Ayn Rand: A Sense of Life

Rating:
Summary: Excellent documentary!
Review: I liked this documentary very much. It should have won the Academy Award last year! Those who have not seen it can rent it at their local video store as I have (I plan to buy it when it is priced cheaper!)

Despite her personal flaws, Ayn Rand was a philosopher who taught young people in the midst of developing their identity that happiness is the purpose to life! A life lesson we often forget! Although her novels were preachy at times, they moved and motivated me.

Okay, I agree that some of her devoted fans (young objectivists) can be annoying: the worst among them parrot her catch phrases ("check your premises," "a is a," etc.; prefer Rachmaninoff over Bach; and denounce Kant without ever have read him - but that's just a youthful phase we all have gone through! Give them a break!

But young objectivisits are not the story here - Ayn Rand is. And she was wonderful!

Long live the power of Ayn Rand's ideas!

Rating:
Summary: Love Her - Hate Her - See This Film
Review: I saw The Fountainhead (which she wrote with complete script control) long before I'd heard of Ayn Rand. Then I discovered that someone took this nonsense seriously... well, that's disturbing. I mean she's gotta be a kook, right?

Then along comes "Sense Of Life", which explains it all.

Remember, Pro-Rand are happy to espouse her benevolent Super-Man theories, and Anti-Rand relish calling her fascist. Ironically neither are really true.

See "..Sense Of Life"

I always thought her writing was juvenile (an ancestor of todays TV Soaps), and her politics naive. I had no idea how right I was.

See "..Sense Of Life"

Bottom line: Ayn Rand's "philosophy" is a little girl fantasizing about lantern jawed silent serial heroes (all of them in America) from her village in Russia. Look at Gary Cooper; look at her husband; look at the charlatan intellecual she had her affair with. They ALL LOOK THE SAME.

See "..Sense Of Life"

If you've seen The Fountainhead, she's Dominique, and her husband is Ray Massey. But her real life Cooper turns out to be a bum. Yeah -- that's A Sense Of Life, Ayn! Don't forget the Architect or Architects (albeit self-proclaimed, Frank Lloyd Wright) took a few steps back from her material, too.

See "..Sense Of Life"

And yet I have to respect the woman. She fought for everything she had. She *earned* everything.

See this film. Love her or hate her, you'll thank her for the documentary. And it's not like anyone of VOTING AGE (except perhaps for George Bush Jnr) takes her seriously.

Rating:
Summary: This is a story about the Woman behind the Philosophy.
Review: I saw this movie when it was playing in Washington D.C. a few years ago. I took some friends who had no prior knowledge of what Objectivism is about. We did not know what to expect going into the movie, so we went with no expectations (good or bad). I was pleased with the movie for what it was...a movie about the Woman behind the Philosophy. I have read several of Ayn Rand's works...fiction and non-fiction and I really did not need to see a movie about Objectivism for I am familiar with it's premise and concepts. In this regard, the movie was a pleasant surprise. The movie gave insight into Ayn Rand's personality and passion, not her Philosophy.

Those wishing to find out what Objectivism is really about should read MORE of her works than just Anthem. Anthem, as is the case with many writers, is a sophmoric entry into the world of literature. I also read Anthem and found it to be a fabulous story...very inspiring and highly motivating. Paying close attention to the message in Anthem, one finds that Logan's Run, THX-1138, and many other movies are fashioned after the concepts and premise found in this book.

One reviewer was unable to fully appreciate this documentary for what it was and made snide remarks regarding this movie as well as attacking Ayn Rand, the Woman. Please do not limit yourself to this misinformed viewer's opinion. This person needs to read her works to fully appreciate what her Philisophy is all about as this movie does not delve into that subject matter enough.

Please see this movie for what it is...This is a story about the Woman behind the Philosophy.

p.s. My friends also enjoyed the movie.

Rating:
Summary: Why not watch it BEFORE you review it?
Review: I thought the Amazon.com policy called for people to actually view the video before submitting a review. So many complaints about the price! 'Check your premises'! I have NEVER paid full value for anything by Ms. Rand. I have always gotten many times my money back in real value. Don't waste your money. You wouldn't understand the content anyway.

Rating:
Summary: Price
Review: I would have bought this, but the price is too high. geezz Rand didn't expect everyone to win the lottery did she??. I want to learn more about her, but how can you at that price. Guess I will find a used auction book instead.

Rating:
Summary: "A Sense of Life" Enlightens Fans
Review: If you're a big fan of Ayn Rand's works and novels, then I highly recommend checking out this documentary. I have always been curious about Ayn Rand's life and her personality... This documentary definitely satisfied my curiosity. Michael Paxton, the director, does a superb job of compiling still pictures, film clips, memoirs and interviews into this documentary. If Ayn Rand were alive today, I sincerely believe she would be proud of the way she is portrayed in this film. The documentary is faithful to her "Spirit." It's a wonderful tribute to an "individual" who has impacted millions through her "revoluntionary" philosophy.

Rating:
Summary: Fascinating
Review: If you've read anything else about Ayn Rand, such as the bio written by Barbara Branden, you know that A Sense of Life skips over some of the less admirable moments in Ayn Rand's life. That aside, this film does a wonderful job of showing Ayn Rand's PASSION for life and freedom.

Individuality and conformity are opposites, but unlike what you may have read below, objectivism does not demand conformity.When you watch the tape, pay close attention to Rand's discussions with Phil Donahue, and you'll understand what I mean and why objectivism is a consistent philosophical system.

Rating:
Summary: Improving on "Sense of Life."
Review: It is hard to add to the praise already heaped on Michael Paxton's magnificent documentary "Ayn Rand: A Sense of Life," but this new Collector's Edition not only offers a widescreen version of the film, but also includes a second bonus DVD that itself is worth more than the price of this 2-DVD set.

The second DVD includes additional interview material not in the original film. There are delightful stories about Ayn Rand told by Leonard Peikoff, Cynthia Peikoff, and Harry Binswanger. Dr. Binswanger's stories were particularly enjoyable, especially the one about the time two nuns knocked on the door of Miss Rand's home in Chatsworth, California. Don't miss it!

Michael Paxton himself was interviewed on an episode of the show "Filmmakers," and that interview is included in its entirety. Listening to Mr. Paxton discuss the making of the film, him detailing the time, effort, and love that went into its production, I was again struck by Paxton's brilliance and the value he places on Objectivism and its creator. No one else could have made as beautiful a film as "Ayn Rand: A Sense of Life."

A high point of the bonus DVD is the filmed version of Paxton's very successful 1989 production of Ayn Rand's play, "Ideal." Those of us fortunate enough to have seen this world-premiere play in Los Angeles fifteen years ago, remember hearing the splendor of Ayn Rand's words spoken by first-rate actors under Paxton's masterful direction. Those who did not see the play, have a very special treat awaiting them. But even for those who previously saw the play, the filmed version offers an additional level of enjoyment, because we get to see the action close up from the perspective chosen by the director. This adds another level of emphasis and meaning to the film. This part of the bonus DVD is a treasure.

Any fan of Ayn Rand will be delighted with this new Collector's Edition of Michael Paxton's "Ayn Rand: A Sense of Life."

Rating:
Summary: A Genuine and Genuinely Interesting Documentary
Review: It's just as well that this terrific documentary did not win the Academy Award, since that same Oscar for documentary film later was awarded to "Bowling for Columbine" -- a staged work of satire whose shams and errors substantively disqualified it from "documentary" status (but rules don't really matter in Hollywood). The award has thus been cheapened, and "A Sense of Life" is in a much higher class.

All of the people who consume more than they produce (in other words, thieves) will not like the story of Rand's life, in that they are properly cast as society's villains. However, everyone who produces, champions individualism and promotes self-reliance, will find this fine (and genuine) documentary inspirational.

Rating:
Summary: Pretty comprehensive.
Review: Sharon Gless's narration for this video was a bit too sugary for my sensitive United Kingdom ears. That aside, I thought the programme was interesting and well organised, with the strange omission of anything to do with her funeral and subsequent burial alongside her beloved Frank. Frank is given quite a lot of screen time to flesh out his background - barely covered in any other material that I have seen - and comes across in a much more favourable light than usual. I get the impression that the Big-Brains who have written articles about Ayn Rand resented the fact that Ayn loved Frank.

The contrast between Ayn Rand relaxing in her Californian, Neutra designed house, and the images of the Russia she left behind, less than 20 years earlier, was somewhat dramatic: such a style of living only attainable by those in the higher echelons of government, and not at all possible for an ordinary person, as she was in the US. This was further amplified by: her testimony at the Senate hearings where she pointed out that unless one had lived under a regime such as she had emigrated from, her testimony would seem to be rather fantastical to an average American, etc; her private train carriage - like Dagny Taggart's - for her final, New Orleans lecture trip; and how her sister, Nora - a set designer in Russia - had fared.

The interviews with Leonard Peikoff were good to watch, as were those of others who knew her.

Unfortunately this video is a US release only, in the NTSC format. This isn't a problem for playback in the UK, since most VCRs, nowadays, will play both PAL and NTSC. But shelling out another ($$$) for import duty is a bit of a bummer.