Picking up Eddie Willers: a cheat, or a good move?
AS3 ended, of course, with the rescue of John Galt. But I have this question: the last thing that happened, was that Ragnar sent a member of his Air Militia to pick up Eddie Willers.
I think that was a cheat. We ought to have seen him on the broken-down Comet outside of Flagstaff, Arizona. After which maybe he would make his way to Phoenix, or the sheriff of Maricopa County, who by then had declared his own revolt againt the Washington establishment, would make the pickup. But I really think we lost something by not at least having the demonstration of just how badly the collapse had gone.
I think that was a cheat. We ought to have seen him on the broken-down Comet outside of Flagstaff, Arizona. After which maybe he would make his way to Phoenix, or the sheriff of Maricopa County, who by then had declared his own revolt againt the Washington establishment, would make the pickup. But I really think we lost something by not at least having the demonstration of just how badly the collapse had gone.
Anyway, I was thinking of the guy who recounted that story.
Yes. I like to think people who took the oath didn't think of themselves as first tier or second tier. They were just people, people who sometimes needed/wanted things from one another and were free to trade what they had to get them.
The movie’s Eddie Willers Rescue was a major compromise of principle. While I can understand a blot of “practical reasons for the movie producers to make that change, I can also understand Rand’s reasons for wiring the story as she did. I’d probably use the descriptor “cheap” rather than “cheat”, ‘tho.
If you read the book, most of the primary male characters (with the exception of Francisco) had blond hair. Even Ragnar was blond and had a "beautiful" face.
It was probably a "deleted scene" that never actually made it into the movie, but they neglected to remove the credit. It also shows up on the IMDB Website.
Remember that, unlike Eddie, Gwen Ives left when Reardon did. I have no doubt that Dagny would have made sure that Eddie Willers made it to safety in the gulch had he been willing to go. The choice was his to make, and he chose to set out on his own [at last?] rather than ride her coattails [as always?]. Cheryl and Tony died, but at least with Eddie there was the ambiguous chance that he could have survived.
However, I think that the implication is clear that Eddie's survival would depend upon his finding a stronger, more decisive person to follow. He was an able second but his career and ultimately his life was always as a follower. Without a strong leader he floundered.
It needs to be pointed out that the first tier of "heroes" are not desert islands. They need reliable people working for them and with them, whether in mines or factories or railroad management or any other enterprise, to make the heroes' vision a success in the world. Those good people, like Rearden's secretary, provide value and deserve to be valued in return.
Of course, although Eddie, hopelessly in love with Dagny, had been willing to live for her sake (without being asked), that did not put an obligation on Dagny to lift a finger for him. The movie makers did right by him.
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