Atlas Shrugged: Part I (2011)

After almost 50 years, this great 20th century novel has at last been turned into a film - in three parts of altogether 4½ hours. The film is naturally not as impressive and complex as the book, but it's still an eye-opener, and its messages get through. Having completed the enterprise of seeing all three films, and having read the book as well, I will try to give the whole thing as objective an evaluation as possible. First of all, it was a great joy to see this great novel filmed at last, especially after almost 50 years and since it's a very difficult and complex story to squeeze into a film at all. The effort on the whole is successful, and I think Ayn Rand (really Alisa Zinovyevna Rosenbaum from Petersburg, Russia,) would have been pleased with it, even in spite of the bathos in the end - but for that I would have given it a 9. The actors are all splendid, the story is made comprehensible, the arguments get through, and the filming leaves nothing to complain of, with a special applause for the train and flight sequences - the accidents (together with the great trial and TV speeches) provide the highlights of the films, and there are quite a number of them in the novel, one more sensational than the other. Also the music is perfectly suited for the story, which is kept in style all the way, with a sigh of relief for at last a great film without any brutality - until the last degrading torture scenes, which fall out. The only irritating detail was for me that the actors are not the same all the way but are switched for every new part. It's not very pleasing to find different persons under the same names for every new part However, no one falls short, and all the three girls playing Dagny, the heroine and center of the story, do her well enough justice. The novel is worth reading and re-reading, while the films don't call for the same desired repetition, at least not for a year or two, but they give a very good introduction and overview of one of the greatest novels of the 20th century - all utopia and speculation, but philosophically very pertinent and relevant, and more so than ever today. It was written (published) in 1957 long before the great hippie movements of the 60s and thus, like everything Ayn Rand wrote, far ahead of its time. It's an additional asset that the films have succeeded in updating the story to the 21st century.

The movie itself, as far as the technical aspects and acting, is a little above average. But I am not faulting it for that. IT IS COMPLETELY ON TARGET AND SCHEDULE WITH WHAT IS HAPPENING IN America TODAY!! The very first frame is:September 2, 2016 !!! That will make it just about the time Obama has ruined the country. I say, Obama. He is just the latest in a long line, and he has had plenty of Muslim Brotherhood appointed government officials to help. Our country is being brought to this Socialistic state very rapidly now. A live beheading of a male American journalist has been posted on the Internet by ISIS (Islamic State) and another 26-year old, female aid worker is now being held for ransom. This is all BESIDES our failed economics or redefining American and redistributing the wealth!! I admit I have not read the book, yet. However, I do know her premise. And I see it happening faster every day. That she is right on target and schedule, only 60 years later, is amazing and disheartening at the same time.I look forward to watching the next two segments. Absolutely disgusting what the Liberal, Progressive, trumped up Political Correctness Leftist are systematically doing to the Greatest Democratic, Capitalist, FREE Country in the world. They think they are so fair and smart, but just wait until they are living under Sharia law. I want to see if they are that almighty happy then!

This may be the first movie I have ever seen that is better than the novel upon which it is based. The movie is dry, but not bland. It actually succeeds somewhat in causing the viewer to sympathize with its main characters, until the viewer wakes up and realizes what these characters are and what they do.Quite a good adaptation of a shockingly bad book; although, the movie did accept Rand's erroneous portrayal of Atlas holding up the "world" (earth), and he actually held the sky; "FACTS" clearly do not matter to Rand, just the statue of Atlas in New York she passed every day in her limo....

Who thought a political movie about trains could be interesting? This movie, while being fairly political in the way it presents itself, keeps you interested with just one simple question: "Who is John Galt?" I started watching this movie because I was bored one day, and I immediately was drawn into the story. The characters, the conversations, and the events all interested me completely, and I have to say that the writing was terrific. This is the first time that I have come into contact with any of Ayn Rand's work. I enjoyed this movie so much that I almost bought the book that the movie was based off of the other day. Yes, this movie was so good that it made me want to read the book. How often does that happen? I am not a person that enjoys many political movies, but this film has so much depth behind all the characters and events that my attention was easily held. If you like political films or just love a great, compelling story, I fully recommend this movie to you.