1985, USA, 136 min.<\/b><\/p>\n
This staple of high school English classes has remained relevant for decades, and with very good reason. The story is set squarely in the late 1940s\/early 1950s, but the theme of regret and unfulfilled promise, and how they can fester and destroy everyone in their path, remains unchanged. Arthur Miller\u2019s mesmerizing portrait of washed-up salesman Willy Loman\u2019s denial-fueled breakdown\u2014the job that\u2019s defined his life for 63 years is over; his grown sons are confirmed losers; the present is so bleak he keeps retreating to the past\u2014is really a battle to leave this world with a shred of impact and relevance. With Dustin Hoffman, however, the old play feels downright electric. His work as Loman is a journey through the emotional spectrum, a feat you behold in slack-jawed awe. The great actor is matched by Kate Reid as his all-knowing yet enabling wife. In early roles, John Malkovich and Stephen Lang are terrific as his wayward, hapless adult sons. There isn\u2019t one wobbly aspect, one untrue moment, in this epic tale of small, defeated people feeling their way through their middle years.<\/span><\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":" This staple of high school English classes has remained relevant for decades, and with very good reason.<\/span><\/p>\n