Death of a Salesman

Willy Loman has spent decades on the road as a salesman, and he clings to the belief that hard work and personal appeal will eventually bring him the success he has always promised his family. When his position is taken away from him, he cannot accept the loss, and he keeps up the appearance of a working man while his household sinks further into debt. His wife Linda tries to hold the family together, while his sons Biff and Happy drift without direction, unable to live up to the expectations weighing on them. Willy's grip on the present loosens as memories intrude and he begins talking with his dead brother Ben.

Volker Schlöndorff directed this adaptation of Arthur Miller's play, which followed The Tin Drum in his filmography and was released in 1985. Dustin Hoffman plays Willy, with Kate Reid as Linda, John Malkovich as Biff, Stephen Lang as Happy, Charles Durning as Charley and Louis Zorich as Ben. Miller was involved in the production, and Robert F. Colesberry served as producer.

The film was made for television in the United States and Germany and also screened in cinemas in Europe. On IMDb it holds a rating of 7.2 from around 12,000 votes, while on TMDB it has 6.9 from 184 votes. A film critics' rating of 8.3 from 11 reviews places it above both audience scores.