the fountainhead

very few filmmakers can capture group or the masses quite like king vidor. the images of the well intentioned and dream-chasing johnny sims swallowed whole, devoid of any individuality or self-identity, are what resonate the most in 'the crowd' (1928). vidor does not lose his touch in the adaptation of ayn rand's 'the fountainhead' (1949). his eye is keen in showing the viewer what is now the everyday flood of pedestrians, automobiles, and faithful americans trying to make it to work on time or leaving en masse to make it home for dinner around the table and primetime television. the hero in 'the crowd' was disiullioned about the modern world in its all consuming bite, but the stalwart architect howard roark (gary cooper) in 'the fountainhead' does not get lost in the crowd for one second. whether it be in client meetings, the relationship with his lover, or his court speech at the end, howard is the embodiment of the ideology that imbues the american dream. as an individual, not as a collective, true success can be achieved.

the stark cinematography creates an environment of good vs. evil, new vs. old, and single vs. group. although the audience does not know it, when howard is introduced he is a blank model. his figure is shrouded in shadows as he consistenly turned away from architectual clients because of his austeure and angular aesthetic of architectual design. howard faces the old guard that passionately protects the accepted idea of classic architecture as the best and most liked form of architecture, not blockish and linear looking buildings with sleek window designs and minimalist finish. his potential employers tell him his style will disrupt public favor, which would in turn disrupt the public consciousness of what is right, acceptable, and normal. the spacious and grand offices he meets with the clients are consistently framed with large, open windows and noir like shadows casting white collar america as demi-gods who decide what is right and wrong for the masses atop their high rise buildings that puts them closer to god and further away from the common man. shadows and high rise buildings are present throughout the film as visual markers of class difference and a way of separating the haves and the have-nots.



the film's main villain ellsworth toohey (robert douglas) despises the individualist attitude of howard, insisting that it is howard who is the axis evil not the idea of conformity and group based ideology. toohey rallies against howard in a scene that calls to mind the movie theater scene in 'the crowd' as the camera pans from toohey and over his complacent and eventually supportive masses. their faces are ravenous and filled with contempt as their fearless leader informs them with the message that howard should be disposed of for fear his message will spread and influence. vidor's scope not only expertly captures group, but also the absence of group. in a contrasting scene that utilizes a similar zoom and over head shot technique, the audience views the empty newsroom of newspaper mogul gail wynand (raymond massey) as his sole reporter dominique francon (patricia neal) works in the dark, abandoned newsroom to produce a story that could save the public opinion of howard. the desks are empty and the room only lit with desk lamps to emphasize the isolation at an organization that tries to champion howard's politics.

visually, it is evident that the film favors howard's non-conformist perspective, but the narrative does as well. howard's goal of remaining true to himself and resisting censorship in his art drives the narrative to a courtroom climax where howard delivers his speech of why it is important for him to follow his faith in himself and not in everyman. his faith is also attractive to dominique when they initially meet at a rock quary where she is drawn to his laborer uniform and penetrating drill, but ultimately his persistenance of anti-conformity. although she is sidelined for most of the film as the wife of gail, dominique cannot resist the appeal of everything howard represents. she supports his opposition to classic architecture and is disgusted by her husband's yellow journalism empire. she values beauty, intelligence, and progressive thinking--all of which are absent in her husband his conformist white collar world. gail's eventual suicide is the result of emasculatin on apart of his wife's more obvious interest in another man whose world view is opposite of his. the yachts, country homes, and other symbols of male domination are not enough for dominique. in the end the reunion of the man and woman is brought together by individualism and non-conformity as dominique joins her new husband, howard, literally and metaphorically when she ascends up the construction elevator to meet an almost superhero-like howard standing proudly atop his new mega skyscraper.

in the current cultural landscape the film's message is not irrelevant. the world is still full to the brim with skyscrapers bloated with white collared decision makers that influence an apathetic and ill-informed world below. public opinion is often vague and skewed in favor of not opposing the status quo. it is difficult to push through the over populated crowds in an often cold and messy world. howard may have just been a stubborn architect, but vidor stresses to the audience that it is perhaps better to live in a world where you don't get lost in the crowd.