Salesman

1969 documentary

Rating: 16/20

Plot: Maysles brothers and Charlotte Zwerin follow four Bible salesmen as they pitch the Good (and really expensive) book, mostly to people who can't afford it. The Gipper, the Rabbit, the Bull, and the Badger travel to Chicago, the East Coast, and Florida to show off their techniques. The Badger begins to mope around after he has problems--finding homes, getting in homes, selling his goods.

Excellent cinema verite concerning the American dream! The guy occasionally ham it up in front of the camera, but for the most part, this looks to realistically portray the job. And it's a lot of fun (and funny) to see the gimmicks--flattery, guilt, jokes, browbeating--used by the salesmen. Also fascinating are the down times, when the salesmen are sitting around, discussing what to eat, whining, singing, playing cards, swimming, or whatever. A gritty reality show, Salesman works because it's one of those movies that manages to hold a mirror up to society and reflect how simultaneously humorous and pathetic particular people are at a particular time. It's the fringe details (background televisions, asides, lingering cameras, subtle expressions) that make this something special.

Here's a guy who once sold Avon door-to-door (unsuccessfully):