Ayn Rand: A Sense of Life Blu-ray Movie

Rating summary

Movie		3.5
Video		4.5
Audio		4.5
Extras		3.5
Overall		4.0

Ayn Rand: A Sense of Life Blu-ray Movie Review

Reviewed by Brian Orndorf July 25, 2015

It’s hard to imagine the topic of Ayn Rand being explored without alienating most of the viewing public. A controversial figure, the best-selling author and philosopher carries an enormous amount of political baggage, making any production interested in covering her life immediately suspect. 1997’s “Ayn Rand: A Sense of Life” lives up to its title, delivering a moderately in-depth discussion of the writer’s life and times, with emphasis on her psychological make-up as she set out to change the world with her unique perspective on individualism.

Directed by Michael Paxton, “A Sense of Life” carries most confidently as a biography, sorting through the disappointments and hardships of Rand’s early years in Russia, where her interactions with violent, destructive revolutions helped to define her distaste for communism and collectivism. Perhaps most surprising about the documentary is an inspection of her Hollywood dreams, where time shared with Cecil B. DeMille helped to develop her screenwriting skills, which eventually funneled into fiction, finding the creative solitude of books to be most rewarding, protecting her ideas.

Ayn Rand: A Sense of Life Blu-ray Movie, Video Quality 

The AVC encoded image (1.78:1 aspect ratio) presentation handles quite a range of footage from film and television, along with photographs and news clippings, working to create a steady examination of the subject's life. It's a smooth viewing experience, and while dips in source quality are observed, the Blu-ray handles transitions well, sealed with a pleasantly filmic appearance. Colors are strong and bright, though most of the evidence provided is black and white, supplying healthy contrast. Only mild delineation issues are present. Detail is strong, finding textures on old letters and photos, while interviewees are explored in full, displaying aging particulars. Print is in fine shape, with only faint speckling detected.

Ayn Rand: A Sense of Life Blu-ray Movie, Audio Quality 

The 2.0 DTS-HD MA sound mix securely supports the elegant aural design of the documentary, with primary emphasis on interviews, which remain full and clear. Period footage also shows little damage, with Rand's conversations free of damage. Scoring is supportive and crisp, with encouraging instrumentation to help with dramatic emphasis, never interrupting interviews.

Ayn Rand: A Sense of Life Blu-ray Movie, Special Features and Extras 

Blu-ray:

• A Theatrical Trailer (1:06, HD) is included.

DVD:

• Festivals & Awards lists all the special screenings for the documentary as it made its way to an Academy Award nomination in 1998.

• Cast & Crew Bios details the creative and educational achievements of key participants.

• Photo Gallery is divided into nine categories, covering a wide range of subjects, including deleted scenes and marketing materials.

• Bonus Footage is separated into "Interviews" (63:22) and "Ideal" (54:37).

• Additional Information shares the documentary's website, details about the Ayn Rand Institute, and provides a reading list.

Ayn Rand: A Sense of Life Blu-ray Movie, Overall Score and Recommendation 

"A Sense of Life" covers most topics, including her longstanding marriage to actor Frank O'Connor, her development as an author with "The Fountainhead" and "Atlas Shrugged," her creative disappointments, and Rand's emergence as a public figure, with Paxton finding interview footage from a range of time periods. The nooks and crannies of Rand's universe are not explored in full, leaving behind many questions about the woman, which is surprising when the film runs nearly 2 1/2 hours in length. Despite shortcomings, "A Sense of Life" is an interesting primer on Rand and the concept of objectivism, getting across the outline of her journey as a writer, a woman, and figure of thought and intellectualism.