The Fountainhead movie review

I still couldn't get enough of The Fountainhead. I did some researches and I found a movie adaptation. So I watched it! Well, it cut out some scenes from the first 500 pages of the book, and most importantly Stoddard Temple. But the rest of the book was used faithfully. I guess the screenwriter or the producer or whoever came out with the idea of cutting short the story had the same feeling as me, believing that cutting those scenes would have no huge impact on the story.  

But wrong! I read the book first, and without those cut scenes, it became unbearable to me. The story seems to fall apart to me. I guess that is why people always say book is better than movie. A two-hour movie just is just unable to convey the whole story perfectly as it should be. Hitting the book first renders the movie unenjoyable. This is the curse of readers. 

I also feel like they didn't show how tough Howard had to go through when he couldn't get a single commission and went for works in the quarry. They didn't show how desperate the situation he was facing. But of course, desperation is not something Howard would feel as he embodies the objectivism so perfectly, as Man is an end to himself and himself only, not the means to the ends of others. 

The movie is just too much Dominique and Howard and Gail, too little Ellsworth and his gang, and Peter and Katie. I would really like to see how Katie would look like and also the actress who would have portrayed her. I don't why but I have a strong affinity to her. If a reason is to be made now, I guess I would say, she is like a lotus to me. Born in the mud, but not stained by the mud. To me, whatever Howard and Ellsworth or whoever were fighting, they were fighting in the mud, stained. 

There is one thing I love about movie though. Gail committed suicide in the end of the movie, but nothing is mentioned in the book. At the end of the movie, after Gail gave all the instructions for Wynand building to Howard, he said the epic line to Howard : "Build it as a monument to that spirit which is yours ... and could have been mine." As Howard walked out his office, he pulled out a pistol from his drawer and BANG! 

I think this is a proper ending to Gail. He got his final wish done, although he would never be able to see Wynand building to be erected. He put out a good fight against the current and lost everything, his Banner and the woman he loved, Dominique, eventhough one can argue that he never got Dominique's love since the beginning and so it is not counted as love, as love is something mutual. But guess what, his tombstone, Wynand building will stand in the middle of New York city as the highest skyscraper. Gail fought almost as strong as Howard and to the end. If not, Gail fought stronger in my opinion. In fact, I even think Gail is more heroic than Howard.