Review – The Razor’s Edge

I suppose that after World War Two Hollywood figured audiences would be receptive to a tale set in the wake of the previous world war. Trouble is, this is faithful to the spirit – and pretty darn close to the letter – of W. Somerset Maugham’s novel. The experience of reading the book allowed for the appreciation of the craft of the language and the subtlety of the author’s purpose. Filming it, however, tended to sap the quiet dignity of Larry Darrel and leave a lot of the work’s melodramatic quality in its stead. The star power – particularly Tyrone Power and Gene Tierney in the leads – just adds to the problem. Still, it was a sight better than the Bill Murray version. Mildly amusing