The Maysles Brothers' Salesman

The Maysles Brothers documentary Salesman is a good example of cinematic realism in the direct cinema movement. The film chronicles the lives of a group of bible salesman in the 60s, depicting many assets of their characters, and therefore providing an interesting facet to one's view of bible salesman. The filmmakers utilize portable cameras and sound to present the viewer with real footage and sync sound. The shots are organized to give the audience a voyeuristic feeling of being there on a journey into the lives of bible salesmen. The scenes are unscripted and the camera seems to have little effect on the subjects, for the salesmen are the real performers. The Maysles’ do a tremendous job of dismantling the barriers between filmmaker and subject, making the audience feel less like a viewer but a witness. The close shots and intimate camera movement provide a rich point of view and a sentiment of truth throughout the film. Though the documentary takes place over a long time period, the filmmakers’ cinematic time somehow still appears to be reality. By showing different aspects of the subjects’ lives… from poker, to sales, to meetings, to phone calls, this is achieved.