Atlas Shrugged: the movie

Regular readers know that although I was a big fan of Ayn Rand when I was younger, my philosophy of life has gone off on quite a dramatic tangent since then. (Click on the "Ayn Rand" category link at the bottom of this post if you want to read my critiques of her ideas and the movement they spawned, Objectivism.) Even so, I still have a certain sentimental or nostalgic affection for Rand's novels, and I think her message of individualism and self-reliance, though overstated, does provide a useful counterpoint to the ever-encroaching nanny state.

That's why, when I heard that her magnum opus Atlas Shrugged was being made into a relatively low-budget ($5 million) movie on a rushed production schedule, I was disappointed. It seemed to me that such a big book, which still matters a great deal to so many people, deserved better treatment.

Admittedly, the movie in production is Part One of a planned trilogy, so it covers only the first part of the book. Still, with a no-name cast, a TV director, limited production values, an untested screenwriter, and a neophyte producer, the film sounded like a long shot at best.

Well, now there's a trailer on YouTube, and I have to say ... it looks pretty darn good! Much better than I expected, certainly. 

Of course, you can't tell too much about the finished product from a brief advertisement, but it's just possible that the filmmakers have found a way to convert Rand's somewhat dated and heavy-handed story into a slick, contemporary drama with thriller overtones. They may even have found a way to make the railroad industry seem dynamic and relevant to today's audience. 

Will the finished film be any good? It's too soon to tell, but I'm suddenly a lot more interested in this ambitious and interesting project. 

Incidentally, the movie is scheduled for theatrical release on April 15. Hmm, I wonder how they came up with that date ...

The official movie website is here. 

Comments

[Pococurante]

I can't imagine even the most die-hard Randian sitting through six hours of "I shut down my company - watch the world burn!"

But the trailer does suggest a lot of innuendo even if suggestive trains is so 1950s...

[dmduncan]

Well the trailer looks interesting. Gives the impression of speed.

I too have profound differences with Ayn Rand, both in my humanity and my philosophy, but I will not deny that the book's peculiar doomsday scenario does seem prophetic. I get the eerie feeling we're living in Atlas Shrugged, with the absurd things our government is doing right now.

I was thinking about Animal Farm today and wondering if any examples of that book's scenario are readily available, and I realized yes, the history of unions in America mirrors Animal Farm almost perfectly. And with what's happening in Wisconsin, I could hear the cliche: "RRRIPPED FROM THE PAGES OF ATLAS SHRUGGED!!!"

[Kathleen]

I'd rather stab my eyes out with forks to put it mildly, than watch that, but hope the Randians enjoy. Speaking of movies, I caught Masterpiece Theater's production of Anthony Trollope's "The Way We Live Now" the other night on Netflix. Wonderfully done, and just goes to show there's nothing new under the sun.

[BenSix]

Call me a wizened old cynic but I'm not sure too many people will watch it and think, "Yeah, I really empathise with the financial elites..."

[dmduncan]

Well I sure hope the world consists of more than those who would stab their eyes out with forks before watching it, and Randians. I'll watch it, and I belong to neither category.

[Michael Prescott]

"I'm not sure too many people will watch it and think, 'Yeah, I really empathise with the financial elites...'"

There does seem to be a resurgence of interest in Rand, though, at least in the US. Her novels get a new lease on life every twenty years or so; the last time was during the Reagan administration. Interest usually peters out after a while, probably because her philosophy really is rather heartless and, in some respects, almost sociopathic. (I say this even though I think she had *some* good ideas and certainly could tell a good story.)

The film is low-budget enough that it can probably turn a profit even if only a select audience goes to it (and buys the DVD). Based on the trailer, I think there's a good chance it will do sufficiently well to allow for the whole trilogy to be made.

[Bryan.A]

Looks materialistically boring to me.

Heck i'd prefer they make a movie of Bioshock (the game) where Ayn Rand's philosophy is part of the core storyline.

[Art]

I participate on a Retire Early message board and about 70% of the board participants are very conservative Libertarian or Republican posters and they LOVE and worship Ayn Rand.

http://boards.fool.com/retire-early-campfire-112992.aspx?mid=29113965

They take it very seriously. They talk about her all the time and I just stay out of that discussion. Anyway, they are excited about the movie. I suppose I should copy the link and post it over on that board so they can enjoy it. I find it the whole thing rather humorous.

[BenSix]

Perhaps. As long as no one tries to film that monologue. (I do find it ironic, though, that a paean to meritocratic elitism is directed by a guy from One Tree Hill and stars performers from such classics as Twilight, Ugly Betty and Anacondas: The Hunt for the Blood Orchid...)

[Jim Baird]

I dunno - sounds to me like they haven;t changed any of her clunky dialog. Looks like a capitalist version of "Battlefield Earth"...

[Zoe Golightly]

I share your sentiments re Ayn's books. They will always be near and dear to my heart: and one of the catalysts to my own choices and the courage to live my life doing what I love, despite all else.
A good friend of mine Jsu Garcia is actually one of the stars of Atlas Shrugged has invited me to go to a preview of the film at Sony next Thursday so I'm very much looking forward to that.
Also wanted to share with other movie fans and fans of Rand's work about Jsu Garcia's other upcoming movie called The Wayshower - incredible. Anyway check out the trailer on youtube - The Wayshower Movie!

[Michael Prescott]

Thanks for your comment, Zoe. Isn't Jsu Garcia playing the role of Francisco D'Anconia?

I hope you enjoy the preview!

[Zoe Golightly]

Yes he is!! Have you seen this yet: behind the scenes footage just released: http://theblogprof.blogspot.com/2011/02/reasontv-behind-scenes-of-atlas.html Actually if you wanted to interview him I could certainly arrange that.

[Michael Prescott]

Thanks for the offer, but I don't blog too much about the movies here. I'm sure he'll be busy doing a lot of interviews over the next few months!

[dmduncan]

Ayn Rand does inspire these extreme reactions, love or hate, but it's also true that there are some of us who can appreciate some of what she wrote without being either a true believer or mortal enemy. And she also is an example of that Animal Farm moment where she became, as the center of a cult, the sort of autocrat that she reviled in her novels. Ironic.

She is also wrongly identified as a supporter of the sort of Wall Street crookery and pure Monsanto villainy that most left wing types think of as "capitalist." Ayn Rand romanticized capitalism and her capitalist heroes were nothing like the types of people headlining the news today. (Not that you hear much about what Monsanto is up to on the news).

But some people use the standard terminology to think about all things political and so everyone gets put here or there because "other" is not usually a standard category anymore.

[Mark Alexander]

The Atlas Shrugged trailer looks great (but then so did the Legend of the Guardians trailer). I like the actors...lots of good character actors...but Dagney seems a bit flat.

Still, after all these years, Hank Reardon and Francisco and Wyatt can still get to me. Those are the kinds of people I'd like as neighbors.

I hope my favorite powerful scenes are done right. It can be a real kick-ass movie, despite the weirdness of the novel.

[Mark Alexander]

One review by someone who has seen the first film at a Preview says they got it right.

http://bighollywood.breitbart.com/jsexton/2011/02/25/atlas-shrugged-part-1-review-high-speed-rail-done-right/?utm_source=feedburner&utm_medium=feed&utm_campaign=Feed%3A+BigHollywood+%28Big+Hollywood%29

[Michael Prescott]

Thanks for the link, Mark.

A longer version of the same review is here:

http://www.verumserum.com/?p=21923

Sounds a heckuva lot better than I ever expected. I was ridiculing this movie on another site, and now I may have to (happily) eat my words.

[cosmetic surgery marketing guide]

The novel Atlas Shrugged is Rand's magnum opus. And now it has been turned in, so we say, a movie is quite interesting.