One for the Idealists
This past weekend, I had the opportunity to watch Gary Cooper in “The Fountainhead” ? (1949). This clip sums up the main protagonist’s struggle, and I think it is indicative of every designer’s effort to keep integrity in their work.
The book by Ayn Rand, adapted for film here (Ayn actually wrote the screenplay herself, so there can be no confusion as to the message of the film), is often criticized for being idealistic; creating characters and results that could not possibly exist in the “real world”. As designers, though, we have dedicated our lives to idealism. We know we can never achieve perfection, but aspire to it every day in our work, and therefore we should take the example of Mr. Roark here as inspiration for how we can hope to be, though we may not always be able to achieve his level of absolutism.
The movie (and book, for you literate types) is a thorough exploration of such absolutes, almost specifically dealing with creativity and ideas. Check it out when you get a chance.
BTW – The director, King Vidor, also gets a special nod in the “Director with the Most Intimidating Name” category.
Other posts in "culture"
- In Case of Design — Inject Critical Thinking
- It’s a Calling
- Risky Wallpapers
- Designing In, Out of, and Around the Box
- Unbagging the Crap
- Posable Peeps pt. II
- Flex Your Grey Matter: The Posable Persons
- Failure
- Mad Men Destroyed Our Culture
- A Great Time in Sewanee, TN
- If Only Deadlines Were This Entertaining
- Do You Realize?
- Hey Unitards! Why have an office?
- Web Authors Are Losing Their Integrity
- Coffee-thirty
- Create Your Own Discipline.
- Calling all Designers…
- Too Many Cooks Spoil the Dish
Other posts in "professionalism"
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- …So we’ll know them by their limping
- Hey Unitards! Why have an office?
- Beyond Comp Review: Two designs enter. One leaves.
- Web Authors Are Losing Their Integrity
- Hey Unitards! Creative Brief?
- International Affairs
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- Create Your Own Discipline.
- No Compromise Required
- Do You Know Who You are as a Designer?
- Too Many Cooks Spoil the Dish
Comments (4)
Thank you so much for finding this clip. I remember seeing it years ago late at night and being totally absorbed by the conversation. I never knew what movie it came from!
It’s also very true that most, if not all designers go through their own struggles to try and maintain integrity when dealing with those paying you and their differing views.
Yikes! I never knew Andy was in a movie! :)
Nathan, it was amazing to see this and be thinking “websites” at the same time. Time to go out and buy some cigarette holders for future non-clients.
@Carolyn: :-p I’m old, but I wuzunt in a movie in the 1940′s.
Netflix will be delivering this movie to me today and I look forward to watching.
Thank you for letting me in on the fact that they did make a movie for “The Fountainhead”. I read the book a few years ago (took me nearly 6 months) but it was so inspiring. Still is whenever I pull it off my bookshelf and read a page or two. Even though I don’t buy into what Ayn Rand was selling, I think her writing style is incredible. I remember this scene well from the book, and I’ve always admired the way Howard Roark stood up for his work and didn’t make any compromises just to get ahead in his career.
Now I’ve got to hunt this movie down and buy it, or rent it on NetFlix.
Thanks again.
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