P.J. O’Rourke: Atlas Shrugged. And So Did I

Wall Street Journal ^ | 4/6/2011 | P.J. O'Rourke

[GSWarrior]

Atlas shrugged. And so did I.

The movie version of Ayn Rand’s novel treats its source material with such formal, reverent ceremoniousness that the uninitiated will feel they’ve wandered without a guide into the midst of the elaborate and interminable rituals of some obscure exotic tribe.

“Atlas Shrugged” presents other problems for a moviemaker. The book was published in 1957 and set in an America of the future. But time seems to have taken a U-turn, so that we’re back in a worse Great Depression with a more megalomaniacal business competition-loathing FDR-type administration. All sorts of things have been uninvented, such as oil pipelines so that oil has to be shipped by rail, railroads being the dominant form of transportation. Airplanes exist, but knowing where to fly them apparently doesn’t, because a secret hidden unknown valley in the Rocky Mountains figures in the plot, which also hinges on a substance that’s lighter and stronger than steel. This turns out to be a revolutionary new steel alloy! Because Rand forgot about plastics.

The “Atlas Shrugged” movie simply accepts these unimaginative imaginings. No attempt is made to create a “future of the past” atmosphere as in the movies about Batman (a very unRandian figure, trapped in his altruism costume drama). Nor is any attempt made to update Rand’s tale of Titans of Industry versus Gargantuas of government.

An update is needed, and not just because train buffs, New Deal economics and the miracle of the Bessemer converter are inexplicable to people under 50, not to mention boring. The anti-individu

[Secret Agent Man]

They have charted more than one way to their goals. If nobody stops them politically, they get what they want because they will destroy the country. If it turns into CWII, they get what they want because it destroys the country.

[sasquatch]

Morning,
A movie review by PJ is somewhat like a book review by Charlie Sheen.
The nearest theater showing Atlas Shrugged on Friday is...
San Jose.

[dfwgator]

The absolutely worse part of the book besides Ayn’s turgid at best writing style is that she refused to use an editor. That’s how we end up with a 100 page screed by Galt. That book could have been shortened by over 200 pages without missing anything.

"Yes, at first I was happy to be learning how to read. It seemed exciting and magical, but then I read this: Atlas Shrugged by Ayn Rand. I read every last word of this garbage, and because of this piece of s**t, I am never reading again." - Officer Barbrady (South Park)

[Lx]

I love that part, especially when he holds up the book. Too funny.

[mad_as_he$$]

lol..From what I hear it might be worth the trip.

[r-q-tek86]

I just read ‘The Fountainhead’ a few weeks ago.

My mom gave me that one when I was in architecture school because she thought it was about an architect. I've loved Rand's work ever since.

Take a look at Anthem sometime. By far the shortest of the four Rand novels, but the best of the four IMHO. I think of it as having been set in the years after Atlas if the strikers had never come back.

[Hoosier Catholic Momma]

I read ‘Anthem’ fairly recently (last 6 months or so, I think). I loved it. I need to buy a copy of that for my husband, who loved ‘Atlas Shrugged’ and now has my copy of ‘The Fountainhead.’ I read ‘The Fountainhead’ in a week, but I was always an overachiever as a child ;)

[CharlotteVRWC]

I liked the official trailer,,I hope it sells out. Those being negative are worried the movie might stir even further interest in the book.

[r-q-tek86]

Did you know that the rock band Rush set Anthem to music... sort of. 2112 is their interpretation.

I used to read Anthem when I needed inspiration in architecture school. It only takes an hour or so to get through.

The copy I have has the “as published” version as well as Ayn's final mark-up. I haven't looked at the marked up version in a while, but I remember it being interesting.

[Loud Mime]

You’re missing more qualifiers for the ‘rich” liberal and conservative

[Logic n' Reason]

You’re missing more qualifiers for the ‘rich” liberal and conservative

I'll just bet that the definition would be very different between how a liberal would define it and how a conservative would define it....orders of magnitude different.

Of course, most likely the same could be said if we were to ask the definitions from an indivicual who is unemployed and an individual making $90K/year.

[BillyBoy]

>> One thing I enjoy about a lot of Randian purists is that they reject organized religion, but treat any negative remarks toward Rand as the highest form of blasphemy. <<

One thing I enjoy about a lot of Randian purists is they reject any form of compulsory program from the state, but then state her books should be "required reading" in public schools. :-)

[Joe 6-pack]

I also find it curious that Objectivists prattle on and on about experiential reality, that which is here, now and observable, and yet the dreamers and innovators Rand hails are frequently people who dare to envision things which have never been or have no precedent.

It seems to me that many of history's greatest inventors, discoverers and theoreticians would not have subscribed to Rand's philosophy.