DVD
Salesman

Starring: Paul Brennan, Charles McDevitt, James Baker, Raymond Martos and Kennie Turner
Eureka Video
RRP: £19.99
EKA40235
Certificate: E
Available 23 April 2007


A fascinating, non-narrated account of four Boston bible hawkers as they struggle to stay afloat in the cut-throat world of door-to-door sales. Capturing the remarkable detail of a bygone era, the film documents their carefully delivered spiel to bored housewives, widows, immigrants, and distracted blue-collar workers. The salesmen wheedle, connive, and cajole their way toward the Holy Grail, but as the pressure of the job bears down, one of the salesmen begins to crack, exposing the dark and lonely underside of the American Dream...

Salesman is a documentary that follows a group of Bible Salesmen as they peddle their wares across America. The salesmen, each nicknamed according to their different selling style, follow up leads of family names from the church. Motivated by the head of the company (who argues that the more sales they generate, the stronger the faith) the salesmen sell their gold-embossed, expensive Bibles to low-wage families who cannot afford them, applying pressure simply by pointing out that 'they come recommended by the church'.

At the centre of this film is Paul 'The Badger' Brennan who is slowly falling apart as he hits a rough patch. None of these salesmen earn any money unless they close the sale, and Brennan is starting to get bitter. Travelling with Brennan are his colleagues 'The Gipper', 'The Rabbit' and 'The Bull'. Together they exchange the day's highs and (mostly) lows in lonely motel rooms, in between calls home.

Although their customers are mostly middle, working-class Catholics whom the salesmen recruit at their local church, they use hard sell techniques to try and get money out of poor families. They rely on plenty of trick phrases in order talk the potential customers into believing that they need what they are peddling: "Could you say if this would help the family? Could you see where this would be of value in the home? A gain to you?" They all use different techniques including talking, pushing, cajoling, telling jokes and stories, throwing out compliments in a bid to close the deal as quickly as possible.

The movie was directed by the Maysles brothers, Albert and David, and edited by Charlotte Zwerin. At times it shows us a side of salesmen we don't really want to see, as they badger their customers into signing up for their expensive wares. Although, in the extras on this DVD, Albert Maysles hints that a lot more went on when the camera was off - a side of the salesmen that he didn't want to film. It is hinted that it was well known that some of the salesmen would cheat on their wives while on the road.

Personally, I loved the fact that there is no narration - that the directors let you make up your own mind what is going on. So many documentaries tend to shove their philosophies down your throat. For example Michael Moore's movies start of with a political point of view that he then goes to great lengths to provide evidence for. While his films are entertaining, he goes in with a point of view he is determined to put across to his audience. With Salesman you are not spoon fed the director's point of view. The Maysles brothers simply follow the salesmen as they work and this movie reflects what they see.

Seeing Brennan slowly start to fall apart is a little disturbing. While he stops short of losing it with his customers, you can see that he comes close on a couple of occasions to cracking up when he can't close the sale. He seems to hate everyone and takes great pleasure in sneering at people.

To be honest, with a documentary as old as this, we have no right expecting any extras. However, Eureka Video has done this movie proud with some pretty impressive content. Firstly there's a beautifully produced 36-page booklet that includes extensive production notes and a look at the equipment used to film Salesman. On the DVD we get Albert on Salesman (34 mins featurette. This is a new (2006) interview with Albert Maysles); and Kennie & Albert Q&A (19 min featurette. This is footage of a Q&A session with Albert Maysles and Kennie Turner at a 2005 screening of the movie).

While both of the featurettes are extremely interesting they could have been a lot better if Mark Rance was either a competent interviewer, or a good cameraman. He fumbles his way through the interview and provides us with some camera work that a three year old would be ashamed of. Albert comes across as a very sincere and likeable man and it's easy to see why he still remains friends with the salesmen from this film who are still alive.

One of the most interesting documentaries you will ever see.

Darren Rea

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