Review of The Fountainhead (1949) by Kelsey C — 12 Aug 2010

I've never read the novel. I had a copy kicking around for a while when I was a young moron who didn't know any better, I just thought it was one of those books that smart people were supposed to read.

But as I soon as I learned a little bit about Ayn Rand and her ideas, I ditched it. And if the book is written as poorly as this movie (and Rand wrote the screenplay, so probably), that was a very wise decision.

Holy shit, this is terrible dialogue. Terrible, terrible, terrible. I really don't think I've ever heard worse, and I've seen The Room. As we are being CONSTANTLY reminded that Roark is too genius and original for the mediocre sheeple, the dialogue could not possibly more literal or didactic.

It's mind-bogglingly awful and laughable, I couldn't believe what I was hearing. No doubt Rand felt the unwashed masses were unable to glean anything from context or subtext, so it's all just text.

.. overwritten pap that spells everything out, over and over and over again. I wouldn't even mind that the movie's themes are so offensive, if they were at least conveyed with some degree of subtlety.

I've also never thought much of Gary Cooper, and this performance doesn't change my opinion. And Max Steiner's score is, as usual, completely overdone. King Vidor's direction actually is pretty good in terms of visual stylization, but it's not nearly enough to save this steaming pile of horseshit.