The Razor's Edge (1984)

Director:

John Byrum

Writers:

W. Somerset Maugham (novel)
John Byrum (screenplay) ...

Release Date:

19 October 1984 (USA)

Genre:

Drama | Romance | War

Tagline:

The story of one man's search for himself.

Plot:

He had everything and wanted nothing. He learned that he had nothing and wanted everything. He saved the world and then it shattered. The path to enlightenment is as sharp and narrow as a razor's edge.

Plot Keywords:

India | Lama | Wedding | Singing | Horse Riding

Cast

Bill Murray	...	Larry Darrell
Theresa Russell	...	Sophie MacDonald
Catherine Hicks	...	Isabel Bradley
Denholm Elliott	...	Elliott Templeton
James Keach	...	Gray Maturin
Peter Vaughan	...	Mackenzie
Brian Doyle-Murray	...	Piedmont
Stephen Davies	...	Malcolm
Saeed Jaffrey	...	Raaz
Faith Brook	...	Louisa Bradley (Isabel's mother)
André Maranne	...	Joseph, the Butler (as Andre Maranne)
Bruce Boa	...	Henry Maturin
Serge Feuillard	...	Coco
Joris Stuyck	...	Bob MacDonald
Helen Horton	...	Red Cross lady

Runtime:

128 min

Country:

USA

Language:

English

Color:

Color (Rankcolor)

Aspect Ratio:

2.20 : 1

Sound Mix:

Dolby (35 mm prints) | 70 mm 6-Track (70 mm prints)

Certification:

Argentina:13 | Iceland:14 | Australia:PG | Finland:K-12 | France:U | Sweden:15 | UK:15 | USA:PG-13 | West Germany:12

Filming Locations:

Belgium

Company:

Columbia Pictures Corporation

Trivia:

Byrum and Murray wrote the screenplay over the course of 18 months while driving around the United States.

Quotes:

Larry Darrell: It's very easy to love someone like you.

Movie Connections:

Remake of The Razor's Edge (1946)

Hey, I loved it!

The remarks of the detractor in this array of reviews is confusing and confused. Look. I read Maugham's book in the late 40s and saw the Tyrone Power, Gene Tierney, Clifton Webb film. So what? This film was neither one but that's beauty of art, dudes. It doesn't have to. The Razor's Edge is an odyssey of a man in search of himself. The transit nature of life and the brutality of war turn him into a "superfluous" man, who goes off on a quest to find himself. We can inundate this issue with metaphors until the cows come home, but that's Maugham's story. Old Somerset, a closet homosexual who was a volunteer in the horrorific WW1 went through a similar transformation and in a way, this novel, which he began back in the 20s, reflects that journey. Murray takes the character of Larry Darrell into a new domain. Why shouldn't he? He's not Tyrone Power. He's a comedian who plays a tragic role straight. There is much in this film that makes it superior to the 40s version. A stronger statement of the tragedy of the entanglement of the two women and a more intense presentation of the character of Larry. I saw this film when it first aired and recalled a young high school kid remarking to a friend upon exiting, "Man, this is a totally awesome movie." I agree. Alas, the critics and comedy-addicted Murray fa ns didn't and it flopped. Pity. It is a totally awesome movie.