Salesman

One of the landmark cinema vérité documentaries of the '60s, the Maysles brothers' 1968 Salesman follows a quartet of bible salesman--nicknamed the Badger, the Gipper, the Rabbit, and the Bull for their signature sales approaches--in sales meetings, hotel rooms, and ultimately, door to door in the Northeast and Florida, as they pitch the $49.95 gold-embossed Catholic bible to lower-to-middle class Catholic families. Capturing the end of an era, Salesman's somewhat depressing central character is Paul Brennan, the Badger, a Willy Loman in the flesh, who's struggling to meet his quotas, while his co-workers are signing just enough takers to stay in the game. Criterion has done a nice job on a new digital transfer backed by a mono soundtrack (sometimes hollow and tinny but--considering the state of on-the-fly documentary filmmaking in 1968--quite serviceable). The disc's notable extras include a new commentary by Albert Maysles and the film's editor Charlotte Zwerin, a 1968 TV interview with Jack Kroll and the Maysles brothers, and a 2000 NPR interview with James Baker (the Rabbit). Not for all tastes, but a milestone in documentary history, this is definitely recommended. (R. Pitman)