ESSAYS, ARTICLES, AND THEORIES ABOUT CINEMA: GLENGARRY GLEN ROSS (1992)

In David Mamet’s written masterpiece, Glengarry Glen Ross (1992), several themes arise from its well-constructed, gripping story. The film is everything from a crime drama to a minimal story surrounding the psychological complexities the characters face. It is important to recognize the use of cinematography in the film, as well as discuss two major themes of the story: male dominance and the effect of Capitalism on the working-class individual.

Cinematographically, there are three different shots that stand out and convey important themes of the story. The first one takes place when Blake lectures the men over the importance of closing. Several shots consist of low-angle shots. The effect of placing the camera at a low angle, titled upwards, gives the feeling of power within the subject being captured. The audience literally and metaphorically looks up to the subject. In this case, it is used to show how much power Blake contains over everyone else.

Another meaningful shot occurs when Levene is pitching the sale to Larry Spannel. After Levene banters on a hard-boiled-paced monologue, describing the benefits they will gain from acquiring land, Larry finally speaks up and says, “So, you want to sell us some land” (Glengarry Glen Ross)? This statement throws Levene off his tough salesman guard and after stumbling over a few words, Larry stands, and in the frame, is cut off from the waist up. As he walks screen left, Levene is still seen in the farground, with full body in the shot. This effect of blocking, visually shows how Larry in the frame literally, but also metaphorically towers over Levene at the moment when Levene fails to gain control.

The final example how cinematography is used to convey meaning in the film takes place after Levene is discovered as the thief. The cop opens the door and asks for him. The camera slowly ZOOMS IN from a medium shot to a medium close up in order to really capture the raw tension inside Levene. The audience connects to him at this moment, because they are brought from their seats right into his mind. His eyes show a feeling of fear, which the audience instantly picks up on with the advantage of the close up. The camera as well could also symbolize fate slowly catching up with him. Levene, being the tough fighter he is, believes for a moment the possibility of getting away with the crime. This is consistent, until Levene hears his name called by the cop and then as the camera ZOOMS IN, his world is being invaded by forces of fate and he feels suddenly claustrophobic.

It is important to recognize the fact all characters in the film are male. This choice alone makes a statement about gender roles within the workplace, specifically the business world. Blake, in the middle of his tirade, pulls out two brass spherical objects linked together by a chain and says, “It takes brass balls to sell real estate” (Glengarry Glen Ross). This comment alone, while sexist, establishes the individual characters as dominatingly misogynistic, but also reinforces the meaning behind their womanless environment. In all truth, these characters see women as powerful individuals, and choose to belittle them for their own successful gain. Moss, in the bar says to Aaronon, “George, we’re men here,” firmly implying their superiority over anyone else who is not a man (Glengarry Glen Ross). Roma gives a speech how a woman brought coffee and a cigarette to him in bed, showing how woman is seen as subservient when it comes to their personal home life. After Levene “closes” his big sale, he exclaims, “A man is his job” (Glengarry Glen Ross)! This shows the pure arrogance when it comes to applying themselves to something. By their standards, being a man: they are the job; and by doing their job: they are men. Not only does Levene state this, but he goes further when he says to Williamson, “You’re a fuckin’ secretary” (Glengarry Glen Ross)! By stating this, his idea of a secretary is obviously a woman, and by associating this title to Williamson, it belittles Williamson’s experience and status within the workplace. This comment actually emasculates Williamson. Levene also makes reference to the male dominance by possessing testicals when he tells Williamson, “I’m cut out to be a salesman, I got by balls back” (Glengarry Glen Ross). His statement means that one must earn their balls via making top sales.

Not only is this self-proclamation of male dominance shown by the salesmen, but also the buyers show the same, if not even more. The salesmen contain obvious flaws within their traits, but the buyers are seen as innocent characters, because they are the ones being impeded upon. In fact, since the story refuses to show the flaws within their traits, the audience are led to believe they are good and the salesmen are bad, however, the scene where Levene is pitching the sale to Larry, it is mentioned by Larry that his wife’s naivety is responsible for Levene’s appearance. This, while going unnoticed since Levene’s sales pitch seems to dominate the scene shows how Larry is just as much a dominant male as Levene. Another example is when James Lingk drunkenly agrees to purchase land from Roma, comes back the next day and wants the check back, because his wife is making him. When this, on a level, shows his subservience to the wife, the scene establishes the wife as a negative force, getting in the way of Roma achieving his goal. This might be different if a scene would have been devoted to James having the discussion with his wife, however she is completely left out of the film. Roma comes back, telling James the reason she wants him to get the check back is because of prudence. He acknowledges her obvious reason is from the reaction to the “size” of the “investment.” Roma’s deep tone of voice implies the meaning of his statement to symbolize the size of the male anatomy. Since the investment is financially too large, he takes it and forms it into his own perverted joke. After Roma’s sale is ruined by Williamson, he tells his office manager, “whoever told you that you could work with men” (Glengarry Glen Ross)? His question implies that working with men is something that must be earned – a privilege for the “ordinary.”

When Blake emerges into the film, the men suddenly are given a challenge. That challenge basically is the person with the highest number on the board wins a Cadillac and the Glengarry Leads, but the person with the lowest number on the board is fired. This mentality similarly resembles a Capitalist ideology in the sense of competition and the better will succeed and the lower will perish. In fact, Blake himself as a character, symbolizes the core of capitalism in the way he acts as the motivator or in this case, aggressor. Without him, the men are basically doing their jobs, however he comes in and raises the stakes by giving what Capitalism offers to citizens: an opportunity. This opportunity comes in the form of the Glengarry Leads, which are neatly wrapped together with a golden ribbon and bow. The leads themselves are colored pink to symbolize just how literally “hot” they really are. The color strikes the eye and tells the brain they stand out compared to the “typical” old leads, which are plain white. It is also important to mention the Capitalist mentality causes the salesmen to keep a business mentality always by referring to each other by their last names. Calling someone by his or her first name shows a personal relationship, which is loathed upon in the business environment. A personal relationship threatens the very structure of the business.

More specifically, the idea of giving and receiving is shown in the film. The stakes are raised and all four salesmen are given the identity of the reward if they come out on top. All four salesmen hold the firm accountable for giving them the car if they win. The glamour of the reward motivates, but they must be the best in order to receive the best. When Roma comes in the next morning after closing the sale with James Lingk, he is the apparent victor, but since the leads were stolen, he is not awarded the car and praised by everyone, so he holds the firm accountable. When Williamson constantly gives excuses, Roma becomes angry since he strove to be the best, held up his end of the bargain, but they failed to keep up their end. Levene happily makes his way into the office with his closed sale, putting him also on top, and let down as well.

In this film, the act of closing brings attention to the fact it in a way results in a loss of sanity. The salesmen put on their masks and psychologically bend their minds to level with the buyers. They surrender their own thought to close the sale and collect the profit. In this story, once a salesman closes the sale, he is the victor. The mind strains, but when they go to claim that prize, which is not there, they fall to insanity. The perfect example of this is shown with Roma slowly losing control when James starts pulling out of the deal. Even when Roma sees that he has lost the sale, he still fights for it. In a way, it is sort of an arrogant perseverance. However, one cannot blame him, because this is what he was trained to do. He is still doing whatever it takes in order to close the sale. The moment when he starts losing it is when he levels with James by referring to the first name basis, saying, “Jim, it’s Ricky” (Glengarry Glen Ross). The business mentality is gone, so he goes for personal. Once Roma thinks the sale is secured for the meantime, Williamson ruins it by revealing the check had already been cleared by the bank. This sends James into a panic and he nervously walks out. The very gratification Roma feels due to the sale, turns to insanity by Williamson’s remark. This throws Roma overboard and he angrily exclaims, “you stupid fucking cunt. You just cost me six thousand dollars and a Cadillac. […] You fucking shit! Where do you learn your trade, you stupid fucking cunt? […] I’m gonna have your job, shithead. […] I don’t care whose nephew you are, who you know, whose dick you’re suckin’ on, you’re goin’ out” (Glengarry Glen Ross). Roma’s shockingly obscene rant shows his moment of breaking out and losing all rational control. He leaves Williamson with: “you never open your mouth ‘til you know you know what the shot is” (Glengarry Glen Ross).

Levene enforces this irrationality by taking Roma’s statement in mind and commenting, “you don’t have to make it up unless you’re sure to help” (Glengarry Glen Ross). This is the most important line of the film. It marks the point of realization to Williamson that Levene is the thief. In actuality, Williamson had not taken James’ check to the bank, and by Levene’s Freudian slip, Williamson was able to spontaneously realize the check was left on the desk and the only way for Levene to know that is to have broken into the office and saw it on his desk. This, of course happens coincidentally on the same night the leads and phones are stolen. Another major event occurs at the same moment. The audience realizes that Williamson was actually helping Roma by telling James the check had already cleared. This handicaps James where if he thinks the check cleared, then nothing else can be done, therefore he gives up the fight and in reality, the check is eventually taken to the bank, it clears and Roma closes the sale. The impression was given that Williamson does not really know anything about salesmanship and the bond between salesmen, when actually they all underestimated Williamson’s ability to sell deception. Since Levene is caught by Williamson, the tides have turned to favor Williamson. Levene says, “I sold ‘em” (Glengarry Glen Ross). While most will deem this as a selfish act, Levene, similar to Roma earlier, merely did what he was trained to do. They all were trained to do whatever it takes to close. Levene takes this to the extreme when he instead of buying protection from Williamson, he tries selling the pride he wants Williamson to see in him. He even tries neatly packaging it into a deal, by not bribing, but offers to sell the money in exchange for secrecy. Of course, doing whatever it takes to close sometimes does not have a successful outcome. This capitalist mentality eventually becomes flawed with greed to the point when it becomes criminal. Levene instantly goes from plan B to C, offering an exchange of 20% from all future sales. Still offering it in a neat sale-like package, he goes as high as 50%. When Williamson refuses, Levine seems more upset with the failure of his sales tactic than the fact he might go to jail. Williamson informs Levene that the big sale he made was actually no good, because the buyers, “just like talking to salesmen” (Glengarry Glen Ross). This brings Levene’s accomplishment to a halt, not to mention the regret stealing the leads. For once, the salesman is the one who has been outsmarted and manipulated. Levene, having absolutely nothing left, goes for pity, saying, “but my daughter” (Glengarry Glen Ross)… He hits rock bottom through turning the situation personal. Again, the personal stays out of the business, because of professionalism. Levene goes where he should not, which insults Williamson to the point where the last thing Williamson says to Levene is an angrily, meaningful, “fuck you” (Glengarry Glen Ross).

The final scene of the film has Roma praising Levene for the “big sale.” Levene, wanting to cherish the praise from the actual top salesman for as long as he can, remains silent about the truth. Upon being called in by the cop to give his confession, Roma says aloud, “That’s the machine! Shelly Levene, the machine” (Glengarry Glen Ross)! Levene, for a split moment, seems as though he is going to confess straight to Roma, but does not. This very Capitalist mentality he instilled within Roma is not rectified, but the look of sorrow in his eyes and the fact he cannot find the words to say, shows Levene’s new view of doing whatever it takes to close will lead down the wrong path. Thus, the film ends with that very Capitalist mentality still alive, but also brings up the social commentary for comparison to today’s salesmen in how no one has learned a thing.