The Salesman-2016
Director-Asghar Farhadi
Starring-Shahab Hosseini, Taraneh Alidoosti
Scott’s Review #668
Reviewed August 2, 2017
Grade: A
The Salesman is the latest film directed by Asghar Farhadi to win the coveted Best Foreign Language film Oscar-2011’s A Separation also won the crown and 2013’s The Past, nestled in between the other films, is nearly as good.
All contain mesmerizing and gripping plot elements that leave the audience in good discussion long after the film has concluded- that is what good storytelling is all about.
Rich with empathetic elements and good, crisp writing, Farhadi has quickly become one of my favorite international filmmakers as each of his pictures is as powerful in humanity as their counterparts.
Along with fellow contemporary Claude Chabrol (admittedly around a lot longer), similarities abound between the two creative maestros in the form of thrills, mystery, and differing character allegiances. I adore how both directors incorporate the same actors into their films.
Cleverly, Farhadi incorporates classic stage production, Death of a Salesman by Arthur Miller, into the story, and the play and the film contain similar themes- humiliation and secrets.
The young and good-looking couple, Emad (Shahab Hosseini) and Rana (Taraneh Alidoosti) are community theater actors living a happy existence in metropolitan Tehran, Iran.
They have a wonderful array of friends and companions and are popular with their close neighbors and theater buddies. Emad, a well-liked high school teacher, and Rana, a housewife, make a perfect couple, but their bond will soon be severely tested.
Forced to move from their crumbling apartment into temporary quarters owned by a theater friend, they are unaware that the former tenant worked as a prostitute and had a bevy of gentleman callers.
What they do know is that she carelessly left the unit, leaving behind all of her belongings for them to sift through. One night when Rana is home alone, she inadvertently allows a mystery person to enter, which leads to a terrible incident.
The film centers around determining what exactly happened between Rana and the intruder. Is she hiding the truth? Can she and Emad get past the implications of the events?
The audience is left with a powerful and intriguing mystery to absorb and unravel. Throughout most of the film, questions are brought to the surface to be thought through. Who was the intruder? Will Emad exact revenge? What happened?
The brilliance of The Salesman is that we, as the audience, never actually see the incident inside Emad and Rana’s apartment take place, so we are baffled by what has transpired. We merely witness the after-effects and the questions the characters (mainly Emad) have.
Is Rana being truthful? Did she know the man who entered the apartment? Was it even a man or perhaps the former female tenant? With Farhadi, anything is possible, but rest assured, a startling climax will ensue.
Compelling and the pure genius of the film is how the viewer’s loyalties will not only be divided by character but will also change within an actual scene.
In one tense sequence, a heroic character becomes the villain and slowly returns to being the hero again-talk about a topsy turvy experience! The Salesman is smothered with a roller coaster of emotions and feelings.
The way that more than one of the central characters changes their motivations is largely the film’s greatest success. Rana, Emad, and “the Man” are flawed, complex characters, and what a treat it must have been for these actors to sink their teeth into these roles.
A special mention must be given to the other actors involved in the film. The Salesman is fraught with great performances big and small. In addition to the leads (Hosseini and Alidoosti), the supporting cast exudes immeasurable talent. Farid Sajadhosseini as “the Man” is simply astounding in his performance and his family members, appearing largely in the conclusion of the film, deserve much praise.
These small characters appear in the most pivotal time of the film and give it the needed acting chops required to pull off the result.
Asghar Farhadi hits another one out of the park with The Salesman and how deserving is the Oscar win for this man- a director whose films are always sure to be compelling, thought-provoking treats.
I cannot wait for his next film.
Oscar Nominations: Best Foreign Language Film (won)