Atlas Shrugged Part 2 Teaser Trailer

"Atlas Shrugged (I)", the movie trailer

Related

- IMDb
- Babble: "‘Atlas Shrugged’ Movie of Ayn Rand’s Novel Controversial"
- Slate: "Libertarians Shrugged", by David Weigel
- The Atlasphere: "A Roman copy of a Greek original", review by Shrikant Rangnekar
- Reason TV: "The Making of Atlas Shrugged the Movie" (short interviews with Atlas Shrugged movie producer Harmon Kaslow and screenwriter Brian O’Toole)

The view from the Left (and it ain't pretty) -

- The Progress Report: "The Truth About GOP Hero Ayn Rand"

The Remarkable History of "We the Living"

Andrew Leigh on Breitbart's Big Hollywood reviews a remarkable DVD, released just in time for the holiday season.

The question is, what is not extraordinary about "We the Living"? The story itself, written by Russian born American author and philosopher Ayn Rand (1905-1982), the prehistory of the original film - shot in Mussolini's Italian Social Republic in 1942 and banned for its critique of collectivism, or the release of the 1986 version or now, the DVD?

"We the Living" is Ayn Rand's first and most personal novel, first published in 1936, a work which is "as near to an autobiography as I will ever write", she's on the record as commenting.

The novel is set against the background of the Russian Revolution. It tells the story of three people who see through the lies of the parallel reality that the Communists had erected, defy the power of the collective state, and demand to live their own lives, pursue their own happiness.

It laid the groundwork for the integrated theory Rand called Objectivism, which may be summed up as the Ethics of Capitalism.

Another work, "Atlas Shrugged" is still inspiring many liberty loving people today. At the bursting of the dot com bubble sales of the book sharply increased. At the height of the subprime mortgage crisis it ranked #33 among Amazon.com's top-selling books.

- "We the Living" (1942) IMDb page
- "We the Living" (1986) IMDb page
- Review on The Atlasphere by Andrew Leigh

Let There Be Light ...

Ayn Rand gives the following definition of art: "Art is a selective re-creation of reality according to an artist's metaphysical value judgments."

"To acquire the full persuasive, irresistable power of reality, man's metaphysical abstractions have to confront him in the form of concretes, i.e. in the form of art."(double click any word for an explanation.)

More insights are given in this article from the The Atlas Society at the Objectivist Center by William Thomas, "What does Objectivism Consider to be Art (Aesthetics)." Well, it isn't blots on the landscape! More in "Why Man Needs Art" by William Thomas and David Kelley.

Art Daily: "Palazzo Strozzi To Open "Painting Light: The hidden techniques of the Impressionists"

An exhibition of major works by Impressionist and Post-Impressionist masters reveals the secrets behind some of the world’s best-loved paintings. Painting Light: The hidden techniques of the Impressionists will be staged at the Palazzo Strozzi in Florence from 11 July to 28 September 2008. The exhibition comprises over sixty works including masterpieces by Manet, Monet, Renoir, Van Gogh, Gauguin, Caillebotte and Signac which will be shown alongside such evocative objects as one of Monet’s palettes as well as technological images of the pictures themselves. This juxtaposition of art and extensive research produces a fascinating insight that will take visitors by surprise. (...) >>>

Palazzo Strozzi: "Painting Light - Hidden techniques of the Impressionists"

How did the Impressionists paint? (...) The Impressionists were not only pioneers in style, they were first and foremost innovators in technique. This interactive exhibition (...) explores such as aspects as how the artists conveyed the quality of light at different times of the day and which conditions inspired them the most, what materials and work methods they used (...) >>>

The Art Daily article is illustrated by a work showing a surprising technique by Gustave Caillebotte (1848-94), "Laundry Drying on the Bank of the Seine" (c. 1892). Secretly I've been waiting for an opportunity to show this remarkable Caillebotte, "Les Raboteurs de Parquet" from 1875. It might well have been titled 'an ode to workers of the world.' Have a look at that light!