Kauppamatkustaja

"Salesman" documents the activities of Bible salesmen as they go on the road to sell their wares to "leads" garnered from Catholic churches. It's a tough life, especially when many prospects cannot afford the cost of these illustrated Bibles.

It is difficult not to compare this film to Mamet's "Glengarry Glen Ross". It details the hardships and humiliations of men who earn their egos through sales. Anyone who has ever sold a product door to door can relate to this film.

The transparent sales techniques. The smug sales aphorisms. The roller-coaster ride from day to day. It is all there.

It is easy to draw conclusions or morals from this documentary. The most obvious refers to the soul-sucking depression that comes from spending your life doing something you do not enjoy or believe in.

As a time capsule of life in the late 60s, the film is enjoyable. Seeing everyone smoking cigarettes nonstop, for example, is a reminder of how things have changed.