The Salesman (2016)

While both participating in a production of "Death of a Salesman," a teacher's wife is assaulted in her new home, which leaves him determined to find the perpetrator over his wife's traumatized objections.

Director:

Asghar Farhadi

Writer:

Asghar Farhadi

Stars:

Shahab Hosseini, Taraneh Alidoosti, Mina Sadati

Won 1 Oscar. Another 12 wins & 26 nominations.

Cast

Credited cast:
Shahab Hosseini	...	Emad Etesami
Taraneh Alidoosti	...	Rana Etesami
Mina Sadati	...	Sanam
Babak Karimi	...	Babak
Maral Bani Adam	...	Kati
Mehdi Koushki	...	Siavash
Farid Sajjadi Hosseini	...	The man
Emad Emami	...	Ali
Sam Valipour	...	Sadra
Mojtaba Pirzadeh	...	Majid
Sahra Asadollahe	...	Mojgan
Shirin Aghakashi	...	Esmat
Ehteram Boroumand	...	Mrs. Shahnazari

Storyline

Forced to leave their collapsing house, Ranaa and Emad, an Iranian couple who happen to be performers rehearsing for Arthur Miller's "Death of a Salesman" rent a new apartment from one of their fellow performers. Unaware of the fact that the previous tenant had been a woman of ill repute having many clients, they settle down. By a nasty turn of events one of the clients pays a visit to the apartment one night while Ranaa is alone at home taking a bath and the aftermath turns the peaceful life of the couple upside down.

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Plot Keywords:

revenge | teacher | rape | apartment | new apartment | 

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Genres:

Drama | Thriller

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Motion Picture Rating (MPAA)

Rated PG-13 for mature thematic elements and a brief bloody image

Did You Know?

Trivia

Asghar Farhadi's 7th feature film.

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Goofs

At the beginning of the movie, people are leaving the apartment building because it is dangerous and there is a risk of collapsing. But the following days they can easily enter the building and there is no police/municipality line tape in front of the building to prevent people from entering the dangerous area.

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Quotes

Sadra: If my dad came ,say sadra isn't here.
Rana Etesami: Why?
Sadra: Because I like my mom.

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Connections

References Shame (1968)

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Soundtracks

End Credits Theme
(uncredited)
Written by Sattar Oraki
Performed by Ali Baghfar and Payam Eghdami

User Reviews

Hitchcock + Ibsen= realism at its low-key best.

Mixing Hitchcock for suspense and Ibsen for realism, writer/director Asghar Farhadi takes his own spin on those masters to create a psychological thriller that is as much about domestic unrest as it is about who broke into the home and brutalized Emad's ( Shahab Hosseini) wife, Rana (Taraneh Aldoosti).

Although Emad is obsessed with finding the intruder, Rana seems to be ambivalent and uncertain how to proceed given the many subtle ramifications around truth. The story, mesmerizing in its little twists and turns, eventually turns on discovery and the tyranny of revenge (ask Othello about that one).Yet the pace is deadly slow:

Student: "How do people turn to cows?" Emad: "Gradually!"

Unobtrusive direction is the key to this Foreign Language Oscar winner, whose slow distribution and character revelation could go on without those reveals. But not Emad, who pursues truth like a Greek tragedian, slowly realizing his steps are jeopardizing everyone involved, even the perp. The infamous Iranian spirit of honor is present in a barely hidden form.

Even Farhadi's sets are as tight as his frames, suggesting imprisonment when liberation would seem to be the goal. Farhadi has also framed the story with the husband and wife performing in Death of a Salesman with why Willy is Emad becoming clear at the end.

The Salesman is rich in simple but powerful story, first-rate directing, and allegory waiting to be found. Although it seems Iran's social unrest could be the subject, the broader humanity of going where one should not go and forgiving when it is not obvious why are also prominent. Add to those the figurative trope of leaving well enough alone when exploring someone close, like a wife, rings true for those who have discovered, truth may not set them free.

"Haste me to know't, that I, with wings as swift / As meditation or the thoughts of love, / May sweep to my revenge" (Hamlet,1.5.29-31).

Details

Official Sites:

Official Site Official site [Germany]

Country:

Iran France

Language:

Persian English

Release Date:

31 August 2016 (Iran)

Also Known As:

The Salesman

Filming Locations:

Tehran, Iran

Box Office

Opening Weekend USA:

$71,078, 29 January 2017

Gross USA:

$2,402,067

Cumulative Worldwide Gross:

$6,953,604

Company Credits

Production Co:

ARTE, Arte France Cinéma, Doha Film Institute

Technical Specs

Runtime:

124 min

Sound Mix:

D-Cinema 48kHz 5.1 Dolby Digital

Color:

Color

Aspect Ratio:

1.85 : 1