That was an excellent one.

Such a frustrating disappointment

Pretty good movie overall. First half was nothing special but it got better as it went along.

Fun premise, good actors, bad writing. This film seemed to have potential at the beginning but it quickly devolves into a trite action film. Ultimately it's very boring.

I see this as a movie with Gary Cooper first, as a film second, and not at all as a philosophical treatise with which I must either agree or disagree before I can decide whether I enjoyed it. As stories go, it's pretty good. A guy wants to do his own thing -- but unfortunately, that is what modern architects do, and the results are dismaying, to say the least. Still, the film is deftly plotted, continuity is excellent, and the story moves right along to a smashing conclusion. Worth seeing.

There are many ways to watch this movie, and the way you choose to watch it will tend to determine how you rate it. You might compare it to the book, or set it against a standard of expression for a philosophical idea. Or, you just might watch it absolutely for itself, in a sort of self-defined manner. Everything depends upon the standard of judgment.I admit that there were parts of this movie that seemed awkward or condensed from a story perspective. However, such as each his or her own, we tend to like a movie that hooks us, often by attaching to something inside ourselves. Something in the movie with which we identify.What I loved about the movie is the essential message: the man's own belief in himself was a stronger force than the attacks could break down. Make the man an outcast, ridicule him, take his money. Take away everything society offers. Then we see what makes the man. Such as it was for Socrates, Jesus, and many others. Take it all away and there is nothing left, but the man and the principle that the man holds. This is the integrity of the man, and it is what holds the man together, from the inside out, not the outside in.The strength of the many is not the truth, the strength of the many is simply the many. The truth can stand alone, naked, and all by itself. The less adorned, the more essential. All strength comes from the inside, that is the only true source of strength, and nothing is as strong if reliant upon an external.Roark listens to the kingdom that is inside of him, and he wins without ever attacking, simply by staying true to himself.

King Vidor outdid himself in fashioning Legendary Ayn Rand's philosophical novel for the screen. Generally misunderstood and under appreciated on its initial release, "The Fountainhead" has gained a great amount of respect as time goes on.Gary Cooper was challenged to the hilt in playing Howard Roarke, as was Patricia Neal in projecting Dominique Francon. Still, their work is constantly intriguing and fascinating.The way Rand saw the world and society is totally unique and courageously revealing. Given the usual level of philosophical insight of most American films, Rand--and Vidor--projected genuine daring in revealing clandestine societal truths.This is a film for the ages to be devoured and cherished.

I have never read the book or any of Ayn Rand's literature. This film adaptation is strange because its more philosophical and literary than anything else. Everybody is giving speeches about beliefs and views. I don't get the meaning about Rand's work. The movie is about an architect, Roark, (played fine by Gary Cooper). He is unusual in his vision of building whether homes or skyscrapers. Patricia Neal plays his love interest. I just don't understand why Roark's visions were at odds with society. The film is long and not very entertaining overall. Ayn Rand may have been a brilliant philosopher but her storytelling is a lot to be desired.