Atlas Shrugged film Review
I read Atlas Shrugged in 2006, during a turbulent summer. I was empowered by a strong, intelligent female character. Finally someone wrote sci fi and and kinky romance right. And its a dystopia novel, a formula I often enjoy. This story's heroine inspired me to put myself first in relationships for once, and all of that turned out very well. Then I read it again. I even made the storytellers of Drink Deep 3 plot me a sheet so I could play Dagny. I must be the only Dagny Taggart cosplayer ever. (See facebook profile pic.)
Years later, I still love this story. Yes, I am hurtling toward the left, but I still love it.
I also think I love the idea of intelligent, capable, determined, productive people being better than everyone else, to be honest. I'm trying to work on that attitude, kinda. (Though Rand supports it.)
The film, only showing in select theaters now, was a fairly good adaptation of the book. I am glad they did not try to mess with it too much. The actress playing Dagny was a bit soft and pretty for the part, but this is to be expected in Hollywood.
Just enjoy this and don't worry too much about the villainization of the bleeding-heart businessmen who run their businesses with lobbyists. It is, after all, just a movie. The beginning of the film showed some powerful and current political "What If's" What if we keep going in this direction? What if the price of gasoline rose to $35 a gallon by 2016? Perhaps that's why it wasn't a period piece, so filmakers could fill theater seats with Tea Party republicans being told what they already believe. And because our characters can have nice Blackberries.
Again, still kinda badass, even without silk stockings, gray slanted hats, and expensive but understated fur coats.
Of her three lovers in the story, the brilliant metallurgist, Hank Reardon is my favorite. (I wonder why my favorite would be the metallurgist? Hmmmm.) This movie is mostly his and Dagny's story. SPOILER ALERT Their love scene was not nearly as sexy as their scientific discussion of a motor powered on atmospheric electricity, where the actors were allowed to let their characters connect. In fact, the love scene was a bit fail, because it was filmed in awkward lights on lights off shiny-man-back bursts. And Greymaiden remembered that her favorite line, about Dagny being compared to a whore, but positively had been left out. I looked up the speech..
"What I feel for you is contempt. But it's nothing compared to the contempt I feel for myself. I don't love you. I've never loved anyone. I wanted you from the first moment I saw you. I wanted you as one wants a whore - for the same reason and purpose." (Hank) I am not sure what Dagy's response was. Anyone?
Ok...so that's not such a good morning-after speech. But it shows how he fights against society's ideas about sex. I wish more of Rand's sex positive messages were left in this part 1 of the story, but perhaps we will hear more of the sex positive, esteemed partnership values in the other two films. Francisco D'Anconi should have some good quotes in part 2.
This director is very good at filming pretty pictures of the American West. Not so great at directing actors...they were a bit dry - but then...the characters are like that, oozing with rationality. The actor that played the comedian in Mad Men, Patrick Fisher, played Paul Larkin. Totally creepy and irritating, like his Mad Men character. This is the only actor in the film that I have seen before.
So I smiled often and enjoyed the story in full color, and I look forward to the next 2 films. Maybe it isn't for everybody, but I hope that it would be thought provoking even to those who have not read the book, or to those who do not agree with Rand's objectivist moral philosophy.
Years later, I still love this story. Yes, I am hurtling toward the left, but I still love it.
I also think I love the idea of intelligent, capable, determined, productive people being better than everyone else, to be honest. I'm trying to work on that attitude, kinda. (Though Rand supports it.)
The film, only showing in select theaters now, was a fairly good adaptation of the book. I am glad they did not try to mess with it too much. The actress playing Dagny was a bit soft and pretty for the part, but this is to be expected in Hollywood.
Just enjoy this and don't worry too much about the villainization of the bleeding-heart businessmen who run their businesses with lobbyists. It is, after all, just a movie. The beginning of the film showed some powerful and current political "What If's" What if we keep going in this direction? What if the price of gasoline rose to $35 a gallon by 2016? Perhaps that's why it wasn't a period piece, so filmakers could fill theater seats with Tea Party republicans being told what they already believe. And because our characters can have nice Blackberries.
Again, still kinda badass, even without silk stockings, gray slanted hats, and expensive but understated fur coats.
Of her three lovers in the story, the brilliant metallurgist, Hank Reardon is my favorite. (I wonder why my favorite would be the metallurgist? Hmmmm.) This movie is mostly his and Dagny's story. SPOILER ALERT Their love scene was not nearly as sexy as their scientific discussion of a motor powered on atmospheric electricity, where the actors were allowed to let their characters connect. In fact, the love scene was a bit fail, because it was filmed in awkward lights on lights off shiny-man-back bursts. And Greymaiden remembered that her favorite line, about Dagny being compared to a whore, but positively had been left out. I looked up the speech..
"What I feel for you is contempt. But it's nothing compared to the contempt I feel for myself. I don't love you. I've never loved anyone. I wanted you from the first moment I saw you. I wanted you as one wants a whore - for the same reason and purpose." (Hank) I am not sure what Dagy's response was. Anyone?
Ok...so that's not such a good morning-after speech. But it shows how he fights against society's ideas about sex. I wish more of Rand's sex positive messages were left in this part 1 of the story, but perhaps we will hear more of the sex positive, esteemed partnership values in the other two films. Francisco D'Anconi should have some good quotes in part 2.
This director is very good at filming pretty pictures of the American West. Not so great at directing actors...they were a bit dry - but then...the characters are like that, oozing with rationality. The actor that played the comedian in Mad Men, Patrick Fisher, played Paul Larkin. Totally creepy and irritating, like his Mad Men character. This is the only actor in the film that I have seen before.
So I smiled often and enjoyed the story in full color, and I look forward to the next 2 films. Maybe it isn't for everybody, but I hope that it would be thought provoking even to those who have not read the book, or to those who do not agree with Rand's objectivist moral philosophy.