Overview
A poignant exploration of a man's struggle to reclaim his dignity and family.
Ember's analysis
- Pacing
- Measured
- Intensity
- Strong
- Complexity
- Layered
- Violence
- None
- bleak
- melancholic
- harrowing
- serious drama night
- literary adaptation viewing
What critics said
Critics overwhelmingly praised the adaptation as a powerful, faithful drama anchored by exceptional performances, especially Dustin Hoffman's portrayal of Willy Loman.
What sets it apart
May contain story progression spoilers
Willy repeatedly equates being well liked and financially successful with human value while struggling to pay bills and retain his job.
Willy's past and imagined conversations with Ben intrude on the present, externalizing his deteriorating perception.
Willy's hopes for Biff and Happy collide with their inability to fulfill his ideal of male success, producing sustained resentment and shame.
The Loman home and surrounding urban environment repeatedly contain arguments about bills, work, adultery, and family disappointment.
Films like Death of a Salesman, and why
The Glass Menagerie
shared tragic domestic drama, family conflict, and critique of social ambition
Long Day's Journey into Night
shared theatrical realism, parent child conflict, and emotionally devastating examination of failure
The Iceman Cometh
shared workplace pressure, masculine disillusionment, and intimate family drama
Movie Details
- Director
- Volker Schlöndorff
- Release Date
- 1985-08-16
- Runtime
- 136 min
- Rating
- 6.9 / 10 (185)
Cast
- Dustin Hoffman
- Kate Reid
- John Malkovich
- Stephen Lang
- Charles Durning
- Louis Zorich
- David Chandler
- Jon Polito
- Kathryn Rossetter
- Tom Signorelli
Where to watch in United States
- Rent
- Google Play Movies, YouTube
- Buy
- Google Play Movies, YouTube
Streaming options come from TMDB and change over time.
Common questions
- What is Death of a Salesman about?
- A desperate traveling salesman clings to an idealized past as debt, professional failure, and wounded family relationships expose the cost of chasing approval.
- What is Death of a Salesman like to watch?
- Ember's analysis rates the pacing of Death of a Salesman as measured, its intensity as strong and its storytelling as layered.
- Is Death of a Salesman violent?
- No — Ember's analysis finds no violence in Death of a Salesman.
- What did critics think of Death of a Salesman?
- Critics overwhelmingly praised the adaptation as a powerful, faithful drama anchored by exceptional performances, especially Dustin Hoffman's portrayal of Willy Loman.
- Which films are like Death of a Salesman?
- Films with a similar feel include The Glass Menagerie, Long Day's Journey into Night, and The Iceman Cometh.
- How long is Death of a Salesman?
- Death of a Salesman runs 136 minutes.
- Where can I watch Death of a Salesman?
- In United States, Death of a Salesman is available to rent or buy from Google Play Movies, YouTube.
