I may not agree with most of Ayn Rand's philosophy, but I do consider her a great fiction writer, and I found this documentary tremendously interesting in all aspects. "The Fountainhead" is one of my favorite books of all time, as it speaks of mediocrity becoming the highest standard by which all is compared - just watch "American Idol" some time and see it in action. She was right. The book was a tremendous eye-opener for me as an artist. I didn't know much about her until I saw this; she was a most fascinating and unusual woman.
The documentary covers Rand's life and work in great detail. It includes her affair with Nathaniel Branden, which didn't seem to keep her from loving her husband - her interview after her husband's death (I believe with Phil Donahue) was remarkable as she speaks about her lack of belief in an afterlife. If she believed in it, she goes on to state, she would have contemplating killing herself in order to join him.
I have to admit that my favorite part of the documentary was a description of the making of the film "The Fountainhead." Rand was apparently a woman first and a philosopher second. She adored Gary Cooper from the time she first came to Hollywood and worked as an extra in silent films. Thrilled that he would be starring in "The Fountainhead," there is a photo of her gazing lovingly up at the tall and gorgeous Cooper. I don't remember how many years it took Rand to write the hero's final speech in the book...but after it was filmed, Cooper admitted he really hadn't understood it. As intellectual as she was, I doubt it changed her opinion of him.
The documentary covers Rand's life and work in great detail. It includes her affair with Nathaniel Branden, which didn't seem to keep her from loving her husband - her interview after her husband's death (I believe with Phil Donahue) was remarkable as she speaks about her lack of belief in an afterlife. If she believed in it, she goes on to state, she would have contemplating killing herself in order to join him.
I have to admit that my favorite part of the documentary was a description of the making of the film "The Fountainhead." Rand was apparently a woman first and a philosopher second. She adored Gary Cooper from the time she first came to Hollywood and worked as an extra in silent films. Thrilled that he would be starring in "The Fountainhead," there is a photo of her gazing lovingly up at the tall and gorgeous Cooper. I don't remember how many years it took Rand to write the hero's final speech in the book...but after it was filmed, Cooper admitted he really hadn't understood it. As intellectual as she was, I doubt it changed her opinion of him.