Posted on 04/15/2011 1:31:44 PM PDT by RobFromGa
Atlas Shrugged Part 1 Quick Review- 5 stars!
Very faithful to Rand's ideas. I didn't feel like they skipped any major items... the back story with Francisco was hinted at and would have been too hard to develop completely.
Casting was superb. Hank (Hooray!) and Lillian (Boo!)Rearden and Ellis Wyatt (!!!) were done perfectly as was Wesley Mouch and the other moochers and looters. Dagny was good but it took about ten minutes for me to completely buy her in the role.
Pace was perfect... it kept moving at a fast speed, and I didn't want it to end.
Cinematography very good- hard to believe only cost about $5 million! The Rearden Metal bridge was great, as was the Colorado landscape shots...
Audience Reaction: Duluth, GA 12:25pm showing was about 80% full (there was noon showing in a larger theater already going) & audience reacted with enthusiasm throughout and Applause at end.
Can't wait for Part 2! I will be going back to see Part One more than once...
Minor nitpick- shouldn't have had the date 2016 on the movie, it is timeless.
I thought all the info was there about the 20th Century Motor company, just in the few lines about “equal pay” and the best people leaving that Rearden conveys to Dagny on the roadtrip. Then we get more snippets from the relatives of the former company employees that they track down and talk to. The one who says the lead engineer was an “evil man” and that he “left the day after the ‘plan’ was announced.” In other words, he was “evil” because he abandoned the company the after they announced his pay would be cut to match the average of the factory drones.
I admired the economy of script that got those ideas across.
Loved it myself - thought it true to the book as well and saw so much more in it than the book as the left is making much of the plot happen in these United States. Mrs. jimfree is already talking about seeing it again if it comes to a second run theatre we go to from time to time. She is a costume historian with a keen color and shape sense, extremely visual. The costume (anniversary party) and set decoration (e.g., Hank Rearden’s office with the 20s era “modern” furniture and fixtures) impressed her much.
The airline industry has been destroyed by high fuel prices ($37.50/gallon), so the crumbling railroad system is the only viable means of commercial transportation.
Perfect !
“”there was also a short bedroom scene between Hank and Lillian showing him leaving after they were done that was a chuckle point in the movie...””
That was delicate wording on your part. That wasn’t as good as the scene where he comes into her bedroom and she asked him what he was there for!!
I think over the years we’ve all given thought to who should/would play the roles IF a movie were to be made of the book. We never thought of unknowns but in my view, they were all excellent...
Please refresh my memory of Paul - I recall the name from the book but I can’t remember the role he played in Reardon’s life. Friend or foe?
Only Hugh Akston smokes, and he smokes that cigarette with the golden dollar sign.
“”The actor who played Paul Larkin “”
I just posted this to Rob from GA but I’m covering all bases. Please refresh my memory as to the role Paul played in Hank’s life - friend or foe? I remember the name from the book but I can’t remember where he fit in.
Paul was a friend of sorts, but he betrays Hank for the money.
Yes, that was clever. And the fuel prices being sky high following turmoil in the Middle East is very timely.
Paul Larkin is a second-hand unsuccessful businessman friend of the Rearden family. His value to the politicians is his relationship with Hank which they use to manipulate him into helping them control Hank. Once Paul is used, he is of no more value to them and we don’t see him again.
Agreed. He didn't seem old enough, either. Owen Kellog seemed more bookish that I had pictured. Mouch seemed much older than I had pictured.
After some reflection, I think my first 2/5 rating was a bit low. I'm going 3.5 now based on people's observation that their spouses - who were not familier with the book - still got the message. I was worried that it wouldn't stand on its own.
...and actually, it wouldn’t require too much of an increase to crash the airline industry again, imho. They started losing money and freaking and charging for luggage 2 years ago when gas hit $4. It’ll be worse this time, and I’m sure jet fuel is following a similar trend line. That’s what makes it real.
Perhaps Stadler's name was Schtadler before he anglicized it.
Dolly - Make sure you look for Billthedrill’s posts in those threads. Bill and Pub did an outstanding job with AS and the Federalist/Anti-Federalist book clubs.
Pub/Bill - Any nibbles?
Still waiting. The market is not good right now.
I thought you were taller ;-)
You’re going to have a much larger part at the end of Part 2 where you infuriate poor Dagney when the train gets “frozen” on the Great Plains.
Don't let that get in the way of a great novel. I'm not very sensitive to such things, but I don't believe there is too much of that part of her philosophy in the book and I didn't detect any in the movie.
Love Angie Harmon!
Trust me, it was told and told well.
Best review yet. I’m going.
thank you for heads up. Will do.
I intend to read all of the chapters & all of the comments along the way.
Disclaimer: Opinions posted on Free Republic are those of the individual posters and do not necessarily represent the opinion of Free Republic or its management. All materials posted herein are protected by copyright law and the exemption for fair use of copyrighted works.