The Salesman
Forced to leave their collapsing house, Ranaa and Emad, an Iranian couple who happen to be performers rehearsing for Arthur Miller's "Death of a Salesman" rent a new apartment from one of their fellow performers. Unaware of the fact that the previous tenant had been a woman of ill repute having many clients, they settle down. By a nasty turn of events one of the clients pays a visit to the apartment one night while Ranaa is alone at home taking a bath and the aftermath turns the peaceful life of the couple upside down.
The film earned $7.0M at the global box office.
1 Oscar. 17 wins & 32 nominations
Plot Structure
Story beats plotted across runtime
Narrative Arc
Emotional journey through the story's key moments
Story Circle
Blueprint 15-beat structure
Arcplot Score Breakdown
Weighted: Precision (70%) + Arc (15%) + Theme (15%)
The Salesman (2016) reveals precise narrative architecture, characteristic of Asghar Farhadi's storytelling approach. This structural analysis examines how the film's 15-point plot structure maps to proven narrative frameworks across 2 hours and 5 minutes. With an Arcplot score of 7.2, the film balances conventional beats with creative variation.
Structural Analysis
The Status Quo at 2 minutes (1% through the runtime) establishes Emad and Rana rehearse Arthur Miller's "Death of a Salesman" at their theater, showing their creative partnership and stable life as teachers and actors in Tehran.. Significantly, this early placement immediately immerses viewers in the story world.
The inciting incident occurs at 14 minutes when They discover the previous tenant was a woman with a questionable reputation, evidenced by belongings left behind and neighbors' reactions, creating unease about their new home.. At 11% through the film, this Disruption aligns precisely with traditional story structure. This beat shifts the emotional landscape, launching the protagonist into the central conflict.
The First Threshold at 30 minutes marks the transition into Act II, occurring at 24% of the runtime. This shows the protagonist's commitment to Rana is alone in the apartment when someone buzzes. Believing it's Emad, she opens the door. An intruder enters and attacks her in the bathroom. Emad returns to find her injured and bloody., moving from reaction to action.
At 63 minutes, the Midpoint arrives at 50% of the runtime—precisely centered, creating perfect narrative symmetry. Structural examination shows that this crucial beat Emad identifies the attacker—an older married man who likely mistook Rana for the previous tenant. This false victory (knowing who did it) becomes a false defeat (confronting what revenge actually means)., fundamentally raising what's at risk. The emotional intensity shifts, dividing the narrative into clear before-and-after phases.
The Collapse moment at 95 minutes (76% through) represents the emotional nadir. Here, Emad brings the attacker to the apartment to confront and humiliate him. The man—elderly, weak, with a heart condition—collapses in terror. The "whiff of death" as revenge threatens to become murder., shows the protagonist at their lowest point. This beat's placement in the final quarter sets up the climactic reversal.
The Second Threshold at 101 minutes initiates the final act resolution at 81% of the runtime. Rana makes the decision: she tells the family to take the man to the hospital. Her choice to show mercy breaks the cycle of revenge, but the moral cost has been paid by all., demonstrating the transformation achieved throughout the journey.
Emotional Journey
The Salesman's emotional architecture traces a deliberate progression across 15 carefully calibrated beats.
Narrative Framework
This structural analysis employs a 15-point narrative structure framework that maps key story moments. By mapping The Salesman against these established plot points, we can identify how Asghar Farhadi utilizes or subverts traditional narrative conventions. The plot point approach reveals not only adherence to structural principles but also creative choices that distinguish The Salesman within the drama genre.
Asghar Farhadi's Structural Approach
Among the 4 Asghar Farhadi films analyzed on Arcplot, the average structural score is 6.3, demonstrating varied approaches to story architecture. The Salesman represents one of the director's most structurally precise works. For comparative analysis, explore the complete Asghar Farhadi filmography.
Comparative Analysis
Additional drama films include Eye for an Eye, South Pacific and Kiss of the Spider Woman. For more Asghar Farhadi analyses, see Everybody Knows, The Past and A Separation.
Plot Points by Act
Act I
SetupStatus Quo
Emad and Rana rehearse Arthur Miller's "Death of a Salesman" at their theater, showing their creative partnership and stable life as teachers and actors in Tehran.
Theme
During rehearsal, dialogue from Miller's play about dignity and what a man does when wronged foreshadows the moral questions Emad will face.
Worldbuilding
Establishing the couple's world: their apartment building is evacuated due to structural damage, forcing them to find new housing. Their colleague Babak offers them an apartment whose previous tenant left suddenly.
Disruption
They discover the previous tenant was a woman with a questionable reputation, evidenced by belongings left behind and neighbors' reactions, creating unease about their new home.
Resistance
Despite concerns, they move in and continue their routines—teaching, rehearsing the play. The apartment's past tenant becomes a shadow presence as they settle into the space.
Act II
ConfrontationFirst Threshold
Rana is alone in the apartment when someone buzzes. Believing it's Emad, she opens the door. An intruder enters and attacks her in the bathroom. Emad returns to find her injured and bloody.
Mirror World
At the hospital, Rana's trauma becomes clear—she is physically injured but emotionally shattered, refusing to report the attack to police. Her silence and shame mirror the play's themes of damaged dignity.
Premise
Emad becomes obsessed with finding the attacker. He discovers clues: the man left his truck, phone, wallet. While Rana withdraws emotionally, Emad tracks evidence, torn between protecting his wife and seeking justice/revenge.
Midpoint
Emad identifies the attacker—an older married man who likely mistook Rana for the previous tenant. This false victory (knowing who did it) becomes a false defeat (confronting what revenge actually means).
Opposition
Emad pursues the man while maintaining the facade of normal life. Rana discovers his obsession and begs him to stop. The play performances continue, with life imitating art as Emad embodies Willy Loman's desperation.
Collapse
Emad brings the attacker to the apartment to confront and humiliate him. The man—elderly, weak, with a heart condition—collapses in terror. The "whiff of death" as revenge threatens to become murder.
Crisis
The man's family arrives. Emad must choose: let the man die/call ambulance, expose him to his family, or show mercy. Rana witnesses Emad's capacity for cruelty. Their marriage hangs in the balance.
Act III
ResolutionSecond Threshold
Rana makes the decision: she tells the family to take the man to the hospital. Her choice to show mercy breaks the cycle of revenge, but the moral cost has been paid by all.
Synthesis
The aftermath unfolds. The couple performs the final scenes of "Death of a Salesman" as their relationship remains fractured. The play's tragedy mirrors their own—dignity cannot be restored through revenge.
Transformation
Final image: Emad and Rana sit in silent devastation after the performance. Unlike the opening where they were creative partners, they are now isolated by trauma and moral compromise. The salesman's tragedy is complete.