Fades and splitscreens are clumsily done, but most other aspects of this film aren't too distracting. In producing the book and screenplay, Rand wound up laying the foundation for Objectivism, the viewpoint that occupied most of the rest of her life. Patricia Neal improved markedly as the shooting progressed. Cooper shines as the embattled hero. And Raymond Massey gives the performance of a lifetime as a divided man.
This movie is not a substitute for reading the book, but helps as an aid to understanding. Modern audiences, used to soundbites, may find the complex speeches in the book too difficult, although readers of another time wouldn't have flinched.
This movie is not a substitute for reading the book, but helps as an aid to understanding. Modern audiences, used to soundbites, may find the complex speeches in the book too difficult, although readers of another time wouldn't have flinched.