The Salesman

I have not watched any good Persian movie since my last movie( it was 1988) in Iran and that was "Hamoon" by Darius Mehrjoee. I watched Hamoon more than 17 times! And I still like to watch that! However, this movie, The Salesman, took me back all the way to the Hamoon. And I like to express and perhaps give my observations on this movie:I am a Persian and personally been witnessed to the 1979 uprising and as a soldier to the national guard almost 26 months been in Iran-Iraq war(1980-1988). when I was in Iran right after 1979, because what happened under Islamic regime and Sharia's laws, immediately many freedom been taken from the people across the board. If you were not one of them, you were no one, in a sense of the right to speak, to write in art or any areas of the entertainments. Even you were just an artist and you try to create a movie, write a book, say a few line of the poem, play a traditional music, if it wasn't suited for the Islamic teaching, immediately would have been blocked and perhaps many sufferings and persecution you would endure. For example, Mr. Bahram Beyzaiee made a movie called, " Bashu a little stranger." This movie came out right in the middle of the war, a bloody and brutal war. In his movie, he with some beautiful story voiced in a strong way against the war. His movie, However, came on to show, but it wasn't more than one week, they stopped the movie in the entire country. Moreover, many of these artists who did not agree with the system and try to say something in their works, eighter they left Iran or those who stayed in Iran, they took the figurative languages to express their resistance and their frustrations with war, system, oppressions, and injustice under the Islamic regime. works from Beyzaiee in particular and also, Kia-Rostami, Mehrjoee, Makhmalbaf and more. And I said all these to say a few lines about this movie, "The Salesman" I do not know If you observed some, perhaps no, If you never been or lived in such a hustle and dark ages in Iran, but I want you to go back and notice the messages in this movie which speak about the depth of the corruptions and sins and immorality and unstable lifes under Islamic government since 1979. Of course, I am not saying these points only apply to Iran, for today, you can see almost in every society. However, we are speaking about Iran, when the regime claiming a safe heaven and great model of an Islamic system( worst than this right now happening in Saudi Arabia!)About The Salesman1- Movie begins and ends in the apartment building which about to come down on its residents, which appearntly caused by the machine( what is this machine? why no body could not or did not say anything about that machine which building comes down?) The machine is the regime and the apareatment building is the country of Iran with her people.2-the number of 35 years living in this place is the number of years since 1979 under the Islamic regime.3-" Ahoo" the prostitute women, is the depht of the immorality in the system which destroyed the families!4- The movie " the cow" that teacher let students watch it ( when Ayatollah Khomeini leader of the 1979 uprising sat on his throne he claimed perhaps this movie, "the Cow" is the best and the masterpiece of the cinema!) and the questions of the student: "sir, how a human can turn into a cow?" Emad, the teacher answer was " gradually!" it is a direct statement to the Iranian people and the way they are silent to many of the immoralities and oppressions of the regime.5- Two people, one a teacher and artist and wife also an artist, are married and not have any children, it is a direct insult and resistance against the Islamic idea of the spreading ISLAM through the childbirth. and perhaps the sign of the art and the education are Sterile in Iran.6- As Raana begging Emad to not say anything to the old man and let him go, yet he forcefully and with revenge in his heart slap the old man( by the way in the middle-east this is the Mother of the all abominations to hit an older man!). It is a direct and loud voice of the heart of the unforgiven and forgivable people.7- and last but not least: both of them, came back on their chairs, they cover themselves with the cosmetic face of the artist and they are ready to play their role!

This won the Oscar for Best Foreign Film in 2017. Its director and script writer Asghar Farhadi is celebrated throughout the world as a great talent. I can see why. He’s original and he gets great performances from his actors. Nonetheless I had to force myself to stay with this. It was so depressing in a most annoying way. The fear and the nearly all-consuming self-loathing that Rana (Taraneh Alidoosti) experiences after being assaulted in her own bathroom is in part culturally based, as is the plot of her husband Emad (Shahab Hosseini) for a secretive revenge.BEWARE SPOILERSRana’s fear is real because she doesn’t know who assaulted her, and part of her shame is understandable since she carelessly opened her door of their apartment without knowing for sure who was coming up. But a significant part of her shame is because the more conservative interpretations of Islam (and other tribal religions as well, by the way) blame the woman if she is raped. This complexity of emotions is part of what no doubt fascinated many viewers.But I stayed with the movie, or actually I returned to it the next day. I was surprised at the resolution; I was surprised at Emad’s sense of guilt. Yes, a man should be there to protect his wife, and perhaps if had been quicker at the market nothing would have happened. And perhaps there is guilt because he didn’t investigate the circumstances of the apartment rental more thoroughly. (Apparently the previous tenant was a prostitute.) So in a sense they moved into a house of prostitution, as it were. And it is not beside the point to realize that Emad is playing Willie Lohman in a small theatre production of Arthur Miller’s acclaimed play, “The Death of a Salesman,” a character who is ashamed because he sees himself as a failure.Again we can see the complexities that Farhadi insists upon.Okay here are my problems with the movie. First though I should say that viewers who are not Iranian and not Muslim including myself may very well miss some of the subtleties and preconceptions of the action.1. Why the ambiguity about the rape? Or maybe it was clear and I wasn’t able to discern that.2. Why is the guilty party a character who almost certainly could not commit the rape? (He could barely get up the stairs.)3. We know why Emad and Rana don’t go to the police. (Only shame will result possibly without ever catching the perp.) However Emad’s revenge plan of humiliating the assailant seems elaborate and slow to action. After all Emad has overwhelming evidence as to who did it. He just has to find him.4. The culprit’s truck just sits there and then they move it. Is would seem that best strategy would be to report the truck as being parked illegally (do that yourself if necessary since you have the keys), call the police and see who shows up.But again I don’t live in Tehran so I really don’t know what would have been the best way to proceed. What I do know is that Farhadi might have guided the general viewer less opaquely.Bottom line: definitely worth seeing, but I suspect Farhadi’s “A Separation” (2011) which I haven’t seen is a better film. --Dennis Littrell, author of the movie review book, “Cut to the Chaise Lounge or I Can’t Believe I Swallowed the Remote”

Don’t listen to one word the one reviewer is saying. this is one classic movie of movie making..tara go hide in your hole where you came out, are you kidding me. have you ever read Death of a Salesman's.every concept of that is right here, you probable didn’t read all of the subtitles to this wonderful movie.it wasn’t that very hard because they left it there for awhile to read..go back an watch the Asghar Farhadi interview he’ll explain everything to you. love this movie its an outstandinghuman tragedy..Farsi 5.1 DTS-HD with English Subtitles.Runtime 124.1.85:1Beautiful Movie..

Good picture quality for one of the best films of the year. The Blu-ray may be a bit overpriced, but the film is worthwhile in its gripping drama, mystery, and as always, Farhadi's continuing revelations into contemporary Iranian society.

Not quite up to par with their earlier "A Separation", but certainly Oscar-Worthy.

After waiting months for it to be released on DVD, I was so disappointed. I can't believe it won the Academy Award for best foreign film. I would never recommend it to anyone. It is an insult to even have the title "Salesman" with its obvious connection to "Death of a Salesman." The movie is boring and pointless and was a definite waste of my money!

This absorbing and understated Iranian film chronicles the painful unravelling of a seemingly happy middle-class marriage due to a series of unexpected events. Forced to leave their home due to a perilous adjacent construction project the young couple are fortunate to be offered a vacant apartment by an acquaintance. However, when the wife is brutally attacked by an assailant who mistakes her for the flat’s former occupant her decision not to report the assault to the authorities results in her mild-mannered husband becoming obsessed with finding the man responsible for this violation. Throughout the film the suspense is intense and as the intricately constructed narrative slowly unfolds we witness the husband’s relentless pursuit for revenge affecting their relationship as well as his job. The final act has an almost Shakespearean feel as this psychological and moral drama reaches a dramatic climax where the husband is at the brink of destroying that which he most cherishes – his marriage. The two main actors give marvelously subtle performances and I am again fascinated in watching a drama unfold before my eyes which is familiar but so different due to its cultural context. Quietly impressive.