The Razor's Edge

Starring:Tyrone Power, Gene Tierney, John Payne, Anne Baxter, Clifton Webb, Herbert Marshall, Lucile Watson, Frank Latimore, Elsa Lanchester, Fritz Kortner, John Wengraf, Cecil Humphreys, Harry Pilcer, Cobina Wright Sr., George Gastine, Tyra Vaughn, Blanche Taylor, Helene Copel, Manuel ParÃs, Frank Kerbrat
Director: Edmund Goulding
Studio: 20th Century Fox
Product Type: DVD

Amazon.com

The Somerset Maugham novel should be read by everybody at a certain age (say, early twenties), and this 1946 movie adaptation of The Razor's Edge stays faithful to the book's questing spirit. Despite its apparently uncommercial storyline, it was a pet project of Fox honcho Darryl F. Zanuck, who saw the spiritual journey of Larry Darrell (Tyrone Power) as an "adventure" movie. Power, who was newly returned to Hollywood after his military service in World War I, does his most soul-searching work as the WWI vet who needs to find something in life deeper than money and conformity. The search takes him away from fiancee Gene Tierney and her skeptical uncle Clifton Webb and into Parisian streets and Himalayan mountain ranges. Herbert Marshall deftly plays the role of "Somerset Maugham," the observing author, and Anne Baxter picked up the supporting actress Oscar for her brassy turn as a floozy. The picture has the careful, glossy look of the studio system's peak years (you can sense Zanuck "classing it up" and squeezing the life out of it), and Edmund Goulding's tasteful approach is hardly the way to dig deep into the soul of man. If it seems a little staid today, its square sincerity nevertheless holds up well--and it just looks so fabulous. The really amazing thing about the movie is that it was made at all. A 1984 remake, with Bill Murray, is an extremely weird variation on the material. --Robert Horton

Description

Narrated by on-screen observer Maugham (Herbert Marshall), this intriguing tale centers on a soul-searching World War I veteran (Tyrone Power) who finds he can not settle back into the world of the upper class. Shunning his planned marriage and career, he travels abroad to seek the meaning of life and career, he travels abroad to seek the meaning of life and causes his distraght fiancee (GeneTierney) to seek solace with another man (John Payne).

Customer Reviews:

Entertaining but severely flawed........2007-07-02

I am a huge Maugham fan and the novel on which this movie is based is nothing short of beautiful... he creates an entire world out of an admittedly artificial plot that would in the hands of lesser writers fall flat.

Sadly, that's what happens in this movie... the classic Hollywood actors, while charismatic in their own right, just don't pull this off. Tyrone Power is the WORST choice for Larry that could have been made (he looks like a banker here with his stiff posture and slicked back hair, certainly not like a vagabond loafer). Gene Tierney while perfect appearance wise for Isabel, played her far too coldly and one dimensionally. The actor who played Elliott was really good though.

Still, the movie is avant-garde for its times in certain scenes, and was enjoyable enough to watch. I'm just begging you to read the novel if you haven't already; there are some essential scenes that were left out of the movie, and the incredible detail of the book puts Larry's improbable spiritual journey into context (while in the film the enlightenment thing comes off laughably random). This movie simplifies way too much for my liking, in favor of overacting and the pace of an adventure movie.

A lost prospective.......2007-06-10

This movie echo's the foundation of my life. The main character of the movie (who seeks his true purpose in life) is me just before I found my true purpose in life. Not enough people can relate to this sort of thing; but if you can, you are fortunate indeed. We all have a purpose in life, but few of us realize it. If you can relate to the main character -then this movie relates to you. What is the purpose of this movie? Is it to entertain, or to set us upon the right track? There is something wrong in society when most of the people who write movies today are philosophizers of mostly infantile or vile humor, horrible scenes of violence, or other evidence of disconnection. This film should redistribute a not too stagnant sense of awareness within those who merit it. I am a philosopher and writer of aphorisms (thematic verse) whose work can be found at (...).

Lavish But Remarkably Superficial.......2007-06-02

The author of numerous novels, plays, and short stories, W. Somerset Maugham (1874-1965) was considered among the world's great authors during his lifetime, and although his reputation has faded over the years his work continues to command critical respect and a large reading public. Published in 1944, THE RAZOR'S EDGE is the tale of a World War I veteran whose search for spiritual enlightment flies in the face of shallow western values. It was Maugham's last major novel--and it was immensely popular. Given that the novel's conflicts are internalized spiritual and philosophical issues, it was also an extremely odd choice for a film version--but Darryl F. Zannuck of 20th Century Fox fell in love with the book and snapped up the screen rights shortly after publication.

According to film lore, THE RAZOR'S EDGE was to be directed by the legendary George Cukor from a screenplay by Maugham himself--and it does seem that Maugham wrote an adaptation. When the film went into production, however, Cukor was replaced by Edmund Goulding, a director less known for artistic touch than a workman-like manner, and the Maugham script was replaced with one by Lamar Trotti, the author of such memorable screenplays as THE OXBOW INCIDENT. Tyrone Power, recently returned from military service during World War II, was cast as the spiritually conflicted Larry Darrell; Gene Tierney, one of the great beauties of her era, was cast as socialite Isabell Bradley. The supporting cast was particularly notable, including Herbert Marshall, Anne Baxter, Clifton Webb, Lucille Watson, and Elsa Lanchester. Both budget and shooting schedule were lavish, and when the film debuted in 1946 it was greatly admired by public and critics alike.

But time has a way of putting things into perspective. Seen today, THE RAZOR'S EDGE is indeed a beautifully produced film--but that aside the absolute best one can say for it is that it acheives a fairly consistent mediocrity. As in most cases, the major problem is the script. Although it is reasonably close to Maugham's novel in terms of plot, it is noticeably off the mark in terms of character and it completely fails to capture the fundamental issues that drive the story. We are told that Larry is in search of enlightenment; we are told that he receives it; we are told he acts on it--but in spite of the occasional and largely superficial comment we are never really told anything about the spiritual, artistic, philosophical, and intellectual processes behind any of it. We are most particularly never told anything significant about the nature of the enlightenment itself. It has the effect of cutting off the story at its knees.

We are left with the shell of Maugham's plot, which centers on the relationship between Larry and Isabell, a woman Larry loves but leaves due to the growing ideological riff that opens up between them. Tyrone Power and Gene Tierney were more noted for physical beauty than talent, but both could turn in good performances when they received solid directorial and script support. Unfortunately, that does not happen here; they are extremely one-note and Power is greatly miscast to boot. Fortunately, the supporting cast is quite good, with Herbert Marshall, Clifton Webb, and Lucille Watson particularly so; the then-famous performance by Anne Baxter, however, has not worn as well as one would hope.

With a running time of just under two and a half hours, the film also feels unnecessarily long. There is seemingly endless cocktail party-type banter, and indeed the entire India sequence (which reads as faintly hilarious) would have been better cut entirely--an odd situation, for this is the very sequence intended as the crux of the entire film. Regardless of the specific scene, it all just seems to go on and on to no actual point.

As for the DVD itself, the film has not been remastered, but the print is extremely good, and while the bonus package isn't particularly memorable neither is noticeably poor. When all is said and done, I give THE RAZOR'S EDGE three stars for production values and everyone's willingness to take on the material--but frankly, this a film best left Power and Tierney fans, who will enjoy it for the sake of the stars, and those whose ideas about spiritual enlightment are as vague as the film itself.

GFT, Amazon Reviewer

Ahead of its time.......2007-05-08

Not trying to be biased here "but" this movie is awesome. It really has portrayed my life and hit home. I became totally engulfed in this movie as I had questions going unanswered in my life. Studying Buddha and his teachings have helped me a lot. 5 star movie in my opinion, a must see for someone with unanswered questions in their lives.

Classic B&W.......2007-03-09

This is a classic B&W film. It is also closest to the novel and in advice to use in life. I give it 5 stars for being true to the novel and the great job done when you stop and think about when this motion picture was made.

Average customer rating:

The Lost Generation
"THE LOST GENERATION":The post WW1 Upper crust who sought meaning to life.
Bill Murray's first dramatic role.
Surprise, a serious Bill Murry Movie
A meaningful film

The Razor's Edge
Starring: Bill Murray , Theresa Russell , Catherine Hicks , Denholm Elliott , and James Keach
Director: John Byrum
Manufacturer: Sony Pictures
ProductGroup: DVD
Binding: DVD

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ASIN: B000069HYF
Release Date: 2002-08-20

Customer Reviews:

The Lost Generation.......2007-06-19

This adaptation of Somerset Maugham's novel is probably the best movie ever made dealing with the WWI generation and their attempts to make sense of their lives after experiencing the horrific slaughter of that senseless, brutal conflict. Bill Murray is amazingly effective in the lead role, his first dramatic film appearance. Yet he still has that wise-guy, sly humor charm that shows through to good effect. Denholm Elliot, Theresa Russell and the rest of the cast are marvelous, as well. The cinematography is masterful, giving a very authentic period feel to the production. This one of the very few films I've ever seen that I never tire of watching.

"THE LOST GENERATION":The post WW1 Upper crust who sought meaning to life........2007-05-02

Much has been written and documented about what has now become known as "The Lost Generation".These were the the American upper crust who,being disillusioned after "The War to End All Wars",World War 1, struggled vehemently in many ways to find meaning to their lives upon returning to peacetime America.Zelda and Scott Fitzgerald,Ernest Heningway are among some of the most famous authors to write on the shallow and meaningless existence of their society, and Somerset Maugham did the same in his THE RAZOR'S EDGE.

This 1984 adaptation of Maugham's 1940's novel really captures the essence of the intense inner and outer struggles that the wealthy and privileged of that generation had to endure.Lots of hopes and expectations were radically altered in what seemed like an instant after the War,and either the rich retuned to what they had known before in their upper stations in society,a pampered,opulent,insular and quite predictable road, or they turned to an existential journey that frequently lead down the path to ultimate ruin due to alcohol and opium in Bohemian society of Paris, or to travel to Greece, India or Tibet to find "God".No matter which path was chosen,whether opting for life back in the comforts of American wealth ( eventually ruined at The Great Depression),or "mind-expanding"wandering from the streets to the Temples, each group found it treacherous to walk "the razor's edge" and survive it all.

Other reviewers have marvelously set forth the plot of Bill Murray's own adaptation of THE RAZOR'S EDGE (so I won't improve on their writings).No one could have played his character better. Too bad that the critics of 1984 did not see it that way ( much like the similar difficulties that Robin Williams and Adam Sandler first had in doing "serious roles").Murray KNEW and UNDERSTOOD Maugham's Larry and he performed the role to utter perfection.There is so much to commend Murray's rendition over the previous version,such as the outstanding cinematography, the Stanley Black musical score and the outstanding performances of Theresa Russel,Denholm Elliott and Catherine Hicks.....but most of all it is Murray's true understanding of the heart of the material and message that Maugham
intended.Could the film have been better? Probably only in the editing where vital scenes possibly were deleted in order to compact the film.But, even with that, this is a true masterpiece that seems to be appreciated so much more as the years go by (even by myself who was rather ambivilent about the film at the "know-it-all" age of then 29!!!).

Having since read Maugham's novel and learned so much more about this aimless and disheartened generation of dreamers,THE RAZOR'S EDGE has to be one of the finest expositions ever written or filmed on this subject. Anyone with an interest in "THE LOST GENERATION" will improve their knowledge vastly by watching Murray's THE RAZOR'S EDGE.

Other excellent companion films on "THE LOST GENERATION" would be THE MODERNS,THE GREAT GATSBY,SCOTT AND ZELDA, TOM AND VIV and A MONTH IN THE COUNTRY as well as the play THE VIOLET HOUR.

Bill Murray's first dramatic role........2007-03-09

Even though this is a modern adaptation of the novel, it was undervalued and under-rated when first released. I'm glad that this version as well as the original B&W (closer to the novel) are now available on DVD. 5 stars for Bill Murray taking the risk.

Surprise, a serious Bill Murry Movie.......2007-03-08

This is a movie set in the past and one that will surprise many people. We have a lead actor, who is best know as a commedian, acting in a serious movie and doing an extremely good job of it. Yes there is humor in it but there is humor in life. I didn't care for the original version of this movie but Bill made the difference in a big way.

A meaningful film.......2007-02-12

Bill Murray accompanied by a splendid cast in one of his earliest dramatic film roles. The story follows the lives of a group of friends from their youth to middle age. Mr. Murray plays the lead as Larry Darrel an individual on a journey of spirtual enlightenment. The film is a wonderful adaptation of the book "The Razor's Edge" by W. Somerset Maugham. While the film does depart slightly from the book, it is an excellent redition of this important literary work.

If you enjoyed the film "Cinderella Man" you will likely find this film equally inspiring. I hope you will try it and that you will find the time also to enjoy the book. Both are intelligent and satisfying works.

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