Galt's Gulch

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  • Posted by livesimply 11 years, 7 months ago
    I think Taylor Schilling was fabulous as Dagny, and although we never got to see him in Part I, that black & white photo of Paul Johannson (check out www.imdb.co and look at the cast photos) exudes everything John Galt should: good looks, confidence, strength, etc.
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  • Posted by overmanwarrior 11 years, 7 months ago
    If it was me, I would pick some hunk fashion model to pull in the females. I am sure that there is an intellectual "Fabio" type of guy out there who is dying for somebody to discover his mind.

    Harrison Ford was discovered because he worked on a studio of a Hollywood producer. John Galt should be an unknown, and should be visually stunning for the women and able to pour confidence out of every pore. I don't know any actor working today who is like this. Not a single one.

    For Dagny I'd go with Mathis. She did great in the second film.
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  • Posted by mccleesem 11 years, 7 months ago
    In the book, John Galt is not a stunning looker; rather, he is a quiet man with a confidence that is unmistakable. Dagny, too, is not the typical Hollywood model, but a more dramatic presence that commands attention from across a room. Schilling did that better than Mathis, who seemed wrong for the role and not nearly as poised, but I would like to see Mila Jovovich or Kate Beckinsale maybe. Charlize Theron would be good too.
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  • Posted by $ Susanne 11 years, 7 months ago
    I liked Schilling as Dagney, and would not mind seeing her return as Dagny in III. I liked Jason Beghe as Hank (he just *seems* like a "risen from the bottom" Steel man), but as John? Definitely Paul Johannsen. He both is a powerful actor (important for the part) and exudes that characteristic best known as "eye-candy" wich that part *needs*. Can they be signed for III? Who knows - were I casting director, I'd go to almost any lengths to pull that one off. And while we're at it - Richard Jones again as Eddie Willers... IMO he nailed that part in II, and would only get better in III.
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    • Posted by Lucky 11 years, 7 months ago
      In Part I there were some bad choices: the train driver and Owen Kellogg.
      But good ones were Ellis Wyatt- the self made, blunt entrepreneur. "Well, time for me to give my broker in Hong Kong a call". Often Rand's characters lack the human touch, but here, there is a most appropriate sensitivity which I do not recall in the book, very well done.
      Part II with more thoughtful direction showed us characters who developed, Mathis as Dagny especially. Jason Beghe as Hank was great, the accent of a self made man, note the little scene when he sees Dagny touching Francisco's arm, without words he tells us he still wants her but he does not own her, whatever she does is ok by him.

      I agree with the other comments, the part of John Galt is hard to put on a screen as he is more than human in some ways, he loves life, a brilliant engineer, philosophical genius, stoic under torture. He works with his mind and with his hands. Creative in the physics lab, convincing when speaking, fits in with the unskilled track laboring team.
      I think getting it right is more than choosing the actor, it requires inspired direction.
      I'd want to see body language and voice showing power, precision, economy and dignity. Tall and slim to keep to the book, and for the face, sculpture not beauty.
      I expect we will get a mysterious cool Nordic/Slavic type, but I would go for an Apache!
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