The story of Atlas Shrugged centers around Dagny Taggart, a VP of Operations for the Taggart Transcontinental Railway. She witnesses collapse of society all around her as government increasingly asserts control over all industries including her railway. Meanwhile, the most productive citizens of the nation mysteriously disappear as they are led by the mysterious, yet sought after, John Galt to a place unknown where they can never be found. Galt's goal was to "stop the motor of the world" by withdrawing from the world the "minds" that drove society's productivity and growth. He proposed to force civilization to see that when people are slaves to government and society, when you destroy the profit motive, then your society will inevitably collapse.
The title, Atlas Shrugged, is in reference to a Titan of Greek mythology who holds the weight of the world on his shoulders. The conversation between Francisco d'Anconia and Hank Rearden displays the relationship between the mythology and the story itself. Francisco asked Hank what he would suggest to the Titan what to do as every time Atlas gave greater effort the heavier the weight of the world bore. Hank couldn't come up with an answer but Francisco said that he would simply tell him to shrug. Hence the title of the book, Atlas Shrugged.
When the movie came out, I was thrilled! I had been waiting for a long time with many others for a movie on the book to come out. I went by myself but still ended up talking to other patrons there who were just as excited as I was for the movie to finally be played.
Having read the book, I found great appreciation for the movie. The movie was done on a budget and it did show but even so, it was still appreciable. I could feel myself build some anger as I watched what happened to Hank Rearden and to Ellis Wyatt and to their companies. What a person who did not read the novel may not know is how these two men got to where they are in their companies. Perspectively, neither one of them was born with a silver spoon but worked all their lives to build everything that they have. Hank rose from being a miner in a coal mine and on to an industrial giant to his eventual creation of Rearden metal which proved to be not only the most economical but light weight and yet strong. And so it angered me when their companies were slapped with taxes only because there were some people who felt they should "contribute" more to their fellow man as if they hadn't already. But I could feel my blood boil even more when they forced Hank to give up over half of his industries that he worked so hard to build. All that Hank was left with was his steel industry and the secret metal that he was unwilling to share which caused a lot of jealousy amongst other politicians and businessmen. Anyway, I do think it is important to read the book as you do miss out on a lot and you can understand better what the characters are going through.
I was disappointed that they couldn't include anything about the people from the book. I remember reading how the railroad engineers supported Dagny's new "controversial" railway and were lining up in her office to volunteer to drive the train in spite of the union leader's call not to drive her train. I also remember reading about how volunteers would guard the rail so that no one could steal the metal or sabotage the train's first run. People have a tendency to get behind leaders who are rational and will follow truth where ever it goes.
I have heard people say that they were disappointed there weren't any messages shared in the movie. Maybe it's just me but I thought there was. I felt the movie made me think about not only about how government has a tendency to be absolutist but about our relationship with others including family. You see how Wesley Mouch betrays Hank Rearden using the government to bring his industry down. You also watch as you see Hank's manipulative wife, mother and ungrateful brother who show no appreciation for everything he provides for them. Hank's own family hinders his progress in his industry by slowing him down and weigh him with altruistic ideas.
Overall, I think it was a great movie and I look forward to part 2 of the movie. I do recommend reading the book before seeing it but even so, it's just as well. It is obvious the movie was done on a dime and you get what you pay for, but it's still worth it.
Unfortunately, unlike in this book, many CEOs and Industrialists are merely wealthy aristocrats who were born into the moneyed elite. Rand's book is a healthy expression of her own hatred for communism, but hers is an extreme philosophy that simply is unworkable. The rich, though, have always used stories to justify their high place in society. Egyptian rulers pretended to be descended from gods and gods themselves. Unfortunately, the ordinary people will work themselves to death without knowing that they too deserve to live under much better conditions.
ReplyDeleteJeff, it sounds as if you haven't read the book or may have missed some parts of it. Hank Rearden worked from the ground up and started out as a poor miner. Ellis Wyatt also worked from the ground up to create his oil company. Also, John Galt, himself was never rich but was just a very brilliant middle class man. According to the story John Galt went to university to study philosophy and physics and became the inventor of the electro static atmospheric motor; a motor that could be run off of static electricity basically. But his work never came to fruitation because the company he was working for decided to equal the playing field, so to speak, for all the worker. It meant that he would have to work for the same amount of pay as the custodian. Galt went through years of college to obtain his skills and knowledge, and his years of study and development on the motor would be valued the same as the guy who is cleaning the room which does not take much skill or knowledge to do.
ReplyDeleteThe book is not about the rich being placed on the pedestal. In fact, Ayn had utter contempt for some of the rich. In her book, she did have some rich people in there such as Dagny's brother, Wesley Mouch, and other very wealthy people in there who were held in a bad light. Dagny's brother James, was the President of the railroad company and he didn't deserve to be. He back stabbed Dagny a lot and used government as a means to promote his own company. Wesley Mouch, the supposed attorney for Hank's company, mooched off of Hank and double crossed Hank.
I can go on and show you were you are wrong in your judgement of the story but it really does sound as if though you never read the book. Ayn Rand is not about the rich being all the good guys and all that. She's about individual rights. I would advise you to read the book before you come to such off base conclusions.