Glengarry Glen Ross
Written by David Mamet, directed by James Foley
With Al Pacino, Jack Lemmon, Alec Baldwin, Ed Harris, Alan Arkin, Kevin Spacey, Jonathon Pryce
Showing at Village Cinemas
Reviewed by Norm Dixon
Based on the Pulitzer Prize-winning play by David Mamet, who also wrote the screenplay, Glengarry Glen Ross is a compelling and utterly absorbing drama. Forgoing big bang pyrotechnics so common in mainstream cinema today, this film relies primarily on strong script, dramatic tension created by an simple but excellent plot, clever atmospheric camera and lighting work and skilful characterisation by a host of excellent actors. Its technique reminded me of that marvellous old courtroom drama starring Henry Fonda, Twelve Angry Men. It has also been compared to Death of Salesman.
Glengarry Glen Ross examines how the cutthroat morality and practices of capitalism (or "free enterprise" as the publicity handouts politely refer to it), warp personalities and corrupt all who accept its basic premises.
We enter the shabby world of four "working stiffs" at a real estate company branch office. They have spent their working lives fast- talking gullible people, who can ill afford it, into buying shonky land in Arizona deserts, Florida bayous or Mississippi flood plains. While intensely competitive, they can work as a team to fleece these "deadbeats" and "losers" to secure a lousy 10% commission.
The skills of the trade — various scams, hustles and swindles — are passed from one generation of salesmen to the next (there are no saleswomen in this sleazy macho hard sell world). There is honour among thieves.
Well, there used to be. The recession has hit hard, and the staff can't find mugs silly enough to part with their money. Like their "customers", each of them has a family and a life to support and they are worried. Management makes it even harder by disclosing the names of the best prospective clients — known as "leads" — only to those who are "closing" deals, but without good leads deals can't be closed.
The bigwigs downtown want sales not excuses. They send across a vile yuppie Nazi (Alec Baldwin) to humiliate them into selling harder. As an "incentive", there is to be a sales contest. The winner gets a swish new Cadillac, second gets a set of steak knives. Third and fourth get fired.
Facing the loss of the only livelihood they know, they respond with a mixture of desperation and resignation. Shelley Levene (Jack Lemmon) is reduced to a pathetic wreck as he begs Williamson (Kevin Spacey), the company hack who manages the local, to give him some decent leads. George Aronow (Alan Arkin) and Dave Moss (Ed Harris), in some of the most entertaining dialogue in the film, gripe for hours about their bosses and plot revenge. But Aronow is thoroughly cowed; it's d off and takes action.
Hot shot Ricky Roma (Al Pacino) is doing all right. He's closing deals and is likely to get the Caddy if all goes well. Especially since the night before he convinced lonely James Lingk (Jonathon Pryce) he was his best friend and sold him some prime swamp in the Glengarry Glen Ross estate in Florida. But will the deal stick?
As the story of betrayal unfolds, each actor desperately struggles to survive as best he can, by hook or crook, with disastrous consequences for some. So imbued are they with the morals of deception and exploitation that they cannot question the rotten economic system that forces them to live like parasites off the rest of society. They feel betrayed because their bosses no longer stand with them in their joint enterprise of exploitation. They feel betrayed because there is no honour among thieves after all.