Salesman: Criterion Collection

Criterion | minutes | | | Standard DVD reviewed by: Fusion3600

A box sits in various churches, one which advertises a special bible and if you're interested, then you simply fill out a card and slide it inside the box. Soon enough, that card ends up in the hands of someone like Paul "The Badger" Brennan, who then pays you a visit to pitch his wares, which you've asked to be shown. But as Paul and his colleagues can tell you, it may sound simple enough, but it hardly ever goes as smoothly as it should. The people might have asked to be visited, but once the salesman arrives, it sometimes turns into a battle on both sides. The salesman is better armed and has a pitch to end all pitches, but sometimes, even that proves to not be enough. Brennan is our central guide to the world of bible salesmen, but he is joined by three other traveling salesman in his group, as well as their boss. As doors get slammed in their faces, customers hide behind the doors, and quotas stare them right in the face, what will happen to this band of salesman, as they try to sell the Good Book?

I'd never been able to find this film on home video before, so I was very pleased to learn Criterion planned to release this disc. I'd heard many good things about Salesman, but this was the first chance I'd had to see it, so I had high expectations for the film. But even with those high expectations, Salesman turned out to be better than I had heard and in truth, is one of the finest documentaries I've ever seen. The lives of door to door bible salesmen may not seem like a great premise, but in Salesman, we look at not only the profession, but also the men involved and the ins & outs of their lives. As this is a documentary, you'll see real life as it happens, from success to utter failure, as well as the stages in between. Some of the events simply couldn't have been made up, from the humorous customers to the inner workings of our main salesman. Salesman is not always an upbeat piece and it can be depressing at times, but it is well worth a look, even if you don't usually like documentary features. Since Criterion has issued such a lush treatment, I recommend this release as a rental or purchase, as it is stacked with extras and a superb visual transfer.

Salesman is presented in a full frame transfer, as intended. This is a low budget documentary from 1968 and it shows at times, but this is still a fine looking visual presentation. I wasn't too hopeful prior to viewing the film, but the image is quite solid and exceeded all of my expectations. The contrast is usually accurate and well balanced, but a couple scenes shift a little, though it's nothing to be overly concerned about. Some print flaws are evident, but on the whole, Criterion has touched this one up very well, aside from a few rather annoying lines. The lines are brief in appearance however, so I won't raise too much of a ruckus. So no, this is not a reference level transfer, but given the age & nature of the feature, I think viewers should pleased here.

A basic, but more than solid mono option is used, with no serious problems to report. I was surprised to hear how clean this audio track was, as I expected a very dated, perhaps even damaged audio track. Some age signs can be detected, but aside from a few scenes sounding a little thin, I couldn't find much to complain about. The dialogue is the main ingredient here and it sounds terrific, very crisp and clean at all times. This disc also includes English subtitles, should you decide to enable those at some point.

I was pleased to find a nice selection of extras on this disc, including an audio commentary track with filmmakers Albert Maysles and Charlotte Zwerin. This was a very cool session, as the two covered all sorts of topics, giving a very broad behind the scenes look. I was quite taken with their comments, as they talked about not only the men in the picture, but also their methods when making the picture, very insightful indeed. Even more insight can be found in a 1968 interview with David & Albert Maysles, which is conducted by Jack Kroll. This is what an interview should be like, with hard questions and direct answers, no fluff is found here. I just wish modern interviews were as open and informative, instead of self congratulatory and smug. This disc also includes a 2000 interview with The Rabbit, a selection of behind the scenes photos, some talent files, and the film's theatrical trailer.