| The Academy Award nominated documentary — the first authorized film look at the life and work of the controversial Russian-born author Ayn Rand — is now available for the first time on a Collector’s Edition, 2-Disc set. The writer of such renowned novels as The Fountainhead and Atlas Shrugged is the subject of Michael Paxton’s first feature film. A flux of events, ideas, emotions and accomplishments combine to make Ayn Rand: A Sense of Life a portrait of one woman’s genius and point of view. Narrated by Emmy Award-winning actress Sharon Gless, the 2-disc set offers millions of fans the opportunity to relive the drama of Ayn Rand’s life and fiction: from her early childhood and escape from Soviet Russia to her struggle and triumph as an American writer whose book sales exceed 500,000 copies annually after five decades in print. Drawing from personal papers and public archives across two continents, the film combines fact, literary fiction and an intimate weave of interviews with intellectual heir Leonard Peikoff, television journalist Mike Wallace, and others as well as rare photos, film footage and an original film-noir scene from her 1934 play, Ideal. The material captures Rand’s life-long themes of reason, rational selfishness and political freedom. Ayn Rand: A Sense of Life, sweeping from pre-Revolutionary Russia to contemporary America, tells the story of a “ferocious angel,” a woman, and thinker who continues to incite the curiosity and passion of millions. |
| SPECIAL 2-DISC SET INCLUDES: |
 Disc 1 |
 Disc 2 |
DISC 1
WIDESCREEN EDITION
of AYN RAND: A SENSE OF LIFE
with Interactive Menus
DISC 2
BONUS MATERIALS
|
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An excerpt from the first review for the new Collector’s Edition of Ayn Rand: A Sense of Life Director’s Vision, 2-Disc Set: “….The new double-disc edition from Strand is nothing less than a cause for celebration. A throwback to the days when feature documentaries were polished, thoughtful and professional affairs, Ayn Rand: A Sense of Life provides a probing, informative and deeply intimate glimpse of the controversial novelist and philosopher, a champion of reason and the free market, whose ideas…continue to stir debate even to this day. From her childhood in Soviet Russia to her early work as a Hollywood screenwriter and eventual triumph as author of such books as The Fountainhead, Anthem and Atlas Shrugged, Paxton's film magnificently sidesteps agenda to separate the woman from the myth. It's a sympathetic but honest portrait of a figure about whom most people are anything but honest. The DVD features a beautiful new transfer of the film on disc one and a wealth of new supplements on disc two, including rare stills, additional interviews, an interview with Paxton as featured in an episode of Filmmakers and a complete filmed version of Rand's little-known 1934 play, Ideal. This last extra is the one that fans of Rand's work will find most intriguing. Adapted and directed by Paxton with the original intent to integrate it into the documentary, this beautiful, black-and-white film is something of a mini-masterpiece, a stylish, poetic work that beautifully captures the essence of Rand's fiercely romanticized aesthetic. For reasons of time and practicality it never did get integrated into the documentary, which may actually have been a blessing in disguise, for it works so well as a stand-alone piece that both the film and Ideal end up being more effective as complimentary pieces. Regardless of how one feels about Rand and her political and philosophical ideas, Ayn Rand: A Sense of Life is a must-see documentary, emotionally stirring and intellectually illuminative. Collector Rating: WORTH FULL PRICE.” -Wade Major, BOX OFFICE MAGAZINE |
Ayn Rand: A Sense of Life
Now available on
• Amazon.com
• The Ayn Rand Bookstore