Very well executed

Entertaining from beginning to end, it maintains the spirit of the franchise while establishing it's own seal with a fun cast

Close shines in drama with strong language, adult themes.

Worth seeing just to witness how winsome it is.

Death of a Salesman always had a special place in my heart. It was the first play that I ever read, and as a travelling salesman, I know what it's like to live on a shoeshine and a smile. During my years in this business I've seen many Willie Lowman types. Salespeople that were super effective in the old days but got left behind, because they refused to change with the times. Although I'm not an actor, I feel that I could portray this role better than any before.This being said, the 1985 movie of Death of a Salesman was brilliantly acted by Hoffman; and I have a new respect for John Malkovich. My only problem was the emotions didn't seem to hit the mark at the two most emotional points of the play. The first being when Biff finds Willie with the woman. Here Willie just wasn't devastated enough - the emotional spirit just wasn't there. I found the same disappointment in the final scene. The sense of panic and impending doom just wasn't there. If these two scenes were directed differently (I can't blame the actors, because they were so good), then I would have rated this 10 stars.

Because of its complex nature, its many morals, its non-linear flashbacks, and its over-the-top characters, I express extreme doubts when believing that Arthur Miller's renowned Death of a Salesman was meant to be read. The iconic play has won several awards, was performed in the 1940's over seven-hundred times resulting in four revivals on Broadway, and has continued to be translated and performed in countries other than the United States, where it originated. For a play, the story of Willy Loman's dysfunctional family has had unprecedented success. As a film, it has had its share of setbacks.To my knowledge, never has a theatrical production of the film been made, which is depressing to note, seeing as directors like Roman Polanski have proved that they can transition a play to a screen-production with little to no constraints. What we were fortunate to get were not only several low-budget, TV renditions of the story Death of a Salesman, but we are grateful to get a telling of the story on film, written by the original author, Arthur Miller, made for the CBS network in September 1985. The story is kept the same, albeit some metaphorical and symbolical changes, as it revolves around Willy Loman, a naive, broken man who has failed at the game of life and business and has halted his family's growth because they are so committed to either boosting their leader's confidence or keeping him from sinking.Willy's long suffering wife is Linda, played by Kate Reid, a miserable, shell of a woman so determined to help her husband through uncertain times she's forgotten how to help and better herself. Their two sons are two equally broken men living at home well into their thirties. They are Biff (John Malkovich, a gifted actor, who gave a terrific performance as Lenny in another acclaimed novel, Of Mice in Men in 1992), a football star brought down by the weight of his failure of a father, and Happy (Stephen Lang), a cocky ladies man replicating who Willy the characteristics Willy once gleefully held; brashness, confidence, and the ability to strike a deal.The main problem with Willy is his naivety towards the business world and to himself; he continues to convince himself that the only thing necessary to succeed in business is a firm handshake and a high likability factor. By doing this, he convinces himself that by possessing those very important traits he can do anything, and yet he hasn't. He is roadblocked by not only that, but by his falsifying sense of optimism, telling himself and everyone around him that he is "not a dime a dozen" but Willy Loman, a unique individual. He is only more upset when he sees how his best friend Charley (Charles Durning) and brother Ben (Louis Zorich) have gone on to lead happy, successful lives with limitless wealth and opportunities, and he is confined to his cramped apartment, told to be himself which does nothing but let everyone down.Willy is portrayed by Dustin Hoffman, a character actor with a barrage of films under his belt. Hoffman's performance of Willy is definitely admirable, but it isn't as layered as one would hope. He is written efficiently as a character victim by his own delusions, but several times does Hoffman seem like he is teetering on the lines of self-parody rather than seriousness, almost the equivalent to a Woody Allen archetype. Nonetheless, he is completely capable in this role, and when he hits the right notes, specifically in Charlie's office and during Willy's final monologue with the family (more commonly known as his "dime a dozen" speech), he truly shows what power and strength he brings to the table.But perhaps the film can be known for not just taking a complex, theme-driven play and creating it into a very, very intriguing film, but also for bringing more style to a made-for-TV movie than anyone ever expected. The replication of the inherent seamy, humidity-soaked New York atmosphere is stunningly portrayed, with Willy Loman's listless agenda to only heighten the gloomy setting. The other aspect is the way the filmmakers constructed the environment. I've read that the set of Death of a Salesman is mainly composed of an old play setting, most likely from a version of the play, meaning several buildings don't have roofs, several backdrops are artificial, and several background buildings are one-dimensional cutouts designed to only give the look of the environment. This isn't as disconcerting as it sounds, but it livens the film to a new height, making it closer to the feeling of an actual play rather than abandoning the stage-feel to favor a more polished cinematic feel.Schlöndorff's directorial efforts to make Death of a Salesman a functioning film and playwright Arthur Miller taking his personal material into his own hands to give fans and newcomers the version he wants on screen have both worked wonderfully. This is a complex picture, doing different things for different people and showing each person a different theme or meaning. Whether it be a commentary on the business world, a tragic story of a once-successful businessman who was never "once-successful," a picture showing an American's tragic existence, a failed American Dream, an insight into the tragic hero, or how one man can collectively bring down his entire family by his own delusional self, this is a gripping story made into a surprisingly efficient film with performances of impact and style to laud.Starring: Dustin Hoffman, Kate Reid, John Malkovich, Stephen Lang, Charles Durning, and Louis Zorich. Directed by: Volker Schlöndorff.

Hoffman is an okay actor but he was not up to this role. He comes across simply as a nerdish failure of man and the film misses Miller's point entirely. Possibly the director deserves the blame but the film is a great disappointment. It's not worth seeing.Compare his performance to Lee J. Cobb's tour de force in '66. Cobb breathes life and spirit into this tragic man. And the supporting cast is flawless. Frederick March did a good job back in the '51 film but Cobb IS Willie Loman. He owns the role and trying to replace him is like Steve Martin trying to be Peter Sellars. Some actors just own certain roles and Cobb owns SALESMAN.If you're interesting in seeing this film, get the Lee J. Cobb version. It's the real thing!

Whether Lee J Cobb & Dunnock , or George C Scott, or in this case Hoffman , Reid, & Co., Arthur Miller's timeless classic, DEATH OF A SALESMAN, is the greatest literary work in American History...with Fitzgerald's Gatsby a close second despite similar themes. Miller's classics: All My Sons, The Price, Ride down Mt. Morgan, Incident at Vichy, After the Fall and the Crucible remain universal classics. Only Shakespeare was greater. In this production of Death of a Salesman, the cast shines including Malkovich & Reid - in a sad but powerful and poignant tale of broken hopes and dreams, values, priorities, and yes, even the illusion of the so-called "American Dream". Hoffman as Willy Loman is electrifying , passionate and right on! "Attention must be paid" to this production of Miller's classic.