The Razor's Edge
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DVD Cover Information
Actor: Bill Murray, Catherine Hicks, Denholm Elliott, James Keach, Theresa RussellBrand: Sony
DVD: Region Code 99
Audio: English (Unknown), Dolby Digital 2.0; English (Subtitled); French (Subtitled); English (Original Language), Dolby Digital 2.0; Spanish (Original Language)
Format: Anamorphic, Closed-captioned, Subtitled, Widescreen
Picture Format: Anamorphic Widescreen, 2.40:1
Running Time: 128 minutes
DVD Release Date: 2002-08-20
Audience Rating: PG-13 (Parental Guidance Suggested)
Studio: Sony Pictures Home Entertainment
Movie Reviews of The Razor's Edge
Movie Review: An inspiring motion picture
Summary: 5 Stars
Like most moviegoers, when I heard Bill Murray was taking on the serious role of Larry Darrell in "The Razor's Edge," I was skeptical. I was a Bill Murray fan, but I couldn't imagine how the same goofy actor from "Saturday Night Live" and "Caddyshack" was going to portray a young man transformed by war to become a globetrotting seeker on a quest for a way of life that would satisfy both his heart and his head. The novel by W. Somerset Maugham had been filmed before, in 1946, with Tyrone Power as Darrell, and it was considered a pretty good film capitalizing on the Eastern-spirituality craze that swept Hollywood in the `40s. Why do it again?, I thought. But the more pre-film publicity I read about this 1984 version, the more I became interested in what the "SNL" alumnus would bring to the role. It was obvious that Bill Murray--who signed on to do "Ghostbusters" only after Columbia Pictures agreed to let him do "The Razor's Edge"--was committed to this story of spiritual transformation. While most film critics don't like Murray's performance, seeing him as a comic actor out of place in a drama, I see his Larry Darrell as a serious man with a sense of humor. Even before he witnesses the horrors of World War I, we see his lose-limbed, happy-go-lucky persona (which is true to the character Maugham created). Upon returning home to America, Darrell is a changed man, but one who has not lost his sense of humor; indeed, it is all the more important to him, as he uses it to deal with his post-war life. Sure, there is some anachronistic dialogue. Yes, the script differs from the novel. But the key elements are there: loyalty, forgiveness and most importantly, one man's search for himself.This new DVD, which is short on extras, allows us to see the film in its original widescreen format, and that's bonus enough for me. It's certainly a big improvement over the pan-and-scan VHS cassette we've had to endure. Jack Nitzsche's sweeping score both captures the period and adds to the drama, and it sounds great here. The movie--much of which takes place in Paris and India--makes excellent use of location shots (conspicuously absent in the 1946 version), and with the DVD we get some spectacular views of Kashmir, India, an area now entrenched in terrorism. Interestingly, this version has Larry Darrell converting to Buddhism, giving audiences a chance to see the mountainous region of eastern Kashmir called Ladakh. (Sometimes called "Little Tibet," Ladakh is a lot like Tibet was before the Communist Chinese invasion, and "The Razor's Edge" gives us some inspiring views of this remote land.)
On the down side, though, the DVD transfer does not look as sharp as it could have. There are many specs of dirt visible, and the film looks grainy at times. This is disappointing, but not surprising for a film that made a mere $6 million at the box office back in 1984. Perhaps Columbia/Tristar felt this movie was a flop, so why bother giving audiences the best DVD they could. Still, this is an inspiring movie, and it's great to finally have it available on DVD.
Summary of The Razor's Edge
RAZOR'S EDGE - DVD Movie
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