The Fountainhead

It has been a long time since I watched any black and white movie (Metropolis being my last).I watched the Fountainhead and enjoyed it enormously, not only because like Fritz Lang’s Metropolis it has obvious architectural interest, but also because of the basic humanity that shone through Roark. Roark is an individualistic architect who is true to himself and his views without being corrupted by compromise, whilst others around him crumble to the pressure of 'the mob' in reference to the wider public.

This film begins with Roark being expelled from the school because he designed his projects in a way that had never been done before. The plot very soon involves him with a peculiarly philosophical girl, a power-mad newspaper publisher, a vicious critic and a weak, effete old friend. The final act comes when he deliberately blows up with dynamite a housing project, which he has designed but for which his old friend is taking the credit—a deed which he does because he's angry at some changes which are made in his project. And for this he is tried and acquitted on the strength of his own elaborate plea for the rights of the individual. At the end, he is doing fine and has the girl.

Roark, who chooses to struggle in obscurity rather than compromise his artistic and personal vision, following his battle to practice what the public sees as modern architecture. He believes this to be superior, despite an establishment centred on tradition-worship.  Throughout the film the architect played by the character of Howard Roark was true to himself and his views without being corrupted by compromise, whilst others around him crumbled to the pressure of 'the mob' in reference to the wider public.
The complex relationships between Roark and the various kinds of individuals who assist or hinder his progress, (or both), allow the film to be at once a romantic drama and a philosophical work. Roark is Rand's embodiment of the human spirit, and his struggle represents the struggle between individualism and collectivism.

So, what has changed since Ayn Rand written The Fountainhead in 1949? Maybe nothing. The school will still question you and criticize you on your raw thinking when designing a project and ask you to design in reference to the built environment. There are times however that an architectural project does not need to confine in a built form but simply in pursuit of a theory. Instead of having the general public’s pressures to conform your design to popular standards, the planning authority centred on tradition-worship insists you to follow suit. Your own boss from your office would ask you to change your design based on economic ground even before the client or their Q.S. have commented. 
Roark and Francon would never survive in 1949, never mind  in 2014 where making compromise is a norm. Control and power is the game we all have to play and the general rule in everyday’s life is to manipulate.  But still, I want to meet Roark on top of the grand staircase like in the movie – This Objectivist mentality in me longing for the freedom advocating "the concept of man as a heroic being, with his own happiness as the moral purpose of his life, with productive achievements as his noblest activity, and reason as his only absolute." A man with integrity.