Line #24 Film/Salesman


1	[[quoteright:350:https://static.tvtropes.org/pmwiki/pub/images/img_0551.PNG]]
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3	->"''If a man's not a success, he's got no one to blame but himself.''"
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5	''Salesman'' is a 1969 documentary film directed by Albert Maysles, David Maysles and Charlotte Zwerin.
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7	The film chronicles the experiences of four salesmen for the Mid-American Bible Company: Paul Brennan (who gradually becomes the film's protagonist), James Baker, Raymond Martos and Charles [=McDevitt=]. In the winter of 1966-1967 they go door-to-door in the Boston area, attend a sales conference in Chicago, then travel on a sales trip to South Florida. They meet a wide array of working class families and try to interest them in elaborate family Bibles--very elaborate, $49.95 in 1966 money[[note]]which equates to $387.90 in 2019 money[[/note]]--and other assorted religious books, including a set of Catholic encyclopedias. In-between they hang out in motel rooms and discuss the difficulties of their jobs: long hours, separation from their homes and families, and the often daunting odds for success. While the others do well enough, Paul cannot seem to close a sale, even though he tries hard. He unwittingly becomes the symbol of a profession and way of life that seem like they're fast becoming a thing of the past.
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10	!! This film contains examples of:
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12	* AffectionateNickname: The four main characters all have one, as explained by Paul--James is The Rabbit (he's energetic and enthusiastic), Raymond is The Bull (big, forceful and not very delicate), Charles is The Gipper (very focused and disciplined, like a football player), and Paul is The Badger (which he doesn't elaborate on, but is obviously due to his being TheDeterminator).
13	* ArabianNightsDays: The bizarre town of Opa-locka, Florida, which has a city hall designed to look like a stereotypical ''Arabian Nights'' castle, and has street names like Shaharazad Street, Ali Baba Street, and of course, Series/SesameStreet.
14	* ButtMonkey: Poor Paul. He seems like a decent guy but he just can't catch a break. Analysis of this film often characterizes Paul as a real-life [[Theatre/DeathOfASalesman Willy Loman]].
15	* CaptainOblivious: Paul's major issue seems to be that he doesn't realize how he comes across to people. The other salesmen are more relaxed and friendly and more willing to take the time to persuade their clients. Paul lays on his sales pitch pretty hard and turns people off in the process.
16	* DeliberatelyMonochrome: Well, the main reason that it's monochrome is that the Maysles had NoBudget and were making the film with $10,000 out of their own pocket. But the gray tones of the film certainly go well with the mood of bleak despair.
17	* TheDeterminator: Paul keeps trying to score a sale even as he's obviously becoming more and more frustrated.
18	* DidIMentionItsChristmas: The first part of the film takes place during the holidays, which provides a nice ironic counterpoint to the story, particularly the scene where the salesmen eat lunch in a diner full of decorations.
19	* EverybodySmokes: It's TheSixties, so yeah.
20	* FourTemperamentEnsemble: Paul is Sanguine, James is Choleric, Raymond is Phlegmatic and Charles is Melancholic.
21	* {{Housewife}}: They make up a good percentage of the sales prospects, and the salesmen often talk to them while they're tending their children.
22	* IJustWantToHaveFriends: The other salesmen are all good at developing the superficial rapport with their prospects that helps them close the sale. Paul seems like he wants to make a sincere connection with people, and he just comes off awkward.
23	* IsntItIronic: The music is all [[SourceMusic diagetic]] and often provides a humorous subtext to the action. Highlights include Paul singing [[Theatre/FiddlerOnTheRoof "If I Were a Rich Man"]], an instrumental version of [[Music/WoodyGuthrie "This Land is Your Land"]] playing on the radio as Paul navigates his way through Opa-locka, and a lush GenreMotif/EasyListening take on [[Music/TheBeatles "Yesterday"]] that a customer plays on his stereo.
24	* MeanBoss: Their supervisor Kennie doesn't antagonize the salesmen directly too much (he even plays poker with them), but he makes it clear that he expects them to make a lot of sales without any excuses. In his speech at the sales conference he talks about firing some salesmen and warns the others that he won't think twice about doing the same to them if he thinks they're slacking off.
25	* NoSenseOfDirection: Paul, who gets lost looking for a house in Opa-locka, Florida (with its ''Literature/ArabianNights''-themed street names).
26	* TabletopGame/{{Poker}}: One way the guys pass the time on the road.
27	* SliceOfLife: There's no grand narrative. It just follows the guys as they go through their day-to-day lives.

Context Film / Salesman