The Razor's Edge (1984)

"For The Privilege Of Being Alive" ~ No Regrets, No Rewards On The Road To Enlightenment

Synopsis: Larry Darrell (Bill Murray) wants more out of life than a well paying job, a big house and a new car every year. Leaving his pre-determined life in America behind he goes in search of the meaning of life, a journey leading Paris, India and back again.

India changes Larry's life, teaching him the difficult "razor's edge" path to salvation. Equipped with a new perspective on life and our place in the grand scheme of things he returns to Europe where he encounters his nearest and dearest American friends. The question is can Larry's newfound wisdom and understanding be applied to a Western world more attuned to the material pleasures, diversions and all the other assorted minutia it has become so identified with?

Critique: The '84 film `The Razor's Edge perfectly captures the spiritual angst of the early twentieth century lost in a post WWI world. The production values are first rate, the storyline touching and thoughtful and the acting excellent (Theresa Russell looks stunning). I found one of the most impressive elements of this film to be the nostalgic, highly evocative soundtrack. It's a magnificent collection that's definitely worthy of a spot in your CD collection. The only thing keeping this film from -5 Star- status is it's slow pacing that can intermittently cause momentary attention lapses in the audience.

My Rating: -4 1/2 Stars-. July 24, 2008

Very thoughtful movie

Bill Murray took a lot of abuse for this movie but I just love it. It is a movie of self discovery and the determination of those things worthy of investing your life into. As a frequent traveler I especially loved the glimpse into ex-pat living in post WWI Europe. Bonne chance. April 11, 2008

A Tale of Two Bills.

W. Somerset Maugham's experience as a fiction writer gave him a particularly noteworthy ability to envision alternative worlds of human emotion and reasoning which could take a character and distill it to its very essence. And in doing this he provided the world with his vision, not of just what was, but also, what could be. In tackling the role of Larry Darrell, Bill Murray has reached beyond himself, both as an actor and as a person, to show us a deep exploration of the seeker within us all. We see him on a journey of self discovery, a devolution from worldliness to innocence, his heart opening ever wider as all those around him become more closed off inside, victims of their own unresolved inner conflicts. A wonderful and compelling story, among Murry's best. March 20, 2008

Razor's Edge is a cut above !

It may take a little while to accept Bill Murray in a fundamentally serious role, but with his droll humor and character work in this classic story (based on some real events and persons) he pulls it off superbly. Denholm Elliot and Teresa Russell provide exceptional supporting roles as well. This film, covering the spiritual journey of a WWI vet through the 1920's in Europe and India, is one of the most underrated, and virtually unknown, films of the 1980's. January 18, 2008

Overlooked & Underrated

This is one of Bill Murray's finest works. I think it was so poorly reviewed because of the time, too many people wanted to see Caddyshack and Stripes Bill. See it. You owe it to yourself. It's a life changer. September 18, 2007

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