Atlas Shrugged: The Movie
Brad Aisa
>Has anyone every considered making Atlas Shrugged as a cartoon?
>
>I think the realistic/heroic style of the Superman theatrical cartoons
>of the 40s would be the perfect media for the exaggerated characters
>of Atlas Shrugged.
First, a correction. The characters of Rand's fiction are not "exaggerated"
-- they are Romantic fictional characters, which means they are selective
recreations of real people, designed to express certain aspects of
character or ideas. (The term "exaggerated" contains an implied value
judgment, according to an inapplicable standard of value for the
context.) Ayn Rand discusses these issues in The Romantic Manifesto.
Ayn Rand promoted the idea to Walt Disney of producing an animated version
of 'Anthem'. (see "Letters of Ayn Rand")
I think it will done as a live action film though. But it certainly doesn't
have to be constrained by the stiffling Realist styles of film today. Gawd
-- they have millions of dollars and this wonderful medium, all of which
they spend to make it look like a documentary!
>Also has anyone considered changing the venue/time of Atlas Shrugged.
>I think it would modernize well, Colorado -> Moon,
>Rearden metal -> diamond fiber composites, copper -> diamond,
>trains -> spaceships, etc.
The time period should be the "near future present". Atlas Shrugged is
Romantic Realism. Therefore, this means the film should NOT be a frozen
projection of 50's America (Naturalism, or Literalism -- not Romanticism),
NOR can it be some wildly futuristic extrapolation (Speculation, not
Realism). Some of the particulars should be updated as appropriate to
this need, but only with the goal of *keeping* it set in the near future.
This means that clothing and hair styles, for example, should not be those
of today (OR of the 50's), but created for the film. If there are computers
in the offices, they should not be the latest model of IBM PC, but should
be something fictional. etc.
I have read suggestions for transposing all of the plot into entirely new
industries. This would be a greivous mistake, since the novel is
integrated. You can't make changes of that magnitude without seriously
undermining the integration and artistic unity. You will find yourself
running into all kinds of contradictions and flaws, which will require
band-aids and more band-aids. The result would be a frankenstein
monstrosity. It is a testament to Ayn Rand's great skill as a Romantic
novelist, exactly how timeless the story is. It doesn't need "fixing"
before translating it to the screen. The original product is ideal, and
should be the standard guiding those adapting it.
--
Brad Aisa <ba...@hookup.net> web: http://www.hookup.net/~baisa/
1 Mises (M1.00) = 0.01 troy ounce gold; 1 Rand (1R) = 0.01 Mises
"The highest responsibility of philosophers is to serve as the
guardians and integrators of human knowledge." -- Ayn Rand
Thomas Clarke
> Tom Clarke <cla...@cs.ucf.edu> wrote:
> >Has anyone every considered making Atlas Shrugged as a cartoon?
> >I think the realistic/heroic style of the Superman theatrical cartoons
> >of the 40s would be the perfect media for the exaggerated characters
> >of Atlas Shrugged.
> First, a correction. The characters of Rand's fiction are not "exaggerated"
> -- they are Romantic fictional characters, which means they are selective
> recreations of real people, designed to express certain aspects of
> character or ideas. (The term "exaggerated" contains an implied value
> judgment, according to an inapplicable standard of value for the
> context.) Ayn Rand discusses these issues in The Romantic Manifesto.
Hmm, checking the dictionary I find that "exaggerate" and "romanticize"
are related. I was striving for a fairly neutral word when I wrote
that. Somehow to my ear "romanticize" has more of a value judgement.
Romanticize has the sense of making heroic, which was Rand's intent,
whereas exaggerate just means to enlarge beyond the normal.
The purpose of the exaggeration could well be heroic romanticization.
Since I find no one in history who embodies the characteristis of Rand's
heroic characters, I thought "exaggerated" was appropriate. To be
specific, most inventors of new technology were not the same people
who brought that technology into production. Even Edison succeeded in
only electrifying a small portion of Manhattan before he was forced out
of the electric light business by the board of General Electric.
Remington's typewriter was one of many, ditto Howe's sewing machine etc.
In the real world Rearden Metal would have been one of many competing
improved alloys, and the fact that his alloy became accepted would have
been due to his business skills, not his unique inventive skills.
> Ayn Rand promoted the idea to Walt Disney of producing an animated version
> of 'Anthem'. (see "Letters of Ayn Rand")
Probably would have worked. But I don't know if Disney could have achieved
the dark style of those old Superman cartoons. I think Anthem should
have been dark, not bright.
> I think it will done as a live action film though. But it certainly doesn't
> have to be constrained by the stiffling Realist styles of film today. Gawd
> -- they have millions of dollars and this wonderful medium, all of which
> they spend to make it look like a documentary!
I don't see that in current films at all. Are you thinking of Apollo 13?
> >Also has anyone considered changing the venue/time of Atlas Shrugged.
> >I think it would modernize well, Colorado -> Moon,
> >Rearden metal -> diamond fiber composites, copper -> diamond,
> >trains -> spaceships, etc.
> The time period should be the "near future present". Atlas Shrugged is
> Romantic Realism. Therefore, this means the film should NOT be a frozen
> projection of 50's America (Naturalism, or Literalism -- not Romanticism),
> NOR can it be some wildly futuristic extrapolation (Speculation, not
> Realism). Some of the particulars should be updated as appropriate to
> this need, but only with the goal of *keeping* it set in the near future.
That is why I think SF, "Hard Science" fiction would be the appropriate
expression. Look at how well "2001: A space Odyssey" has held up.
The only thing about to become obsolete in that movie is the date in the
title.
> I have read suggestions for transposing all of the plot into entirely new
> industries. This would be a greivous mistake, since the novel is
> integrated. You can't make changes of that magnitude without seriously
> undermining the integration and artistic unity.
> ... It doesn't need "fixing"
> before translating it to the screen. The original product is ideal, and
> should be the standard guiding those adapting it.
Come on. Trains? A new metal for the rails? Atmospheric electricity?
How fifties! No, make that: How Thirties!
If you want to make it "near future present" you are going to have
to get rid of all the "near past present" elements.
Certainly it would not be easy to transpose Atlas Shrugged to new
technologies, but if you don't it will come across as hopelessly dated.
Perhaps if the industries cannot be changed, then the story should be
presented as an "alternative near past". A world that could have been
if history had gone a little differently. In some ways Atlas Shrugged
reads like an alternative history of the Great Depression.
Depends on the purpose of the movie. If it is solely artistic then
just translate the novel. If you want to make the story inspire
people by showing them how Objectism increases productivity
etc, then what is produced should look realistic and not old hat.
Tom Clarke
Thomas Clarke
writes:
> In article <4hl5fu$a...@noc.tor.hookup.net> ba...@hookup.net (Brad Aisa)
writes:
> > Tom Clarke <cla...@cs.ucf.edu> wrote:
> > >...the exaggerated characters of Atlas Shrugged.
> > First, a correction. The characters of Rand's fiction are not "exaggerated"
> > -- they are Romantic fictional characters,
> Hmm, checking the dictionary I find that "exaggerate" and "romanticize"
> are related. I was striving for a fairly neutral word when I wrote
> that.
I forgot to mention why I was striving to be neutral.
Not only do I think the heroes are "romaticized" (in the dictionary
sense), but Rand's villains are too stupid to live. The villians
are overdrawn as well.
Hence I wanted to use a word that could apply to both heroes and villains.
I just spotted "overdrawn" (used above) in the thesaurus.
Maybe that would have been a better choice.
Tom Clarke