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The Razor's Edge (1946)
Tomatometer
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Reviews Counted:6
Fresh:5
Rotten:1
Average Rating:6.9/10
Synopsis: Based on W. Somerset Maugham's highly acclaimed 1944 novel, this is a sprawling, ambitious account of one man's quest for spiritual identity. Over a number of years and continents, we watch as... Based on W. Somerset Maugham's highly acclaimed 1944 novel, this is a sprawling, ambitious account of one man's quest for spiritual identity. Over a number of years and continents, we watch as Chicago scion Larry Darrell (Tyrone Power), newly returned from World War I, breaks off his engagement to the lovely but shallow Isabel (Gene Tierney) in order to run off to Paris, and then India, in search of enlightenment. Years pass, the stock market crashes, and the former lovers are reunited. Larry has found the peace he seeks, but the now-married Isabel is still obsessed with him, resulting in great tragedy. Power and Tierney both excel in their leading roles, but the real kudos belong to the supporting players: Clifton Webb, who is excellent as Isabel's fussy uncle, and Anne Baxter, harrowingly raw as the woman Larry tries to rescue from alcoholic ruin. Herbert Marshall plays Maugham, the author and witness to this strange saga of truth, love, and delusion. Director Edmund Goulding (GRAND HOTEL) sets up a luxurious and spacious atmosphere, adorning the lavish sets with bouquets and champagne, while giving the actors plenty of room to move and emote. [More]
Starring: Tyrone Power, Gene Tierney, Anne Baxter, Clifton Webb
Starring: Tyrone Power, Gene Tierney, Anne Baxter, Clifton Webb, Herbert Marshall, Lucile Watson, Elsa Lanchester, Fritz Kortner
Director: Edmund Goulding
Director: Edmund Goulding
Producer: Darryl F. Zanuck
Story: W. Somerset Maugham
Composer: Alfred Newman
Reviews for The Razor's Edge
Edmund Goulding's version deserves crdit for trying to adapt Maugham's difficult existential movel, but Tyrone Power is miscast and the film is too melodramatic and verbose, failing to illustrate the novel's essence.
Goulding indulges in voluptuously lit scenes dominated by well-dressed extras, lots of carousing and booze, catty dialogue, and water fountains that upstage everybody.
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