Recently we saw the unceremonious release of part one of “Atlas Shrugged.” There will be those familiar with the writings of Ayn Rand, author of the book Atlas Shrugged, but it is not necessary to the movie. What is necessary is that you come to the movie ready to invest yourself in it. It will make you think both during and after the movie.
One thing you might think about before, during, and after the movie is what the title Atlas Shrugged might actually mean. Coming to terms with the potential meanings within the title may help you in navigating the waters the movie opens up. I don’t like reviewing too much of the plots of movies, as I think this tends to be unfair to the potential view, but I will tell you two things. One is that the title is an important thought exercise in actively watching the move. The other thing is to seek an answer to the question “Who is John Galt?” Both of these are important to the movie and important to your thinking about it.
Atlas Shrugged is about the ideas of the movie. It isn’t about who stars in the movie, who wrote it, produced it or directed it. These people aren’t even mentioned in the opening because there are NO opening credits. Atlas Shrugged is a movie about things that are more than the sum of their parts. In fact, the opening scenes are so powerful that you can feel the potential building up right from the beginning. You may read the plot of the movie, but I will tell you the movie is about so much more than the activities of a railroad magnate. Much more.
Part one of Atlas Shrugged will leave you with much to think about. It brings forth Plato’s ideas of a more perfect society in a way that demands you interact with the very ideas. How is a society built and how can it best operate? I left Ayn Rand a long time ago thinking her cold and harsh, but watching part one of Atlas Shrugged, I realize I may have to revisit everything I ever thought about her. Atlas Shrugged is a sci-fi movie that offers nothing in the way of science but, rather, harkens back to the active thinking Plato, and others, found necessary.
Be prepared when you sit down to watch this movie. Have something mindless set up for afterwards because you will want to rest your mind. This movie is one of the best I have seen this year and I am thankful that those putting it together did not choose to give it to us all at once. See Atlas Shrugged. Think about it. Then, when you have given it thought, proceed to ready yourself for part two.