His film portrayal of Judd, the prickly, driven communist schoolboy in an established private school, encapsulated everything about his acting style that was to come: compressed, full of understated force and density, and deeply touching in its pivotal scheme of transformation as the walled-in Judd responds to human sympathy.

The moment did not rely on words. Mr. Firth's deep, resonant voice never changed a key. His body barely moved. His face remained blank: it was all in the eyes. [NYTimes -96]

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