Ayn Rand: A Sense of Life (1997)

Director:

Michael Paxton

Writer:

Michael Paxton (writer)

Release Date:

13 February 1998 (USA)

Genre:

Documentary | Biography

Tagline:

A Life More Compelling Than Fiction

Plot:

Ayn Rand was born in 1905 in St. Petersberg, Russia. She escaped to America in 1926 amidst the rise of Soviet Communism...

Plot Keywords:

Narration | Philosophy | Author | Independent Film | Character Name In Title

Awards:

Nominated for Oscar. Another 1 win

Cast

Sharon Gless	...	Narrator (voice)
Michael S. Berliner	...	Himself (editor of Rand's letters) (as Dr. Michael S. Berliner)
Harry Binswanger	...	Himself (professor, friend) (as Dr. Harry Binswanger)
Sylvia Bokor	...	Herself (artist)
Daniel E. Greene	...	Himself (artist)
Cynthia Peikoff	...	Herself (friend, secretary)
Leonard Peikoff	...	Himself (intellectual heir, friend) (as Dr. Leonard Peikoff)
Al Ramrus	...	Himself (writer, producer)
John Ridpath	...	Himself (professor, York University) (as Dr. John Ridpath)
Mike Wallace	...	Himself (CBS News correspondent) (also archive footage)
rest of cast listed alphabetically:
Janne Peters	...	Kay Gonda
Peter Sands	...	Dietrich von Esterhazy
Buzz Aldrin	...	Himself (on the Moon) (archive footage) (uncredited)
Neil Armstrong	...	Himself (on the Moon) (archive footage) (uncredited)
Cecil B. DeMille	...	Himself (addresses extras) (archive footage) (uncredited)
Phil Donahue	...	Himself (interviews Ayn Rand) (archive footage) (uncredited)
Grand Duke Nicholas	...	Himself (accompanies Tsar Nicholas) (archive footage) (uncredited)
Edith Head	...	Herself (pins costume) (archive footage) (uncredited)
Nadezhda Krupskaya	...	Herself (behind Lenin) (archive footage) (uncredited)
V.I. Lenin	...	Himself (addresses crowd) (archive footage) (uncredited)
Adolphe Menjou	...	Himself (before HUAC) (archive footage) (uncredited)
Anastas Mikoyan	...	Himself (behind Stalin) (archive footage) (uncredited)
Marilyn Monroe	...	Herself (in Korea) (archive footage) (uncredited)
Ayn Rand	...	Herself (testifies before HUAC, gives interviews) (archive footage) (uncredited)
Tom Snyder	...	Himself (interviews Ayn Rand) (archive footage) (uncredited)
Joseph Stalin	...	Himself (watches parade) (archive footage) (uncredited)
Robert Taylor	...	Himself (before HUAC) (archive footage) (uncredited)
Leon Trotsky	...	Himself (gives speech) (archive footage) (uncredited)
Tsar Nicholas II	...	Himself (inspects troops) (archive footage) (uncredited)
Kliment Voroshilov	...	Himself (holds fur hat) (archive footage) (uncredited) (unconfirmed)
Frank Lloyd Wright	...	Himself (at desert home) (archive footage) (uncredited)

Directed by
Michael Paxton

Writing credits (in alphabetical order)
Michael Paxton		writer

Produced by
Jeff Britting	....	associate producer
Michael Paxton	....	producer
Ellen Raphael	....	line producer

Original Music by
Jeff Britting

Cinematography by
Alik Sakharov

Film Editing by
Christopher Earl
Lauren A. Schaffer

Art Direction by
Michael Spiewack

Set Decoration by
Richard Honigman

Costume Design by
Kevin King

Second Unit Director or Assistant Director
Seth C. Walsh	....	assistant director

Sound Department
Michael C. Moore	....	sound

Camera and Electrical Department
Jeffrey M. Hoffman	....	director of photography: additional shooting
Melvin Pukowsky	....	gaffer
Phillip Todd	....	first assistant camera: New York

Animation Department
Cynthia Wells	....	animation director

Editorial Department
Brian Merken	....	assistant editor

Music Department
Jeff Britting	....	music editor
Jeff Britting	....	musician
Greg Haggard	....	musician
Greg Haggard	....	orchestrator

Other crew
Michael S. Berliner	....	research consultant (as Dr. Michael S. Berliner)
Richard E. Ralston	....	research consultant
Jason Valdemar	....	production assistant
Mike Wallace	....	clip source (as Mr. Mike Wallace)

Thanks
Cynthia Peikoff	....	thanks
Leonard Peikoff	....	thanks
Janne Peters	....	thanks

Production Companies

• AG Media Corporation Ltd.
• Copasetic Inc.

Distributors

• Fox Lorber
• Strand Releasing (1998) (USA)

Runtime:

145 min

Country:

USA

Language:

English

Color:

Black and White | Color

Aspect Ratio:

1.85 : 1

Sound Mix:

Stereo

Company:

AG Media Corporation Ltd.

Movie Connections:

References Duel in the Sun (1946)

Overlong but interesting

Documentary (narrated by Sharon Gless) about the life and times of author/philosopher Ayn Rand. Movies goes into exhaustive detail about her coming here from Russia, her "objectivism" philosophy, her books, her whole entire life. The film is too long (2 1/2 hours) and gets repititous at times (we hear about every single aspect of objectivism--it's not necessary and really weighs the movie down). Nonetheless, it is interesting and (I think) worth seeing for people who like or are interested in Rand. If you don't like her stay away.