RationalBiker Posted May 4, 2004 Report Share Posted May 4, 2004 I just won an auction on eBay for We the Living for $35 USD. I think that is a good price for an allegedly new copy direct from the distributor. Has anyone here already seen it? Does it do the book justice? Thanks, VES Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
MinorityOfOne Posted May 4, 2004 Report Share Posted May 4, 2004 Yes, it's fantastic. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
RationalBiker Posted May 4, 2004 Author Report Share Posted May 4, 2004 Great! I'm looking forward to viewing the movie. VES Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
MinorityOfOne Posted May 4, 2004 Report Share Posted May 4, 2004 I assume you've read the book? Don't expect the same ending. (Actually, the ending is a bit weird, but it doesn't detract much from the movie -- except that you generally expect the final scene to emphasize the theme, and it does not.) Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
RationalBiker Posted May 4, 2004 Author Report Share Posted May 4, 2004 Actually, I have not read the book yet, though I own it and it is on my short list. I'm reading AS right now. (And I don't read fast at that) Borders has loved seeing me walk in the door lately. I'm depleting their Ayn Rand collection. VES Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
AwakeAndFree Posted May 4, 2004 Report Share Posted May 4, 2004 I think it's probably better to read the book before seeing the movie. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
RationalBiker Posted May 4, 2004 Author Report Share Posted May 4, 2004 I probably won't wait, but I appreciate the reply just the same. I will still read the book even after seeing the movie. VES Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
redfarmer Posted May 4, 2004 Report Share Posted May 4, 2004 Borders has loved seeing me walk in the door lately. I'm depleting their Ayn Rand collection. You too, huh. Since January I've managed to read all of Rand's fiction and non-fiction, in addition to Leonard Peikoff's Objectivism: The Philosophy of Ayn Rand. As for the movie, I haven't seen it yet but it's supposed to be good. You got a good deal, though. I think it sells for $69 from the Ayn Rand Bookstore. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
RationalBiker Posted May 4, 2004 Author Report Share Posted May 4, 2004 I thought it was a good price. The seller has sold several copies before and the feedback he got for selling previous copies has all been positiive so I'm assuming that they aren't illegal or poor copies. Thanks to GC and the Speed Reading thread, (grrr.. ) I found out just how slow I read. Fortunately, my reading comprehension score was high. This translates into AS being a long venture for me. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
AshRyan Posted May 11, 2004 Report Share Posted May 11, 2004 I loved the movie version of We The Living. I just wish I could see the unedited, two-movie version. Unfortunately, my copy is loaned out right now and I'm having a hard time retrieving it. This is at least the fourth time I've loaned out some of my Ayn Rand stuff and not gotten it back (also missing is a hardcover copy of WTL, one of Anthem, and several nonfiction paperbacks). I've gotta stop doing that. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Myself Posted September 18, 2009 Report Share Posted September 18, 2009 "We the Living" is finally available on DVD! It includes, along with the edited film, 45 minutes of deleted scenes, including the original ending, and a "making of." http://www.wethelivingmovie.com/ Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Jill Posted September 18, 2009 Report Share Posted September 18, 2009 Does it have Andrei's speech? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
D'kian Posted October 14, 2009 Report Share Posted October 14, 2009 I got lucky with "We The Living." Years ago a government channel with a cultural bent would show old movies at 2 am (I know). At the time the daily paper carried TV listings (not anymore), and one fine day at rbeakfast I see they'd be showing "Noi Vivi." I set the VCR and, the next day, I saw it was indeed the famously unauthorized movie. I watched it at least five times before the VCR chewed up the tape (as VCRs are wont to do). Alida Vali was a wonderful actress. You can also see her in "The Third Man" with Joseph Cotten and Orson Welles, a rare post-WWII thriller. I ran with similar luck with "The Fountainhead" complete with chewed-up tape. I should get both on DVD. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
agrippa1 Posted October 15, 2009 Report Share Posted October 15, 2009 Great movie. DVD is $35.99 on Amazon. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
D'kian Posted October 15, 2009 Report Share Posted October 15, 2009 BTW I recommend visiting the movie's web site (it's somewhere on the thread) and reading the History section. It explains why the movie was so faithful to the book (would you believe by an accident of bad planning?) It also brings up an ethical question: The makers fo the movie never acquired either the rights or the persmission to make the movie from Ayn Rand. Given the situation at the time, I think there's a fair chance that, if asked, Rand would have refused. After all, the request would come from film-mkaers within a fascist dictatorship, then in a state of war with America and who supported America's enemies. They might ahve convinced her, since it was their intent to criticize fascism as much as communism, but we'll never know that. The fact is they never tried to obtain the rights. But the fact also is they made a pretty good movie which required only a few changes to satisfy Ayn Rand (this would be the first instance of reatroactive author control over a movie). So while the film-makers' actions were immoral, the end result was good. Of course the end does not justify the means, but in this case can they be forgiven, or should they owe some form of restitution (mmoral or financial) to Rand as a ripped-off author? Or both? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Obdura Posted December 31, 2009 Report Share Posted December 31, 2009 This is definitely late, but, in response to D'kian's query, Rand already received restitution -- according to the DVD version of WtL, she sued the Italian government and eventually was awarded a tidy sum of money (the exact amount is probably not something her estate would or should be willing to share) as well as full recognition of her creative rights. A couple of individuals involved in the film's production contacted her, and I assume she did not tell them off; in fact, the actor who played Leo even showed her the film in her own home, much to her pleasure. (Source: the DVD's special features. Sorry I don't have any direct quotes. The info should be on the Internet somewhere.) Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
John Link Posted December 31, 2009 Report Share Posted December 31, 2009 I recently bought the new version of We the Living and will watch it for the first time tomorrow evening (on our big screen!) with some friends. John Link Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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