MovieChat Forums > Atlas Shrugged: Part I (2011) Discussion > True to form or Right Wing Trainjacking?

True to form or Right Wing Trainjacking?


First off, let me say I've read the book, along with Rand's other works (Anthem, The Fountainhead) and I'm a huge fan. I enjoyed the book's message of the importance of individual creativity over enforcing social norms.

That being said, is this movie true to the book material or is it a highjacked Tea Partier's wet fantasy? I know the Tea Party LOVES claiming this is their favorite book yet their actions and statements are often the opposite (or feel more like they read the back of the book cover and found it agreeable).

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It's mostly just a bad movie that does an awkward attempt at trying to set it in modern times. There isn't much in the way of politics or philosophy, mostly it's just one suit wearing guy and gal good, other suit wearing guys bad. But because the actors who play Dagny and Hank are so boring, the whole message of exceptionalism is undercut. Basically it's a story of two people who end up driving a bullet train against other people's objections and fears. Then they cram a lot of stuff about Twentieth Century Motors in the last 15 minutes, then the movie ends with Wyatt's torch (and Wyatt is fat and middle aged in this version), then it's to be continued.

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Although dab6's 30-second review is concise and would work well for anyone with A.D.D. wishing they had enough tenacity to read Roger Ebert's review, I gotta go with Intra.
The film avoids the political pitfalls that would earmark it as a GOP fluff piece by staying true to the characters and the spirit of the novel. Yeah, there is evidence of a low budget, but that also indicates there was no "whoring out" of the product in order to appease sponsors or individual agendas.

What we have is a decently played and directed film with some flaws. Aside from the flaws Intra notes, I would add that some of the dialogue feels stilted and unnatural due to the ambition to stay true to Rand's words and form. But I've seen this done in many screen adaptions and it's nothing new.
I'll also add that any spark of romance and sexual passion or tension is weak. It almost seems as a high school play in this regard, where the actors' body language says "OK, we're supposed to get intimate now. let's gear up to do this". But these are minor and few.

Considering how much money went into the movie "2012", this film got better actors, better, more believable action and a timeless message, all for less than 10% of "2012"'s budget.

It certainly won't capture the audience who wants car chases and cop-buddies blowing up tankers full of bad guys. There's no 3D animations or Johnny Depp doing Johnny Depp stuff. But for someone who wants to see excerpts of "Atlas Shrugged" come to life, I think this film does a fair and reasonable job of it.


"Atlas Shrugged- Part 1"- NOW in Canada
Coming soon to DVD!

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I was reminded of a few of the lines in "A Few Good Men" which, though grammatically correct and kept true to the source material, didn't play naturally when brought to life. And yes, "The Fountainhead" had issues with this as well. But overall, this film played pretty damned well and I was pleased with the final product.



"Atlas Shrugged- Part 1"- NOW in Canada
Coming soon to DVD!

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...Rand never actually described the sex.. she described more what her heroines thought about during sex...
And that gives frightening insight into her psyche!

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...afraid of sexually passionate women? I think that says something more about you.
Ah, yes...if only someone would rape me so that I could truly know sexual passion. *sigh*

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if you're not into degradation and some tasteful violence with your sex, you must be one of those moochers i hear so much about.

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I guess I'm just too repressed. My tastes run more toward sensuality and mutual gratification than pain, humiliation, and subordination.

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You say that like it's a bad thing.
Exactly! I think reading The Virtue of Selfishness has caused stress to my brain that I may never fully recover from. It's only saving grace is the occasional chapter by Nathaniel Branden, who, although he had fallen under the sway of Rand's distorted ideology, could at least write well.

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When an ex-girlfriend (going out at the time) gave me the Philosophy of Selfishness to read I started thinking about how I was going to dump her.

In the end it turned out she was a freaking Satanist too.

Randists are fked in the head.

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Or you're just a troll, and you've never read Rand's writing.
All things are possible.

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i know that imdb isn't famous for posts making sense (witness the collected writings of intracoastalcruiser, for instance), but i really have no clue what you're trying to say.

could you please explain your point using, y'know...words?

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Great job pigeon-holing Tea Party members. I'm sure all the Occupy Wall Street (OWS) are unbathed, unemployed proto-Marxists.

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I can see where and why Tea Partiers, Republicans and other conservative groups identify with this movie and the message. I tend to agree that corporations should be about making money and people should be about helping people. Nothing should be forced on a corporation/business to make them be more helpful towards the poor. Government should stay out of the way. The place where government should intervene is by reducing its size and influence and by lesssening our tax burden, therefore we would be allowed to keep more of the money we make to spend it on whatever we choose, and if charity is where a person wants to put their money then it would be their choice. Unions need to go away as well, they are no longer necessary . Yes, yes, the Triangle Shirt Factory tragedy of long ago showed us why a union was necessary blah blah blah, but that is no longer the case. I think businesses have ethics and understand there is a way of doing things that doesn't exploit their employees. Now its unions who are exploiting their members and the average taxpayer.

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unions need to go away because businesses now have ethics? that's the funniest thing i've read in quite a while - thanks!

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The book was supposed to be more right wing. It told people to get up and take charge, and that if you want something you go out and take it. It was suppose to be against socialism and how it causes stagnant growth. Basically it was telling people that they aren't "special" and that *gasp* everyone isn't created equal. Sorry if you don't get the message, its a cut throat world and Rand knew that coming from where she did. People cant just cry, bitch, and complain all the time, i mean they can, but that's why there's successful people and, well, bitches.

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Bravo bravo, well said clankinweights

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The place where government should intervene is by reducing its size and influence and by lesssening our tax burden, therefore we would be allowed to keep more of the money we make to spend it on whatever we choose, and if charity is where a person wants to put their money then it would be their choice


And the federal reserve...?

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Basically it was telling people that they aren't "special" and that *gasp* everyone isn't created equal.


At first I thought these were two contradictory thoughts mashed together into a confused hodge podge from a mediocre internet intellect, but then I reread and have come to the conclusion that you sir, better than anyone else on this board, understand the true message that Atlas Shrugged made to its readers.

The reader is not special, and the reader was not made equal to the 2-dimensional avatars of virtue she wrote of.

People cant just cry, bitch, and complain all the time, i mean they can, but that's why there's successful people and, well, bitches.


Yes, truly. If only Rand had your eloquence, she'd have been able to pare her "This is John Galt" speaking chapter down from a 3 hour speech to a simple sentence.

I don't know where bin Laden is. I have no idea and really don't care.
G.W. Bush, 3/13/02

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the audiences gave it a loud ovation on the final scene.
HAHAHAHAHAHAAHHAAH whew! You gave me a great laugh!

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Sorry to offend objectivists but libertarians and objectivists think differently but arrive at the same point. There might be a lot of good stuff going on upstairs but to the outside world you look like libertarians.

With that said, movies are about showing and books are about telling. It's difficult to film thoughts so it's only natural that the movie looks Tea Partyish.

Also I don't think the big guns of objectivism get released until later in the book and we are only on part I so it's hard to tell.

I always thought it was interesting how the book seems to be libertarian but then hits you over the head about have way through and it turns out there's more to it then just hating taxes and regulations.

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yes, even though libertarianism has been around about a hundred years longer than objectivism, it somehow borrows many of its ideas from objectivism. it's incredible what you can learn on imdb, isn't it?

the book bludgeons you with objectivist dogma from the very start. the heroes are all extremely handsome and brilliant people who believe in work and achievement to the exclusion of all else. the villains are all ugly sniveling whiners who are terrified of even the hint of responsibility and constantly moan about "helping the disadvantaged". much of the dialog reads like an objectivist lecture, even from supposed children. as literature, it's comically weak writing.

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you have lost your mind

again with your version of not replying to my posts, i see....

thank you for playing!

current icc scoreboard*:
flat out lie: 10
dance & dodge: 1
substantial response: 3
null value posting: 25

* - all icc comments are condescending and insulting. no separate category required or appropriate.

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you have lost your mind

i appreciate the irony of this post.

thank you for playing!

current icc scoreboard*:
flat out lie: 10
dance & dodge: 1
substantial response: 3
null value posting: 26

* - all icc comments are condescending and insulting. no separate category required or appropriate.

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i'm not sure if i'm supposed to be offended or flattered by the way this conversation has gone. probably both.

i have to admit that i found atlas shrugged to be pretty enjoyable reading. most every page had some unintentional hilarity and i couldn't help but wonder what wacky plot twist she'd come up with next. alas, since i wasn't appreciating the art in the precise way the artist intended that constitutes a failure (by the writer? by me? i'm not sure). c'est la vie!

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I only have a normal, healthy ego

Yeah, I liked that one, too.

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Well, Null, I'm sorry to say this, but I've looked over the list of books you read last year and it looks as if Intracoastalcruiser is right (I know, I thought it was an oxymoron, too); the majority of them appear to be by authors who are now dead. Don't you think you should check to see whether the author is still alive before you read a book? At the very least, that policy would have spared you from reading all those Patrick O'Brian books!

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