Conan Roark

I think the most enjoyable aspect of The Fountainhead was the propagandizing. I admit that I am an atheist but that does not hinder my ability to enjoy a well-presented preaching. What Rand does well, is play on the ego of the reader and as a man with ample ego I was fully prepared to be stroked.

As I read the book I felt myself steering further and further to her Objectivist point of view and I actually felt no guilt for this. I have always appreciated logic over ‘soft’ feelings, so she already had an ‘in’ with me. What made her preaching successful was the way in which she presented it within the genre of melodrama. I know melodrama. I like melodrama. What I enjoy most about melodrama is that, even if it is never made blatantly clear, the story is always basically just about people wanting to sleep with each other. As a mid-twenties male, (till with original, working equipment, only been crashed once, paint-job slightly faded) I do so enjoy reading about my hobbies especially if they are hobbies that anyone can be good at as I don’t enjoy research.

Reading this novel made me think about other films and books where I felt that I was being steered politically in one direction by was so swept up by the accessible story that I did not care. There are countless films like this but the films that I find are as obvious as The Fountainhead are the films of John Milius. He was the dialogue writer on Dirty Harry and the writer of its sequel Magnum Force. It is his adaptation of Robert E. Howard’s Conan The Barbarian that I find most exciting because most people are swept up by the fantastic Sword and Sorcery adventure plot and never realize they are watching a Regan era right-wing propaganda film.

Conan, played by Arnold Schwarzenegger, with his slightly pared down MR Universe body, lantern jaw and standing well over six feet represents the Nietzchen superman. Nietzche is even quoted at the beginning of the film as the war drum theme starts to play.

“That which does not kill you makes you stronger.”

But ultimately as the film goes on it becomes apparent that Conan’s real enemy is the previous two decades of American cultism and hippies. Conan scoffs at the “flower people” when they tell him to lay down his arms and armour and join them on their pilgrimage. His ultimate goal is to kill the cult leader, a Manson-esque James Earl Jones, as Thulsa Doom.

The most Roarkian scene in the film is when Conan describes his no-nonsense god. He explains that he does not pray to his god, Crom as he seldom listens. Crom’s ethos is for one toi live they’re life and become the best man or woman they can and never expect divine help. There will be no weakness.

‘He’s strong. If I die I will have to go before me and he’ll ask me “What is the riddle of steel?” If I don’t know it he will cast me out. That’s Crom. Strong on his mountain,” Conan says to his friend Subotai as they discuss who’s god is stronger.

This reminds me of Roark worshipping logic over any god. He does not expect divine providence, he takes responsibility for his life so that he can die knowing he has achieved. Got to love a philiosophy that tells you to be the best you can be and not get bogged down by too much moralizing.