The Razor's Edge (1946)

User Rating:

7.5/10   

Director:

Edmund Goulding

Writers:

Lamar Trotti (screenplay)
W. Somerset Maugham (novel)

Release Date:

December 1946 (USA)

Genre:

Drama

Tagline:

Hunger no love . . . woman . . . or wealth could satisfy!

Plot:

A adventuresome young man goes off to find himself and loses his socialite fiancée in the process. But when he returns 10 years later, she will stop at nothing to get him back, even though she is already married.

Plot Keywords:

India | Paris | Will | Uncle | Engagement

Awards:

Won Oscar. Another 2 wins & 3 nominations

Cast

Tyrone Power	...	Larry Darrell
Gene Tierney	...	Isabel Bradley
John Payne	...	Gray Maturin
Anne Baxter	...	Sophie MacDonald
Clifton Webb	...	Elliott Templeton
Herbert Marshall	...	W. Somerset Maugham
Lucile Watson	...	Louisa Bradley
Frank Latimore	...	Bob MacDonald
Elsa Lanchester	...	Miss Keith
Fritz Kortner	...	Kosti
John Wengraf	...	Joseph - Gray & Isabel's Butler
Cecil Humphreys	...	Holy Man
Harry Pilcer	...	Specialty Dancer
Cobina Wright Sr.	...	Princess Novemali

Also Known As:

W. Somerset Maugham's The Razor's Edge (USA) (complete title)

Runtime:

145 min

Country:

USA

Language:

English | French

Color:

Black and White

Aspect Ratio:

1.37 : 1

Sound Mix:

Mono (Western Electric Recording)

Certification:

Argentina:Atp | Australia:PG | Finland:K-16 | USA:Approved (PCA #11498) | Sweden:15

Filming Locations:

Denver, Colorado, USA

Company:

Twentieth Century-Fox Film Corporation

Trivia:

The wedding dress Oleg Cassini designed for Gene Tierney and worn by her was actually designed for their wedding in 1941. It was never made since they eloped. After filming, Gene Tierney's stand-in Kay Adell Stork wore it at her own wedding.

Quotes:

Elliott Templeton: If I live to be a hundred I shall never understand how any young man can come to Paris without evening clothes.

Movie Connections:

Referenced in "Frasier: Frasier's Edge (#8.9)" (2001)

Soundtrack:

Miner's Song

The Razor's Edge - 7/10

A classic idealistic film about love, wealth and self-esteem. A man came back from war decided to go to Paris to find the meaning of life, but the woman he loved cannot stand the poverty though she was crazy about him too. She finally married a rich man but they still kept in touch with each other (as friends). The man went to India and spent several years as a pilgrim. When he came back, he was involved with the woman's friend who lost her husband and child, had a miserable life. He intended to save her but he failed in the end because the woman still loved him and jealousy made her wanted to get him back.

I don't want to spoil the story too much and I love the story, I feel like a kind of pure innocence of love concealing in this film, all the characters are graceful, even when they are in difficult situations, they live for their dignity. The performance is powerful and Anne Baxter won Oscar for her supporting role as the main character's poor friend, She shows the intense struggle in her heart after tragedy has occurred, she's vulnerable and lost in a world she cannot face it. Tyrone Power and Gene Tierney are gorgeous as the leading actor and actress, Clifton Webb is memorable as the arrogant uncle.

Some says love can conquer anything, in this movie the woman gave up her love for the wealthy, but she still tried to get her love back, people are just too greedy to obtain everything, and caused the disaster afterwards. We can miss something every day no matter we can on purpose or not, but only when we lose them, we realize the genuine value and try to get them back, seems to be cliché but it does apply to almost everyone.

This films is adapted by a famous novel from W. Somerset Maugham and it's not that kind of film can entertain people in its screen time, but you can learn something after watching it, I might not have too much deep thought, but subconsciously I can taste the bitterness from it.