The Razor's Edge
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Movie Reviews of The Razor's Edge
Movie Review: Close-up For A Bodhisattva
Summary: 5 Stars
I've just been rewatching this with my daughter. It's an example of a film that does justice to its book. No, it exceeds that. The film's structure is leaner than Maugham's book. You know, less 'novelistic' and more 'cinematic'. In this case, the heightened drama helps contrast the high-societal nature of Paris/Chicago with proletarian life (anywhere) and spiritual life (Indian Himalayas and inside).It was sheer chance, at age 16, that I turned on a very early a.m. broadcast channel in Los Angeles and saw this for the first time. Actually, it had begun already, and I saw very soon the 'sunrise scene' which serves as an objective correlative for Larry Darrell's (Tyrone Power's) enlightenment. I started 'seeking' from that point.
Maybe this is what 'critical theorists' mean when they urge us to ferret out contradictions: the irony that Hollywood 'sells' the repudiation of material acquisition.
I bought the message.
Wonderful performances by Ty Power (catch him reading Keats!), Gene Tierney, classic Clifton Webb, great voice-overs by one of the greatest film voices, Herbert Marshall (as Maughm), and young Anne Baxter as the lost Sophie. Post WWII 'dark' recuperation at its best.
They should convert this to DVD.
Movie Review: The pure pursuit of inner perfection -- no greater thrill
Summary: 5 Stars
Words fall short in the praise of this remarkably uplifting and thoroughly enjoyable film that dares to show an individual in pursuit of the Sublime -- that elusive commodity explored by the classical Roman Longinus in his treatise, "On the Sublime," a seminal work of inspiration to the Renaissance over a thousand years afterwards. This landmark movie might have anticipated the Sixties idealists who tried, however tragically and unsuccessfully, to turn away from monetary and social success to find their souls -- only this movie's hero, admirably portrayed by Tyrone Power, does not fail.The film goes where venal Hollywood rarely ventures: the spiritual longing in all our hearts that demands that we take ourselves away from the distractions and illusions of success that Society dangles before us. This movie is a defining work on the pursuit of inner peace and perfection in the real world, the heroic, quixotic pursuit of the "Life Worth Living." It explores with dazzling creativity -- plot, script, casting and direction -- the timeless "what if" proposition. What if a man with everything going for him -- good looks, a "goddess" for a fianc?e, money, social graces and social position -- realized that Holy Scripture was right when it said, "Vanity, vanity, all is vanity"? What would happen in the 20th century if, like Eliseus when the prophet Elias threw his holy cloak over him, our protagonist turned away from the pursuits of the world to pursue Truth alone -- without compromise in any way?
If you have ever wanted a little encouragement in thinking on the level of the sublime, ever yearned to live your one-and-only life in accordance with God's holy plan, then this film is for you. Oddly enough, it doesn't preach -- that's for non-artistic bumblers like myself futilely trying to capture the essence of the film to do! -- and even more oddly enough, it is ultimately a "feel-good" film. It never compromises, but remains intellectually and artistically honest. A masterful tour de force of the human spirit seeking to triumph over the profane, "The Razor's Edge" is for us all. How can we do other than rejoice with the inspired cast, crew and director who told this tale of the spiritual "knight errant" armed only with his curiosity and a seeking heart to find meaning in life? How hard has each age sought to find meaning in our short span here on Earth? And if this movie does not give us the final answers -- again, it doesn't preach, and so it never pretends to answer the questions -- it holds aloft some of the essential questions. It is, after all, up to us to answer them as the Spirit moves us individually.
Bravo to those who had the courage and integrity to make this epic film for us. We are the better for it. How rarely does art ever try for the Sublime -- then make it so thoroughly enjoyable! How fortunate for us when art like this succeeds. Longinus, your quest continues!
Movie Review: THE RAZOR'S EDGE
Summary: 5 Stars
FORGET THAT THIS MOVIE IS 58 YEARS OLD! THAT IS MORE THAN HALF A CENTURY! IMMERSE YOURSELF IN THE MESSAGE,THE STORY CENTENT, THE CINEMATOGRAPHY,THE CLOSEUPS,THE LIGHTING,THOSE INCREDIBLY BEAUTIFUL EYES OF GENE TIERNEY AND THE ENDLESS LIFE SEARCHING OF TYRONE POWER'S CHARACTER.THIS MOVIE WILL SNAGE THOSE WHO HAVE BEEN IN IMPOSSIBLE LOVE AFFAIRS AND THOSE THAT HAVE KNOWN TRAGEDY. THOSE THAT HAVE EVER HAD A DEEP THOUGHT ABOUT THE MEANING OF LIFE OR THEIR PLACE IN THE WORLD WILL HAVE A SPECIAL FEELING FOR THIS MOVIE.CRITICISM OF THIS MOVIE BASED ON 2004 STANDARDS OF ACTING, SET DESIGN AND STORY CONTENT IS PETULANT AND INAPPROPRIATE.IF YOU DON'T LIKE THIS MOVIE YOU WILL HAVE CONFIRMED ICEWATER IN YOUR VEINS! PUT YOURSELF IN 1946.IT WILL BE A PLEASANT JOURNEY AWAY FROM THE VULGAR TRASH THAT HOLLYWOOD GRINDS OUT THESE DAYS.Movie Review: An excellent film from the 1940's
Summary: 5 Stars
I heartily recommend this film for fans of the "classic hollywood" genre. Yes, you can find minutia to criticize as with everthing, but really, for a film to capture the "times" of the 1920's and 1930's, this film does a fine job. If anything lacks, it's the budget. I really wish the production had more money and the director could have actually filmed in Paris and in India. You can tell that all of the scenes were essentially shot in Hollywood on staged sets. But I loved the acting from all of the characters. I think Anne Baxter deservedly earned her academy award. She does not overact at all! She does a beautiful job of acting. And Tyrone Powers, while understated, does a fine job. And Tierney is beautiful and emotes every bit of the cunning and ulterior motives throughout this film. I also thought the actor who plays Maughm does a masterfully subtle acting job that makes you think he really is the actual author!! What's so masterful about this film is that it focuses solely on the characters portrayed and you want to find out what happens to Larry. I wish the film could have gone into greater detail about Larry's experience in India. It's a bit too superficial but then, for hollywood, what do you expect??
I also care about Larry and I really wanted to see Ann Baxter's character saved. And the important moral lesson is that you can't save everyone in this universe! And not everyone is bound for "success." It's not in the cards. And that's a very powerful message that seems to be forgotten today. We glorify tragedy but films don't explore what Larry explored. What does it all mean???? American Beauty was a more modern attempt at it, and I liked that film.
But The Razor's Edge makes you think about the metaphysical and what your purpose in life is all about. If you are cocky and arrogant, then you will never find wisdom. If you are humble and are filled with questions, you will get closer to enlightenment. Death does make angels of us all and Ann Baxter's character found peace once dead. May seem tragic but
life is not fair nor just. Life is not "what should be" but what is."
See this film. It's good for the soul and the mind.
Movie Review: Of the Two Versions Made, IMHO, This is the Best...
Summary: 5 Stars
I saw both versions of the movies of Somerset Maugham's "The Razor`s Edge" recently on cable one weekend and while I enjoy Bill Murray and he generally entertains me, his smirking attitude did not lend the melodrama any benefit, to me. I simply could not put myself into believing that someone that "unserious" would ever wish to take a sabattical to find the meaning of life, let alone go to the mountains of Tibet to find himself near to God. Plus, what pleased me about the earlier Tyrone Power version was that Gene Tierney as Isabel was much more beautiful, much more sensuous and much more dark than whoever played the part in the Murray vehicle. To me it made the '46 version a more serious, entertaining piece of classic cinema. The Murray version seemed a bit too 'play by the numbers.' Also, in the '46 version they threw in an actor who played Somerset Maugham-they did not bother to redo him in the Murray piece. The `Maugham' in the original was not always as honorable as one would imagine as he had a lot to do with setting up the dinner in which the `breeze in the night' down fall of Sophie would develop. Both Sophies I thought did well..the film goer wanted to root for Sophie played by either woman..not to succuumb to her terrible ways. I would say that the Tyrone Power "The Razor's Edge" is definitely the more powerful of the two.