Death of a Salesman/ Private Conversations

Rating:
Summary: Forray into the disintegration of the American Dream
Review: Unfortunately, Hoffman's performance as Willy Lowman will probably be eclipsed by Dennehey's performance in Chicago the summer past. Hoffman has said this was his favorite role ever, and it's easy to see why as you watch him fumble through the machinations of the postwar arena of business competition and "keeping up with the Joneses." John Malkovitch as Biff perhaps wasn't the greatest casting choice--Malkovitch seems more befuddled than enraged at Willy half the time. Still, all the heat and feeling meant to be seen on the stage is accurately captured here, right down to the riveting tete-a-tete between Biff and Willy, Biff yelling "I'm nothing, Pop! Can't you understand that?" With those lines, Miller managed to reign in a new era of self-reflection and value in American society.