Death of a Salesman 1985
This multiple award winning film was actually a play written in 1949 by Arthur Miller. The film was also made like in a setting of a play. It is a highly emotional tragic drama of a travelling salesman who worked his whole life trying to make things good for his two sons and wife. This low earning man is low on the strata of society who helps to stimulate business but on his part has to work his whole life to be able to own his own house.
Willy Loman (Dustin Hoffman) is an elderly salesman who had seen great times and was a fantastic salesman in his younger days is now a burden for his firm. His bosses are trying to retire him much to his resistance. Willy feels that he has much to contribute but his biggest worry is that his two 30 something sons have not been able to stand on their own two feet yet. The sons, especially the elder one, Biff (John Malkovich), had such a promising start in college but never went to university because of something that happened in his life. His second son, Happy, who lived in the shadow of Biff, also turned out doing nothing!
The film tells of a time when both sons came to visit their parents.
Willy has been involved in a series of accidents of late and people had reason to suspect that he may have been intentionally trying to crash in a suicide attempt. Other tell-tale signs in the house around the house were there to this effect. The sons feel that he had become emotionally labile with his frequent burst of emotions. The mother, Linda, tries to be the pacifier, sometimes being the aim of abuses being hurled from both sides.
Willy, in this story, reminisce the old days when the kids were obedient and worshipped him. He would also sometime communicate with his dead elder brother, Ben, whom he admired for striking rich with diamond exploration at a young age. He would also communicate with his neighbour Charlie whose son used to be Biff's friend has now turned out to be a high flying lawyer whilst Biff still drags along with his life.
In the story, the three guys try to re-live the old times, persuade Biff to get a job and try to resolve their differences. They fail on all account.
The viewers also discover that the event that changed Biff's life was when he caught his father in a hotel room with another woman during one of his travelling salesman job. After that incident, Biff's zest for life had fizzled.
In the last scene, we discover that Willy had indeed committed suicide in car crash hoping that his insurance money would be used by the sons to start a business. Biff with anger still buried himself towards his father, decides that he wants to explore other things in life while Happy starts in his father's line of work.
An entertaining flick for those looking for depth of character in its stars and the varied emotions involved in the plot. A good discussion point for students of drama and psychology. After watching this drama, one realises that life is not so white or black. The shades of grey that accompany each individual differentiates us from animals and plants. For a plant, give ample sunshine, air, water and nutrients, they would bear fruit. For humans, however, you think you have provided the best that money can buy, the product, however, may not be as desired. There is this other factor that lurks in the deep crevices of the deep part of the higher centres of the brain!
Willy Loman (Dustin Hoffman) is an elderly salesman who had seen great times and was a fantastic salesman in his younger days is now a burden for his firm. His bosses are trying to retire him much to his resistance. Willy feels that he has much to contribute but his biggest worry is that his two 30 something sons have not been able to stand on their own two feet yet. The sons, especially the elder one, Biff (John Malkovich), had such a promising start in college but never went to university because of something that happened in his life. His second son, Happy, who lived in the shadow of Biff, also turned out doing nothing!
The film tells of a time when both sons came to visit their parents.
Willy has been involved in a series of accidents of late and people had reason to suspect that he may have been intentionally trying to crash in a suicide attempt. Other tell-tale signs in the house around the house were there to this effect. The sons feel that he had become emotionally labile with his frequent burst of emotions. The mother, Linda, tries to be the pacifier, sometimes being the aim of abuses being hurled from both sides.
Willy, in this story, reminisce the old days when the kids were obedient and worshipped him. He would also sometime communicate with his dead elder brother, Ben, whom he admired for striking rich with diamond exploration at a young age. He would also communicate with his neighbour Charlie whose son used to be Biff's friend has now turned out to be a high flying lawyer whilst Biff still drags along with his life.
Cannot make well of their life but one thing they are
full of - pride, anger and hot air!
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The viewers also discover that the event that changed Biff's life was when he caught his father in a hotel room with another woman during one of his travelling salesman job. After that incident, Biff's zest for life had fizzled.
In the last scene, we discover that Willy had indeed committed suicide in car crash hoping that his insurance money would be used by the sons to start a business. Biff with anger still buried himself towards his father, decides that he wants to explore other things in life while Happy starts in his father's line of work.
An entertaining flick for those looking for depth of character in its stars and the varied emotions involved in the plot. A good discussion point for students of drama and psychology. After watching this drama, one realises that life is not so white or black. The shades of grey that accompany each individual differentiates us from animals and plants. For a plant, give ample sunshine, air, water and nutrients, they would bear fruit. For humans, however, you think you have provided the best that money can buy, the product, however, may not be as desired. There is this other factor that lurks in the deep crevices of the deep part of the higher centres of the brain!
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