Glengarry Glen Ross - Worth its Weight in Balls of Brass

GLENGARRY GLEN ROSS

Year: 1992.

Country: USA.

Cast: Jack Lemmon, Al Pacino, Ed Harris, Alan Arkin, Kevin Spacey, Alec Baldwin and others.

Directed by: James Foley, screenplay written by David Mamet.

Runtime: 1 hour 40 minutes approx.

The hardest thing in life is sell.

Cinema has always been reflective of the then prevalent culture. Each era has garnered in its share of politically and or socio-economically germane films. ‘Glengarry Glen Ross’ is one mighty fine example.

Story

‘Glengarry Glen Ross’ is a no holds barred look into a real estate sales office. We have Ricky Roma (Pacino), the hotshot salesman and the guy who’s on top of his game currently. We also have experienced Shelley Levine (Lemmon), who seems to have run out of his professional charm. Then there’s Dave Moss (Harris), who’s had it with the inefficient management and the gullible George Aaronow (Arkin), who isn’t performing upto expectations either. And to supervise them, John Williamson (Spacey). We understand that things aren’t going too well at the office. People aren’t ‘closing’, and not many signatures appear over the dotted lines. As a ‘promotional’ strategy, a new gimmick is added to the month’s sales contest. First prize, a Cadillac Eldorado. Second, a set of steak knives. Third, a pink slip. So it all amounts to the fact that, the office will be two employees less, at the end of the month. What ensues forms the bulk of ‘Glengarry Glen Ross.’

Characterization

Jack Lemmon commented on this being the best cast he was ever a part of. And not without reason. Lemmon, Al Pacino, Ed Harris, Alan Arkin, Kevin Spacey, Alec Baldwin… if this isn’t a star cast, I don’t know what is. Veterans of the trade, all of them sink into their character’s shoes. Yes, a star cast that actually works! As Alec Baldwin’s Blake would say, ‘Oh, I have your attention now?’

It’s not difficult, but impossible to rate the performances. While Arkin and Spacey underplay their roles with such precision, the others make merry with the space they’ve been given. You can’t help but mention Blake (Alec Baldwin in a deliciously over the top role), who mesmerizes you in the short time he’s on the screen. Harris is wonderful as the guy who’s fed up with his job and refuses to stay quiet about it. Pacino imparts to his character a certain respect, an authority that doesn’t wane even after the movie ends. Lemmon is simply brilliant as the venerable, berating, lost-the-touch Levene.

The movie gives the cast a great deal of opportunity, and they shine in their respective roles. Here are 6 despicable characters. On a normal day, you’d hate them, but you can’t help but appreciate the first rate portrayal that everyone’s come out with.

Screenplay

For a movie that boasts of dialogue as its major forte, the screenplay has to be nothing short of excellent. And excellence is what David Mamet provides. The movie sparkles with corrosive dialogues, monologues, one-liners… you name it, and it’s there. Perhaps the greatest achievement of the movie is a perfect screenplay to match the star ensemble. Not for one moment do you think that a frame could’ve been better done. Every scene is worth its weight in gold.

It’s futile to pick a moment that epitomizes the movie, but Baldwin’s short diatribe is as close as one can get. His Blake gets a grand total of 10 minutes, but makes the most of it. I’ve seen quite a few powerful lines, but this acrimonious bit tops it all. What a way to give your employees an inferiority complex!

Conclusion

‘Glengarry…’ makes a lot of promises, and lives up to them. It blows you away with some sublime acting and heavy dialogue that complements it nicely. This, ladies and gentlemen, is powerful cinema. Entertainment guaranteed.

Personal Opinion /Discussion (Heavy Spoilers!)

Very few movies impress me on account of their dialogues alone. At this moment I can only think of a few: Tarantino’s ‘Pulp Fiction’ and The Marx Brothers’ ‘A Night at the Opera’ and some of the Python outings. While ‘Glengarry…’ is neither as zany as the former nor is it anywhere near to being as humorous as the latter, it has a tendency to leave you spell-bound, with sharp, strong lines. Placed at the right time and delivered with expert correctness.

Another endearing fact is the gutsy portrayal of a salesman, if not the whole environment that cares shit about people in the lower echelons. Blake is the personification of a callous top management (“You can't close the leads you're given, you can't close shit, *you are* shit, hit the bricks pal, and beat it, 'cause you are going *out*.”). And we have Williamson, who’s frequently on the receiving end of a lot of shit, but shows his true face towards the end (“Because I don’t like you.”).

Another perspective that ‘Glengarry…’ portrays oh so effectively is how human tendencies change when a difficult situation is thrust upon them. Shelley resorts to bribing, Moss will stop at nothing short of crime, and Spacey is at his double-crossing cum judicial best. It’s anything but new; we’ve seen it in so many movies. Despite that fact, ‘Glengarry…’ comes across as a breath of fresh air.