams, wondering if he's lived well and done it right. This is a story that every generation wants to explore, an aging generation having to stare down their demise. They reach that age where there is more time behind them than in front of them and that's difficult to reconcile. That's what makes this story popular.

Stephen Lang, Dustin Hoffman, John Malkovich play Happy, Willy, Biff Loman

Willy's sons are disappointed with him. Their mom pleads with them to respect Willy, telling them he's trouble and just got demoted. It seems like Willy is trying to exert control over his family because he feels powerless in life. He's bossed around at work, told he's redundant. He tries to regain control at home.

Willy complains a lot and his behavior is grating but I get it. He has a lifetime of disappointments, and he lets his pride get in the way. This story is the measure of a man. We see Willy and his faults. Through his complaints we see that he's at the root of a lot of the discord in his family. He has to reconcile the life he lived with the life he pretended to live.