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From: greg@olivej.UUCP (Greg Paley)
Newsgroups: net.movies
Subject: Re: "The Razor's Edge"
Message-ID: <239@olivej.UUCP>
Date: Mon, 22-Oct-84 19:05:44 EDT
Article-I.D.: olivej.239
Posted: Mon Oct 22 19:05:44 1984
Date-Received: Wed, 24-Oct-84 08:15:41 EDT
References: <1694@ucla-cs.ARPA>
Organization: Olivetti ATC, Cupertino, Ca
Lines: 45

I haven't seen the new movie.  My comments are based on 
having heard or read about it in magazines and the original
posted article, having read the book, and having seen the
earlier version of the movie with Gene Tierney and Tyrone
Power.

If, in fact, the movie is going to attempt to probe "man's
search for meaning" or anything of the sort, it's doomed
from the start regardless of the casting of the leading man:
they chose the wrong book.  The philosophical trappings
as well as the other traces of exoticism (the opium den,
the general description of Larry's India trip) are actually
only "atmosphere" for what is actually a story no different
from any of Maugham's other writing.  That is, the plot
deals essentially with very real, everyday type people
and situations with their humor, flaws, foibles and what
are generally depicted as rather pathetic efforts to
attain something "higher".  The eccentricity of Larry
(which is what Maugham actually reduces his quest to)
and the colorful Paris backdrop only serve to reinforce
this.

I think that it's significant that Larry's actual change
of lifestyle and the events leading up to it are, in the
book, not part of the main action and are, in fact,
revealed in a single (long) narrative as having taken
place in the past.  From that point on, Larry seems to
undergo very little actual development but serves, rather,
as a pivot point.  The interest in the plot is in how
the other characters are influenced by him without his
trying to wield an influence and how they react to and
around him.

The discussion of actual eastern philosophy is superficial
and dated to the point of being laughable.  Obviously the
real "meat" of the story is the gossip, bitchiness, greed,
affection and loneliness suffered by everyone BUT Larry.
If the movie attempted to use this to provide some sort
of philosphical revelation (which I'm ready to believe,
based on this article and other reviews) it can't possibly
succeed.

	- Greg Paley