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| Won: New York Film Critics Circle - Best Actor | National Board of Review - Best Actor |
Chuck Yeager may have been the first man to exceed the speed of sound in level flight, but if the Brits behind The Sound Barrier had their way, that'd have been an achievement accomplished by a British pilot who had in turn been egged on by an aircraft-obsessed oil magnate.
The Sound Barrier is a run-of-the-mill "science" picture that attempts to spotlight a complex scientific advancement for the masses a la Madame Curie or The Story of Louis Pasteur. Oddly enough, the film often puts aside the tactics of actually breaking of the sound barrier in favor of some fictionalized "behind-the-scenes" family drama that ultimately feels excessive and misplaced.
At the right of center of said drama is Ralph Richardson as the wealthy, obsessive John Ridgefield. I say right of center because, while he is undoubtedly the catalyst driving the plot forward, The Sound Barrier is an ensemble film through and through, and lays its focus on a variety of actors (Ann Todd, Nigel Patrick, John Justin) throughout its duration. For a good chunk of the film, Richardson is not seen or present. It's telling that a search of the film via Google Images summons a whole lot of stills that do not include him.
Ridgefield's stoic characterization is acted well enough by Richardson, but this is is a type of character I've seen him do before and one that I assume is not far out from his comfort zone. His climactic "a-ha" moment, in which he reveals the lonely man which lives beneath that brittle exterior, is sensitively executive yet far from sensational.
Ridgefield is essentially a watered-down version of Richardson's own Austin Sloper, and, similar to that role, he'd have likely been a better fit for the Supporting Actor field. Alas, the science of collective groupthink secured him wins via the New York Film Critics and National Board of Review bodies; in my opinion, the part was simply too minimal to make a strong enough case for Lead Actor. He is effective when he's around, though not a standout.
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ReplyDeleteThe Academy and critics' groups were in thrall with English performers in these years, especially actors, hence the Olivier-Guinness-Burton-Richardson nomination cycle. These two critics awards were the prime pre-Oscar prizes back then, but it's surprising that Richardson got them. Your observations are straight to the point: he's fine but not outstanding in a role that is less than a lead. If this wasn't such a weak year for actors, I doubt he would have received them.
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