a THE SALESMAN musing
I had known nothing of this Iranian film, other than it was nominated for the Foreign Language Oscar this year, so I sought it out after hearing great things about it. THE SALESMAN follows a couple who are involved in a production of Arthur Miller’s “Death of a Salesman”, and also must find a new place to live after they are forced to evacuate their home in the beginning of the film. Their new home was previously inhabited by a prostitute, and a break-in by one of her old “customers” leads to a whodunnit situation and an exploration of post-traumatic stress for the couple. The mystery of the perpetrator is so engaging, and the wife, Rana, doesn’t disclose what exactly happened to her, which is a small detail that kept the suspense and curiosity in her dilemma so strong. Her husband, Emad, goes on a quest to find the criminal in secret, meanwhile both struggle to hold down their lead roles in the stage production. This all leads to a climax that is a tad too long for me, with a hackneyed result and a masculine “I just couldn’t help myself” message, which let me down with the mystery and relationship being built up so well. The consequences and subsequent actions of the climax hit extremely hard, though, so I can forgive the happenings. Otherwise, this was an immensely well directed and acted film and had me on the edge of my seat at times, and am glad I caught this movie in theaters.
