Review of The Salesman (2016) by Khashayarhign — 27 Aug 2017

Emad (Shahab Hosseini) and Rana (Taraneh Alidoosti) face a crisis when their apartment building in Tehran starts to collapse. Fortunately, a colleague in their acting troupe helps the married couple find another place to stay. But he neglects to mention that the former resident had a reputation for being quite popular with men. In America, she would be called a prostitute.

Not that the couple would likely have time to worry about it. The two have lead roles in a production of “Death of a Salesman” — Emad as the forlorn Willy Loman, Rana as his loyal wife, Linda. Their commitment to the play is such that they don’t seem particularly concerned with the censorship involved in putting it on. In one such compromise, a character who happens to be a prostitute must be completely clothed at all times.

But in the middle of the production, Emad must cope with a development that can’t be ignored: an act of violence that takes place in his new home. Rattled and confused, particularly by Rana’s reaction, he struggles to get his bearings. Ultimately, he’s forced into the role of detective. Who could commit such a heinous act? And perhaps more importantly, why?

Nominated for an Oscar for best foreign language film, “The Salesman” is a powerful drama about the nature of obsession and the urge for revenge. Working from his own screenplay, director Asghar Farhadi (“A Separation”) carefully delineates a social milieu in which some things go unspoken but not unacknowledged. The film offers insights into Iranian society while also subtly making a case that human foibles are universal.

Hosseini is impressive as a man who feels compelled to take action, regardless of the ramifications. And Alidoosti persuasively embodies Rana’s pain.

“The Salesman” suggests that we really don’t know who we are until we find ourselves in situations that we couldn’t possibly predict.