The Fountainhead, Directed by King Vidor

The Fountainhead

1949 movie adaption Directed by King Vidor, starring Gary Cooper & Patricia Neal

(Based on the 1943 Novel by Ayn Rand)

Summary

The movie begins with our protagonist Howard Roark (portrayed by Gary Cooper) being asked if he “Wants to stand alone against the whole world?” because there is “no place for originality in architecture”, his presumed mentor tells him that “nobody can improve on the buildings of the past” and that “one can only learn to copy them”. Roark is subsequently expelled from Architecture School after he will not follow the socially accepted copy & paste design philosophy, the School believes in.

Roark goes on to get a job in New York City with Henry Cameron, a once renowned and great Architect, but now an Architect who only receives very few commissions. Henry Cameron is portrayed as a beaten man, rambling about his office apparently intoxicated, he implores Roark to compromise now whilst he still can, however Roark refuses to compromise, and Cameron warns him that he is about to begin his journey into hell, a very dramatic metaphor to describe Roark’s personal belief in standing up for what he believes to be right.

Following this scene Peter Keating is introduced, a former fellow student of Roark, Keating is apparently doing very well, rising the ranks of a typical Architecture Practice, this is indicated to be a result of his ability to compromise and conform to the socially accepted practice of the Architectural Profession.

Roark is later offered a commission on a Skyscraper but on the condition that he compromises on his proposed design, Roark refuses the commission on the moral value of his building’s integrity, adding that a building will have integrity likewise to any man having his own integrity and moral values.

Roark goes on to take a construction job in a quarry, choosing that he would rather not work as an Architect if he cannot be the Master to his own vision. Here he meets Dominique Francon, a writer for the “New York Banner” newspaper and the daughter of the quarry’s owner. There is an attraction between them and they are involved in a sexual encounter after a number of meetings.

Roark is invited back to New York after he is asked to design a building consisting of Luxury Apartments. The New York Banner chooses to launch an attack via their newspapers against the building, despite it being described as a magnificent piece of architecture, the newspaper publishes it purely as It believes the public will go with the story, and they need to sell newspapers. Later during the opening party for the new apartments, Dominique Francon is reintroduced to Howard Roark, not realising he was the Architect for the building she admires greatly. Dominique confesses her love to Roark, but says that she cannot be with him, as the world will not accept Roark and she does not want to witness his downfall.

Despite her love for Roark, Dominique Francon decides to marry Gail Wynand (the owner of the New York Banner). Meanwhile Roark continues to take on commissions no matter what the size, as long as he is allowed to design to his own vision, and not compromise. He continues to work on what he believes in and stands by his morals despite the New York Banner’s smear campaign against him.

Gail Wynand contacts Roark as he wants him to design his country home for him and his wife Dominique. He wants the house to stand as a temple for him and his wife, and only him and his wife. Roark agrees to the commission despite, working for the man whose newspaper attacked him undeservedly. Perhaps Roark makes this decision because he is a client to his buildings and not the person paying him?

Wynand also offers Roark the chance to design all the future buildings for his company, if he finally compromises in his designs, and designs to popular opinions and trends. Roark surprisingly agrees to this but sketches a design in accordance with these principals to the disgust of Wynand, who now realises Roark is right. Roark now tells Wynand to never doubt or question his designs again.

Later Peter Keating returns asking for Roark’s help on a low-cost housing project. Roark characteristically agrees on the terms that the project is only built to his own design, and only his design.

Roark goes on a vacation with Wynand and Dominique, however when he returns he finds out the design for the low-cost housing project he helped Keating with has been compromised. Roark is outraged that someone has changed his design and his vision, and with the help of Dominique blows up the construction site in a very satisfying conclusion.

Roark makes himself accountable and stands trial, meanwhile Wynand surprisingly comes to his aid and stands up against everyone and popular opinion for the first time in his life. However, due to the negative effect Roark’s case is having on Wynand’s newspaper, Wynand is forced to retire his support for Roark and publishes a denunciation of Roark.

During the trial Roark provides an inspiring speech outlining the importance of integrity, individualism and free thinking of man and wins the case, with the jury declaring a non-guilty verdict.

The low-cost housing project is agreed to be rebuilt exactly as per Roark’s original vision.

Roark also wins over Dominique who leaves Wynand for him. Wynand now finally realises the power and moral standing of his position with The New York Banner and comes to the conclusion that he never really ran the newspaper but instead the common consensus of the public did, Wynand shuts the newspaper down.

In the concluded act of the film Wynand gives Roark one final commission for the “Wynand Tower”, the building which he believes will stand as his legacy. However, Wynand tells Roark that he never wants to see him again, assuming the reasoning of this is because of Dominique’s decision to leave Wynand for Roark, and the guilt Wynand feels towards not standing up for what he believes in, in life until now. The scene ends with Wynand committing suicide.

Eighteen months later the Wynand Tower is under construction and Dominique meets Roark atop the steel framework as credits role.

Analysis

The Fountainhead is observed as a depiction of one man’s moral standing and integrity, when faced against a series of events in his life all telling him to compromise, much to the detriment to his beliefs. To play against this, other characters in the story such as Peter Keating choose to conform to the status quo, whether or not they actually agree with the actions they are implementing, in order to progress within their roles in society.

The character of Gail Wynand is also a character who has conformed to popular opinion in his past to reach a height of financial superiority. The character of Wynand does have a story arc during the film which makes him realise what he has been doing his whole life (being a yes man) has been wrong, and he finally decides to stand up for what he believes to be right at the conclusion of the film (during the course of Howard Roark’s trial). Despite his redemption, the guilt for the actions of his past are too much and he decides to take his own life.

Despite this negative conclusion to the character of Wynand the Foutainhead does have an uplifting and positive ending for our protagonist Howard Roark, who in the face of such adversity finally succeeds by sticking by his morals.

However, the fact that this story is portrayed in the medium of film, makes one question whether a happy ending has been written in, as it would be preferred by most audiences (so I would be interested to see if this ending is true to the original novel). Similarities in the story can be applied to life in society today, despite a difference of 70 plus years since the original publishing.

It should also be noted that the film seems to draw inspiration from the real-life Architect Frank Lloyd Wright (1867 – 1959). Many of Roark’s design seem to draw inspiration from the broad architectural designs of Frank Lloyd wright, as discussed in the previous text “U.S.A.” written by John Dos Passos. Furthermore, the career of Frank Lloyd Wright also took American architecture forward and implemented change during a time of repetition and duplication.

Similar to Thorstein Veblen (again discussed in the previous text), one has to admire the character and resolve of Howard Roark, standing by his morals and refusing to conform to the norm in order to progress in society, at the detriment of his own values and beliefs. Roark never compromised on his beliefs and in the end succeeded where other “yes men” had otherwise failed or realised the error of their ways.