'We the Living' (1942) Movie of the Book by Ayn Rand [Part 1]

The 1942 Italian film 'Noi Vivi' (“We the Living”), based on Ayn Rand’s 1936 novel of the same name, stands as a remarkable and paradoxical work of cinematic history. Directed by Goffredo Alessandrini and released in Mussolini’s Italy without Rand’s permission, the film adapts her explicitly anti-communist and implicitly anti-totalitarian novel with surprising fidelity.

'Noi Vivi' is the first of two parts, introducing the characters, conflicts, and ideological themes that form the backbone of the narrative. It is both a compelling drama and a bold political statement that, ironically, slipped through the cracks of fascist censorship—at least for a time.

At its core, 'Noi Vivi' tells the story of Kira Argounova, a fiercely independent and idealistic young woman navigating the moral and political chaos of post-revolutionary Soviet Russia. In Part 1, the viewer follows Kira as she returns to Petrograd to study engineering, only to be met with brutal poverty, bureaucratic repression, and ideological intolerance. The regime's intrusion into every aspect of life—from education to employment to personal relationships—exposes the devastating effects of collectivism on the individual spirit. Kira’s resistance to this oppression is quiet but unrelenting. She refuses to accept the false morality of self-sacrifice and submission, even as those around her succumb to despair or compromise.

The film’s portrayal of Soviet society is stark and chilling. Through both visual language and character development, 'Noi Vivi' captures the grayness and futility of life under a regime that punishes ambition, creativity, and love. The cinematography is often somber and claustrophobic, reinforcing the suffocating environment that the characters inhabit. Yet amidst this bleakness, Kira emerges as a luminous figure—her dignity, intelligence, and resilience providing a counterpoint to the degradation that surrounds her. Rossano Brazzi’s portrayal of Leo, the charismatic but disillusioned aristocrat with whom Kira falls in love, adds emotional weight and complexity to the story. Their relationship is not simply romantic—it is ideological, a union of shared values in defiance of a world hostile to them both.

Part 1 of 'Noi Vivi' is notable for its restraint and focus. Rather than sensationalize the horrors of Soviet life, the film lets the grim reality speak for itself. Small injustices, invasions of privacy, and humiliations accumulate into a portrait of systemic moral decay. The state is not simply a political entity—it is a machine that demands the surrender of conscience. The film does not preach; it illustrates. And it does so with a clarity that is all the more remarkable given the context of its production.

The greatest irony—and perhaps the film’s most subversive achievement—is that it was produced and released in Fascist Italy. Though intended as anti-communist propaganda, the film’s deeper critique of totalitarianism was so powerful and universal that it soon became clear it could be read as an attack on fascism itself. Viewers reportedly recognized parallels between Soviet oppression and their own regime. Eventually, the film was banned by Mussolini’s government and pulled from theaters. That such a forthright condemnation of state tyranny could emerge from within a dictatorship is a testament to both the film’s artistic subtlety and the enduring power of Rand’s original novel.

As a work of adaptation, 'Noi Vivi' is strikingly faithful to Rand’s themes. While it omits or compresses certain elements from the book, it preserves the novel’s central message: that the individual, not the collective, is the moral center of human life. Kira is not portrayed as a political dissident in the traditional sense; she does not shout slogans or join protests. Her rebellion is internal and moral. She simply refuses to live a lie. In this sense, the film remains true to Rand’s early Objectivist ideals, even if it lacks the sharper philosophical edges found in her later work.

In conclusion, 'Noi Vivi' is a compelling and historically significant film. As the first installment of a two-part adaptation, it lays the ideological and emotional groundwork for what follows in Addio, Kira! It is not just an anti-communist story—it is a cry against all forms of collectivist tyranny. With its strong performances, atmospheric direction, and moral clarity, 'Noi Vivi' stands as a rare example of a film that both honors its source material and transcends the conditions of its creation. It remains a testament to Ayn Rand’s early literary voice and the resilience of the individual in the face of oppressive power.