Richard Todd, The Hasty Heart

as LACHIE

I've watched a lot of duds. I've seen the same old fare repurposed ever-so-slightly through the subsequent years. So at face value, The Hasty Heart might seem like just your average forgotten 1940's wartime drama, and to a certain extent it very well is. It's fairly conventional filmmaking that can hit up some hokey avenues at times. But every so often, I bump into the occasional needle-in-the-haystack, coming into a film without any expectations and leaving surprised and impressed. Richard Todd is the reason why I sought out this film, and he does not disappoint.

Every single time Todd is onscreen he's got your attention. You're hooked on him. That fiery Scottish accent he plays up is a sure-fire contribution to his magnetism from a pure aesthetic standpoint, but what was so surprising for me was how Todd layered Lachie with so many dimensions. At first hardened to an increasingly annoying fault, you begin to see him peel away at Lachie, revealing the character to be one buried in vulnerabilities beneath that bitter exterior.

What I was most impressed by--and what I don't usually get to see--was Todd's bare approach to his character's emotions. Usually when we see 1940's "men" get emotional, it's within a moment, maybe two, mostly brief, and stifled by restraint; when Todd summons the feels, he doesn't hold back, in turn creating a very vivid balance between your standard headstrong, brusque "man's man" who's ultimately revealed to be a poignant, naive, and rather helpless boy. I think I've read here and there that people have found Todd to have ventured into "OTT" territory -- and that makes sense.

His accent is strong, it's colorful, and when mixed with an early repetitious resentment I can see how some might deem it hammy. But say what you will, I found it all to be rooted in passion. Everything Todd does, it feels like the man is giving his all. He is lovable even when he is most exasperating. And doesn't that align perfectly with the character? That we stick with him even in spite of his difficulties? I love that the performance does not read as insincere. His conversations with Patricia Neal and his outbursts in the latter half of the film, how he reacts to the big reveal of the film and his final breakdown are done beautifully. He is a delightful, plaintive center who breathes life to a satisfying and safe picture.