Rating summary

Movie		3.0
Video		4.0
Audio		4.0
Extras		1.0
Overall		3.5

The Razor's Edge Blu-ray Movie Review

Reviewed by Brian Orndorf February 2, 2023

In the early 1980s, Bill Murray joined co-writer/director John Byrum (“Inserts,” “Heart Beat”) on a journey to bring W. Somerset Maugham’s 1944 novel, “The Razor’s Edge,” to the screen. However, the writing process went slowly, and the studios weren’t entirely interested in the idea, unsure what to make of Murray’s sudden quest to attempt a more dramatic performance when he was riding high with successful comedies. Enter “Ghostbusters,” with Dan Aykroyd putting together a dream team for his spooktacular gut-buster, including Murray, who suddenly had leverage, eventually committing to the Ivan Reitman endeavor in exchange for studio support for his pet project, with Columbia Pictures permitting the actor to make “The Razor’s Edge” right before his start date on “Ghostbusters.” So, if you think about it while closing your eyes and hopping on one foot, Murray’s big chance to do something different is thanks to the Stay Puft Marshmallow Man. Or Slimer.

As World War I breaks out across Europe, Larry (Bill Murray) lives a comfortable life in Illinois, rubbing elbows with the rich and powerful while falling in love with Isabel (Catherine Hicks). The couple has plans for a settled life, but Larry and friend Gray (James Keach), volunteer to do some good overseas, becoming ambulance drivers, soon confronted by the horrors of war. The experience changes Larry in a profound way, with the young man suddenly rejecting all that’s expected of him, leaving Isabel to live in Paris, trying to pursue a life of self-reflection and thought. Such ambition doesn’t come easy to Larry, who continues on his quest for knowledge, making his way across the world, occasionally interacting with Isabel’s uncle, Elliot (Denholm Elliot), and finding an unexpected path to Sophie (Theresa Russell), a longtime friend on a road to ruin due to a personal tragedy. As Larry explores the depths of his mind, Isabel carries on in America, with the two struggling to process their complicated feelings for each other as the years pass and their divide grows.

“The Razor’s Edge” was previously turned into a film in 1946, with Tyrone Power taking on the role of Larry, and Gene Tierney portrayed Isabel (Anne Baxter won an Academy Award for her performance as Sophie). While the story is basically the same, the 1984 production hopes to expand on the source material, delivering a more epic take on Larry’s mission for oneness, with Byrum working to bring scale to the endeavor. “The Razor’s Edge” immediately impresses with its production achievements, at first examining the shining days of youth in Illinois, where the characters gather to celebrate, enjoying drinks, food, and fireworks while working out the particulars of their places in life. Larry has been prepped for a stockbroker gig, oiled up to smoothly sustain financial influence, along with Gray, who embraces all the luxury around them. Isabel is ready for marriage, looking to Larry for commitment, as she’s been taught, expecting him to settle down once he returns from wartime duty. And Sophie is in the shadows, drawn to Larry but aware of her place, watching his romance with Isabel from a safe distance.

“The Razor’s Edge” eventually deals with the realities of attraction and responsibility, but Larry’s adventure is tended to first, with the soft man discovering the brutality of war, observing his seasoned escort (Brian Doyle-Murray) handle sacrifice. The experience changes Larry, who returns from the battlefield ready to “think,” getting away from the grind of work and marriage that’s been prepped for him. “The Razor’s Edge” remains with Larry as he relocates to Paris, accepting menial labor and surrounding himself with books, learning more about living while Isabel handles her situation, grasping the realities of her “special people” privilege, which she ultimately prefers to Larry’s life in squalor. The screenplay has some things to share about class and change, with the first half of the endeavor capably communicating at least some motivations and actions, including Sophie, who’s destroyed when a car accident kills her husband and child.

Answers for Larry are eventually found in India, with the vagabond reaching for clarity while climbing a mountain in Tibet, getting a full hit of wisdom with Buddhist monks. “The Razor’s Edge” doesn’t handle the passage of time very well, but the years do fly by, creating subplots for Gray and his wealthy life with Isabel, and Sophie soon heads into the gutter for self-punishment. Larry remains elusive, but the story eventually reunites the characters, hoping to warm viewers with a developing love triangle featuring Larry and Isabel, who have history, joined by Sophie, who’s available. Such turns of plot aren’t gracefully handled by Byrum, who doesn’t have a firm grasp on rising emotions, often turning to awkward melodrama to convey psychological unrest, hurting many scenes of pain for the characters. “The Razor’s Edge” also speeds through the tale, with editorial seams showing as Larry’s epic odyssey jumps from place to place very quickly, and his enlightenment fails to become the point of the picture, clumsily pushed aside for relationship hostilities, which require more screen time to sort through than the final cut allows.

The Razor's Edge Blu-ray Movie, Video Quality 

The AVC encoded image (2.39:1 aspect ratio) presentation doesn't represent a fresh scan from Sony Home Entertainment, but it's still a functional one. The epic nature of "The Razor's Edge" is preserved, finding wide shots and city tours dimensional, capturing the bigness the production is going for. Actor particulars are appreciable, with varying ages and states of distress offering decent textures, along with period costuming. Interiors secure decorative additions in lavish setting, and the details on poverty register acceptably. Colors are satisfying, leading with extensive greenery as the action heads outdoors. Clothing provides more active hues, keeping up with fashion choices, and interiors on homes and social spots are preserved. Skin tones are natural. Grain is heavy and film-like. Blacks are occasionally prone to solidification, losing some frame elements along the way. Source is in good condition, with mild elements of age.

The Razor's Edge Blu-ray Movie, Audio Quality 

The 2.0 DTS-HD MA track supports the endeavor's lofty dramatic intentions, leading with scoring cues, which retain their scale and warmth, also offering clean instrumentation, providing orchestral power. Dialogue exchanges are clear, exploring dramatic interpretation and balancing argumentative situations. Sound effects are appreciable.

The Razor's Edge Blu-ray Movie, Special Features and Extras 

• A Theatrical Trailer (1:27, SD) is included.

The Razor's Edge Blu-ray Movie, Overall Score and Recommendation 

Murray isn't Power, and while he's certainly grown comfortable with challenging roles in his autumnal years, his work in "The Razor's Edge" is uncertain, with one half of the performance working to process the depths of the character and the severity of these situations, while the other half finds him in Peter Venkman mode, mildly clowning it up to retain viewer attention. It's an odd performance and not entirely successful, but Murray's trying to do something here that doesn't come naturally to the comedian, and that's often easier on the senses than some of the cranked-up reactions coming from his co-stars. "The Razor's Edge" also battles with unwieldiness, unable to offer a complete portrait of Larry's mission and his time with others, but Byrum doesn't make a boring film, putting effort into his widescreen approach, which results in an impressively large-scale offering of intimacy, boosted by technical achievements (scoring by Jack Nitzsche is evocative) and determination to transform Larry's soulful adventure into a proper epic.