Genre: Drama
Director: Cary Fukunaga
Writer: Dwight Gallo
Cast: Charlize Theron, Ben Affleck, Michael Fassbender, Jeremy Renner, January Jones, Edgar Ramirez, Richard Jenkins
Plot: With the economy in shambles, Dagny Taggart (Charlize Theron), Vice President in Charge of Operations for Taggart Transcontinental, works to repair the Rio Norte Line to service Colorado, the last great industrial area in the nation. The company is effected when the Mexican government decides to nationalize Taggart's San Sebastian Line, which had been built to service copper mills belonging to Francisco d'Anconia (Edgar Ramirez), which turned out to be worthless. Dagny's brother James (Jeremy Renner), in an effort to solve the company's financial problems, uses political influence to pass legislation that destroys Taggart Transcontinental's only competition in Colorado. Dagny now has to fix the Rio Norte line immediately and plans to use Rearden Metal, a new alloy created by Hank Rearden (Ben Affleck).
The State Science Institute denounces Rearden metal, which causes Taggart's stock to crash. Dagny decides to start her own company to rebuild the line, still using Rearden metal. The rebuilt Rio Norte Line is a huge success. In Colorado, Dagny and Hank, who have since become lovers while working together, discover a motor in an abandoned factory that runs entirely on static electricity. They decide to seek out the inventor.
The government passes new legislation that cripples industry in Colorado. Ellis Wyatt, an oil industrialist suddenly disappears after setting fire to his own wells. Dagny is forced to cut trains, but the situation continues to worsen. Soon, more industrialists disappear. Dagny believes that there is some sort of destroyer at work, taking men away when they are most needed. Francisco visits Reardon and asks him why he remains in business under such repressive conditions. During the visit, a fire breaks out and they work together to put it out, leading Francisco to understand Rearden's love for his mills.
Rearden is put on trial for breaking one of the new laws, but he refuses to participate in the proceedings, telling the judges they can coerce him by force but that he will not help them convict him. The judges don't want to be seen as thugs so they let Rearden go. Economic dictator Wesley Mouch (Richard Jenkins) needs Rearden’s cooperation for a new set of socialist laws, and James Taggart needs economic favors that keep his ailing railroad running after the industrial collapse of Colorado. James appeals to Rearden's wife Lillian (January Jones), who wants to destroy her husband. She tells him that Rearden and Dagny are having an affair. James uses this information in a trade with Mouch.
A new law is put into place requiring all patents to be signed over to the government. Mouch uses Rearden's affair with Dagny to blackmail him into signing over his metal to protect Dagny's reputation. Dagny quits over the new law and retreats to a mountain lodge. However, she soon returns to work when she learns of a massive accident at the Taggart Tunnel. She receives a letter from a scientist she had hired to reverse engineer the engine she and Rearden found, and fears the scientist will be next target of the destroyer. In an attempt to stop him from disappearing, she follows him in an airplane and crashes in the mountains.
When she wakes up, she finds herself in a remote valley where all the missing industrialists are living. She learns that they are on strike, calling it a strike of the mind. She meets John Galt (Michael Fassbender), who turns out to be both the destroyer and the man who built the motor. She falls in love with him, but she cannot give up her railroad, and leaves the valley. When she returns to work, Dagny finds that the government has nationalized the railroad industry. Government leader want her to make a speech reassuring the public about the new laws. She refuses until Lillian comes forth to blackmail her. Dagny proudly announces her affair with Rearden to the nation, reveals that he has been blackmailed, and warns the country about its repressive government.
With the economy on the verge of collapse, Francisco destroys the rest of his holdings and disappears. The politicians stop even pretending to work for the good of the people, as their vast network of influence peddling creates chaos. In an attempt to gain control of Francisco's mills, the government stages a riot at Rearden Steel. But the steelworkers organize and fight back, led by Francisco, who has gone undercover at the mills. During the fight, Francisco saves Rearden’s life and convinces him to join the "strike."
As Mouch prepares to give a speech on the economic situation, John Galt takes over the airwaves and delivers a lengthy address to the country, laying out the terms of the strike he has organized. In desperation, the government fires Mouch and seeks Galt to make him the new economic dictator. Dagny goes back to the valley, inadvertently leading the government to him. They take Galt prisoner and torture him, but he still refuses to help them. Dagny, Rearden, Francisco, and the other strikers rescue Galt in an armed confrontation with guards. With Galt rescued, they return to the valley, where Dagny finally joins the strike. Once the government completely collapses, the strikers prepare to return to work to build the country back up.
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