Death of a Salesman

This TV adaptation of Arthur Miller's most successful play benefits from the serious playing of Dustin Hoffman in the lead as failing salesman Willy Loman. Miller's play takes the plight of the common man within the confines of the 'American dream' and then kicks him down.

Loman's sons are played by John Malkovich (Biff, memorable) and Stephen Lang (Happy, irritating); while his wife is played with tact and resignation by Kate Reid.

The stagey feel of this production comes across in every scene (the famous ones especially with Howard, Loman's boss; and Bernard, the successful son of Loman's colleague; and the final scenes with Linda) although they are handled very well. It would be a temptation to dismiss Willy Loman as loopy and in the throes of a breakdown and to ignore everything he says, but his words strike a chord and stay with you. 'Death of a Salesman' still has something to say to us, and a warning to give, even six decades after it was written.

Superb portrayal of tragic characters. One can sense the futility, frustration, and disappointment of Loman. As we age and our faculties deteriorate along with unrealized dreams, it is easy to grasp for hope even where none exists and transfer our aspirations to the next generation only to have them carry your faults and failings in addition to their own. Profoundly sad but unfortunately that is the reality for countless billions of the human race. 8/10.

On the age of sixty and something years, the salesman Willy Loman (Dustin Hoffman) realizes that he is a loser and his empty life was a worthless fraud. The disturbed and deranged Willy becomes delusional, mixing fantasy and reality, and disclosing secrets of his family.

"Death of the Salesman" is a very depressive and tragic theatrical movie with awesome performances, mainly of Dustin Hoffman, Kate Reid and John Malkovitch. I have never read Arthur Miller's novel or seen the movie or the play; therefore I did not expect such a sad story with so complex characters. The story, in the 40's, shows the evil face of the capitalism (and the American Dream), and the character of Dustin Hoffman becomes insane when he sees that he is a loser and his life a complete failure: he is paying the last installment of his old house after thirty years of sacrifice; his sons have not been successful in life; his old car is broken; his old refrigerator needs repair; he does not have any money after more than thirty years working for the same company and in the end he is treated like a street dog and fired. For a viewer that does not know this drama (like me), I recommend to see this movie in a happy day, otherwise he or she may become too much depressed with such heart-breaking story. My vote is eight.

Title (Brazil): "Morte do Caixeiro-Viajante" ("Death of the Salesman")

'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.

Arthur Miller's compelling work is deftly translated to the small screen here, with riveting performances by Dustin Hoffman as Willy Loman, Kate Reid as Willy's wife Linda, and John Malkovich as the prodigal son Biff. This work touches my soul on several levels: sympathy for the fallen man Willy, understanding of the difficulty of both hating your father and wanting him to be proud of you as Biff shows, and the ever-protective enabler Linda, who defends Willy even as she sees him failing before her eyes. Miller took a simple American family struggling to make life work, and made each character in their own way extraordinary.