Atlas Shrugged: Part 1

Atlas Shrugged Part 1 is a film based on the eponymous 1957 novel by Ayn Rand. The story revolves around a clash of ideas between John Galt and the rest of the world.

Due to his rigid attitude he’s often seen at loggerheads with those in authority. Unable to streamline a consensus through this prevalent imbroglio, he goes underground into what’s known as Galt’s Gulch, trying to mobilize masses against the dominant forces. Dagny Taggart is the female protagonist of the film, who has been entrusted with the responsibility of looking after the operations of Taggart Transcontinental. Dagny is drawn towards Galt due to his beliefs that challenge the contemporary orthodox thought processes. Dagny’s heartfelt desire-cum-mission is to get the transcontinental road constructed, this being the only means to uplift the country’s plummeting economy. Innumerable obstacles make it difficult for them to attain this goal. The film encompasses a slew of characters that are hell-bent on opposing Dagny.

These include Francisco d’ Anconia, the dominant player of copper industry, Hank Rearden, the Steel Man of United States and  James Taggart, the brother of Dagny, who also wants the railroad project being done, but has other ulterior motives. The film is a reflection of the Theory of Objectivism as enunciated by the writer Ayn Rand. Progress of the entire nation coupled with a dream for an egalitarian society, is often suppressed by evil forces in the wake of their own vested interests. The film is a reflection of this fervor, which wants to get rid of all the incongruities in the world, and its tussle with those, who have access to power and money.

When we’re talking of an adaptation of a magnum opus like Ayn Rand’s record-shattering book, Atlas Shrugged, which made its daringly voluminous 1100 pages seem concise; what we expect is nothing short of sheer onscreen magic. Delightfully, Atlas Shrugged 1, the first part of the much-hyped trilogy, lives up to the wondrous story that it tells, despite a constrained budget and a modest cast. It manages to do what many high-budget mainstream movies fail to.

The forte of the movie is that it retells the story that Ayn Rand told way back in the 1950s, at a time when the questions raised by her remain relevant. The movie, set in the future, revolves around a shocking hike in fuel prices that leaves trains as the only mode of transport. This leads to a few visionaries stepping up against the government, in an attempt to reinvent the structure that forms the base of railway lines, with an ultimate aim of uplifting the society. The end product is a thought provoking account that will leave you eagerly anticipating its sequel.