The Day of the Locust : Todd in the Riot

Todd in the Riot

Throughout the film, I found Todd (Atherton's character) to be unsympathetic. Todd struck me as a very smug, selfish, and rather shallow person, not too different from Faye and the rest of the aspiring Hollywood set apart from his higher intelligence and sense of detachment. At the end, however, I found Todd's attempt to rescue Homer from the mob (diving into the crowd and having his leg broken in the process) very touching. That was the first time in the film that Todd seemed to be a likeable, human character.

Re: Todd in the Riot

I'm not sure it all happens in the riot. For me, those particular shades of his character are presented much earlier. For example, he's the only person in the film that seems genuinely effected by the accident on set, asking would the reactions have been any different if someone had died? He seems shocked when the producer tells him no and dismisses his assertion that the warning signs hadn't been posted. He also develops seemingly meaningful relationships with several characters within the film, even if his obsession for Faye and his fragile ego causes him to lash out or act uncontrollably.

I think Todd more than anything represents the characteristics of someone obsessed by the fame and the greed and the decadence of the world that these characters inhabit, but beneath his flaws and fragility, has a shard of goodness. He's not quite as corrupted as the rest of the characters.


All secrets sleep in winter clothes...

Re: Todd in the Riot

Very true.

Todd isn't as venal as the rest of the people he meets in Hollywood because he's new to the scene. It's implied that he leaves Hollywood in disgust by the end of the film (vacant apartment scene) instead of allowing himself to be further morally degraded by the environment.

Re: Todd in the Riot

i agree with the original poster. i was moved by todd's attempt to get to homer during the riot.

Re: Todd in the Riot

As I watched the film again just now, I remembered the cartoon nature of the characters, that I noticed when I read the book (it was either that or revise for my finals) and thought that the cipher nature of the people Tod met was rather well done but was also undercut with humanism, which I think Schlesinger et al put there, to show them "off duty" (like Abe Kusich in the bar). I didn't thing Tod was different, except in the sense of a different cartoon character.

Marlon, Claudia and Dimby the cats 1989-2005, 2007 and 2010.
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