Salesman

As documentary filmmakers, Albert and David Maysles gravitated toward the fringes of society for their "cinema direct: nothing between us and the subject." In Salesman, the brothers and frequent collaborator Charlotte Zwerin focus on a waning American phenomenon: the door-to-door salesman; specifically, four representatives of the Mid-American Bible Company. At the center is Paul "The Badger" Brennan who reflects on his career choice with the refrain of the pop tune "Is That All There Is?"

New York Times reviewer Vincent Canby observed that the Maysles Brothers transcend superficiality with compassion by showing that "the salesmen are no less vulnerable than their customers."

Salesman was added to the National Film Registry in 1992.