So true. I believe that is the essential message of this play.

Comrade your suffering is the epitome of capitalism. Your misfortune is not bad luck it is the brutality you have been subjected to by the capitalist class. You were alienated from your labor. Miller wrote this play not to make us love the little things but to show us how the little things are stolen and corrupted by capitalism. It is not too late though, educate yourself, educate others, and join the socialist and Marxist cause. The workers will be free one day, and you will find peace.

Reminds me of the book I've been reading called The Black Swan by Talib. Society focuses on the winners. The winners write books about what qualities they have that lead to their success. Hard work, discipline, dedication, positive attitude, etc. However, they give no credit to luck, circumstances, random things, disease, or other black swan events. The truth is that for every winner with the right attributes, there are many losers who possess the same qualities. So, their perceptions of themselves and their success are often flawed. However, there is more to it than that. Almost everyone has the ability to be successful at something but some people pick the wrong things. Things outside their wheelhouse, Lofty unrealistic dreams, etc. Some people create their own failures by dreaming too big. That way there's always an excuse. Some people just plain pick the wrong career and by the time they realize it, they're already old. Lots of variables. Lots of chance events.

You're not alone, and since you live by the beach, I am reminded of this....be encouraged. "One night a man had a dream. He dreamed he was walking along the beach with the Lord. Across the sky flashed scenes from his life. For each scene, he noticed two sets of footprints in the sand: one belonging to him, and the other to the Lord. When the last scene of his life flashed before him, he looked back at the footprints in the sand. He noticed that many times along the path of his life there was only one set of footprints. He also noticed that it happened at the very lowest and saddest times in his life. This really bothered him and he questioned the Lord about it. "Lord, You said that once I decided to follow you, You'd walk with me all the way. But I have noticed that during the most troublesome times in my life, there is only one set of footprints. I don't understand why, when I needed you most, you would leave me." The Lord replied, "My son, My precious child, I love you and I would never leave you. During your times of trial and suffering, when you see only one set of footprints, it was then that I Carried You."

It is a lie, that is what it is. Most people will not and can not win.

Same, and so relevant even still

At 73, it also hits strong! We are only passing through this earthly realm. The goals that are set “out there” are competitive and cold! Love and support each other, and your family. Help all you can , when others need a hand. Give of yourself, but don’t lose yourself. God put us here for many reasons, but Hw will not be counting earthly treasures and money. It’s what we do with the gifts He blesses us with, that counts.

Yup, 45 divorced 3 kids and this has so much more meaning than if I watched it in my teens and 20s

My fourth grade teacher played this on audio for our entire class back in 1970 or so. We listened to it over a few classes. My memory may be wrong but on this specific audio he shoots himself. A stunning end to our time listening. Always thought that was odd. Pretty sure it was Lee J. Cobb though the voice I always associate with Willy Loman.

lRead it at first in18,it was sadness only, but when I wachted it as aTv drama I was 28or 29,I took more things about social life and rightnow It afected me as a deep phylasophy or holy book.

He was a great actor. agreed.

Miller said he had cobb in mind when he wrote the role

Beautifully put.

Hoffman played it better.

Yes Cobb is the first and the definitive Willy Loman.

His acting must have been exhausting. So much effort and emotion. Very powerful.

I love Cobb, but didn't care for this performance. I guess it is the character I don't like plus the theatric nature of the performance. Never saw the play before today. Supposed to be one of the greatest plays of all time but very depressing.

@@ValeskaTruax It really is a downer. I'm in no hurry to watch it again for that reason alone.

@@WintersWar yep

.... Gene Wilder eh?... Sorted

Well, well

Another black mark on American history

Fredric March played Willy Loman in the film version. March also played the God-Father figure John Antrobus in Thornton Wilder's 'Skin of Our Teeth' on Broadway. Just trying to see March physically and emotionally shrivel down to the body and soul of a Willy Loman----pure Hollywood casting indeed.

Yeah, he was screwed.Cobb was great in On in the Agreement and 12 Angry Men.12 Angry Men was sorta like a play.

cant watch any version after seeing hoffman and malkovich …

Hey, you got your limbs and your senses? You wake up with someone in your bed? You got kids down the hall and a steady check? A solid roof and reliable car? That's it, you're winning. You're in the endzone

That's just it, Willy was searching for something bigger and greater than himself or what he had. But little did he know that he had it all there for him, kids who loved him and a wife, Linda, who's love we all strive and wish for. Willy had it all, but couldn't see past his nose. I guess everyone is like this today - all caught up in the big picture that we fail to see the great one around us. As a Sales man myself I can relate to him a lot and at 45 aren't too far behind his years. Scary at the thought. Keep your chin up mate, it's tough at the moment, but will come good soon enough.

@@eugenenewton3296 No, I don't think he would have done so. Shame how he ate up and spat out. I like capitalism, but this shows the poor side of it.

@@eugenenewton3296 Very sad for someone to have to think that near his end, though I suppose it gives so kind of reassurance once you are gone. Regards Capitalism, I think it works on a regional/national level, but once you get to international capitalism then you are talking about a different game altogether. What I mean by regional capitalism; always has there been a "rich man"/capitalist, the one with the money and power, but not so many years ago those people had businesses in and around where they grew up and lived. With that you had people who were then, if only partly, had a more positive conscious feeling on a social level to those around them. Take parts of the West Midlands, West Brom to be precise, that area was "made" by those men who lived locally to that area and though I am sure normal people had it tough back then, they did still benefit (certainly their future ancestors) and so the benefits of capitalism offered itself and trickled down to those in need. Now we have people from other countries owning businesses in parts of the world they have no interest in - it's now VERY much so all about the dollar $$. How to make it better? Only wish I knew. Still, I believe it to be the best system we have.

@@eugenenewton3296 That's what I meant by how people have lost their sense of regional responsibility. It needs a reset, but I do not see communism being the route to take to for the betterment of society.

You wish you had a woman like Linda? One who takes verbal abuse and easy to cheat on?

Your tech theater class analyzed plays, too. Mine read plays only to design sets or lights for them. I think I would have enjoyed your class more!

@garyabbott3861 Ah, we mostly only got to analyze plays in between one act and spring play season. Did a couple of cool projects to practice prop making too. It was definitely a lot of fun, and having a good theater teacher made a huge difference. Sorry yours wasn't more involved, but maybe you could do that sort of thing now instead. Analyze a play on your own, find some people to talk to about it- it might be even more interesting to do it on your terms, rather than for a class :^))

I think i agree.

Two very different style actors though.

Cobb owned the role, Hoffmann's Willy Lohmann was dreadful and utterly self-absorbed.

I saw the Hoffman version in college in the early 2000s, and watched it yesterday too. I looked for another version to compare, and found this one. I liked the Hoffman version, but Lee J Cobb better represents what I picture Willy would look like physically. Also, I agree, Hoffman was an over the top yelling nut in that version.

I like things about every version.

You're only saying that because you're American. Yet American drama is nothing compared to centuries of European drama. Even in American drama A streetcar named desire is superior to this piece.

@@kevinrhatigan5656 it’s ALL good compared to todays challenges? No time to pick nits. Grateful to all the classic art. I’ll watch Streetcar Named Desire next and Cat on a Hot Tin Roof - thanks

Also, can you recommend some European films? Thank you kindly.

@@pattyjacobson Films or plays? If it's films I'd recommend watching any of the classic Italian neorealist films, that is, almost anything by Fellini, Pasolini, Rossellini, De Sica, Visconti, etc. My personal favourite is Fellini's La Strada which is a very touching film.

Damn I’ve never seen such nerds fight

Who's Wilder?

there he is! Sorry.

@@martitinkovich4489 he played Bernard, the one who always let Biff cheat off his answers.

Keep up that 90 talk, my friend! 76 and I feel fine.

Employers still think 60 is old.

People’s lives were much harder. Much tougher living conditions, and worse healthcare (for example no antibiotics in those days). People wore out quicker.

Most humans die in their 70s, 60 is old but government wants to work you to the last drop of energy. Theres ur american dream

⁠@@hudsony777funny how they keep moving the age of retirement here in the UK at least it’s 67 now.Work till you d ie.

Same. It still tugs at my heart.

Yep. I read Sinatra paid for Cobb's hospital bil ls...when Cobb asked why, Sinatra said I like what you do. Amen.

Mildred Dunnock did fantastic as Linda. She held her own on that stage. I was captured at some of her scenes. Nothing taken from Cobb or Segal.

maybe you would like 12 Angry Men

This was a TV production. Her would have been eligible for an Emmy.

In my heart Lee Cobb gets an Oscar! 👏

35 years ago I went with a college English class to see this in the round in Minneapolis. I thought it was boring and irrelevant. Now...in my 50s, hits way too close home. I guess this is a classic.

I too saw this as a child, and thought it was a masterpiece. Lee J Cobb was a screen legend! Dustin Hoffman s Wiley Loman was good, but more of a little man .

@@cimerti I thought John Malkovich was magnificent as Biff. The chemistry between Dustin and John as father and son was believable.

@@altonpitts5303 And not that many years separating them either.

@@procrastinator9 Live and learn. That's why we should not judge...Daniel 2:44 God will set things straight...soon

And George seagul here too I this drama. It's because it's from a wizard Arthur Millers powerfull stage play. There's nothing better then seeing a live stage performance you just can't get out of films.If you can't find a good film to watch then go to a stageplay as they never DISSAPOINTED the disappointed veiwers.

and he got Marilyn Monroe

Pretty sure people understand what Arthur Miller was. You aren't some lone genius who cracked the nut. God damn it never fails to amaze me how self absorbed people can be.

Maybe in India. In the West vast majority know who Miller was and what his contributions to culture were.

What I said also holds for Mildred Dunnock. I was fascinated reading about the auditions for the original production where they made it absolutely clear they were not interested in her for the role, but she wouldn't take that for an answer and kept showing up until she wore them down. Inspiring! She was also the first Big Mama in 'Hot Tin Roof', also directed by Kazan. Williams had written the role for a heavy lady and changed his text for the original production, removing the 'fat' references.

So sad that Lee Cobb died in his 60s. 😢 Great actor, not just a pretty face. 👏 👏 👏

is this accurate to the book?

@@kaysanmohamed6586 I never read the book Kansan but 40 years in Sales I saw many men in tears and popping pills to stay in the race . Selling is the Highest paid job in the world if you are good at it and the worst paid job in the world if you are bad at it . In the Film there are so many bitter Truths . In the film he was working every hour God Made , I was mostly Top salesmen in the Companies I worked for But was only doing 20 hours a week as I had two children to bring up as a single parent ,

Bad plays are depressing.

See it as a study in narcissism.

🇺🇲🗿🎭😠👵👨‍🦰The great stage wrighter Arthur Miller I agree This feels more like a stage play then a movie. It was originally intended as a stage play. Stage plays hold so much of attention .They are power houses looking forward to listen to this. I HAVE ONLY BEEN TO ONE LIVE STAGE play before that was in in London I think it was in the eighties some time I forgot the title of of the drama quite an evenings entertainment it was about the Bosnia war in yugoslavia . When there was a revolution in the counrty and the army had taken over the country ftom the goverment of the time. with the three pro goverment people holding out in there house knowing the revolutionaries were closing in on them.🇱🇷 reminds me of Harold Pinters work.

It’s a play not a book

i can see why - i couldn't imagine him played by anyone else, now, if i tried

@@Xx_Eric_was_Here_xX I liked Hoffman as well

@@Xx_Eric_was_Here_xX Dustin Hoffman played him it's online.

Cool, like the apple tree that toppled in ‘All My Sons’…!

People don’t work as hard now as they used to . We have cars and hoovers and washing machines and better living conditions etc. So we don’t wear out so quickly.

You don't watch many movies

2022 march 8 very fine Totally agree correct isa this is an Exceptional play with superb performances from all the actors. one of the greats of american thearta staged plays .So glad that I found this to watch.A mile stone of thearta production and acting as .much better then movies

Method at its best...if you feel something, then it's great acting.

Watch the Dustin Hoffman version, especially the “fight” scene near the end, where Biff tells Willie he is going to leave in the morning.

Examples of that almost throughout the play where Willy contradicts himself, as in when he's speaking about the refrigerator or son Biff. An interesting character trait. The obvious answer is that Miller is demonstrating Willy's onset of dementia but I suspect it may be deeper than that.

@@kennethwayne6857 I could be wrong, but it seems he wants to sell himself ideas that he knows are false.

@@martitinkovich4489 Quite possible. People in desperate situations have been known to kid themselves.

Like when he says Biff is lazy, and then says he is a hard worker, and one thing for sure, he's not lazy.

I don’t think the writer intended those contradictions to represent dementia. In fact, I don’t think Willie has dementia at all. He is just very tired and very depressed. The reason he contradicts himself is that he is desperately trying to lift his own spirits by pretending everything is ok (eg that he has hard working, talented sons) and that historically he made the right decisions (eg that he bought the best brand of refrigerator) - but then reality and depression keep creeping back and the truth leaks out (ie that his sons are lazy and that the fridge is junk). EDIT: Also, when his late brother and younger versions of his sons pop up in the scene and talk to Willie, that is not dementia. They are part of Willie’s internal monologue. It’s all about regret and shame and guilt and fear and resentment and unexpressed rage and envy and loneliness and lost opportunities and failure and depression. Memories that you suppressed many years ago, can no longer be suppressed when you are old and not fully occupied with a job and you have no company other than your own thoughts. Those conversations that Willie has with his brother etc, are suppressed memories creeping back. Not dementia.

Yes the thearta sorts out the wheat from the chaff the men from the boys im a great fan of Russian authors and there stage works checkov cherry orchard many others

Pairing this play with “Rocky” is an inspired choice! (30-year teacher here.)