the razor's edge

Director: john byrum

Actor: bill murray,theresa russell,denholm elliott,catherine hicks

Data Published: Fri Oct 19 1984

Genres: Drama,Romance,War

Key Words: wedding,lama,india,buddhist,wounded soldier

IMDB: https://www.imdb.com/title/tt0087980/

WIKI: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/The_Razor%27s_Edge_(1984_film)

Description: The Razor's Edge is a movie starring Bill Murray, Theresa Russell, and Denholm Elliott. He had everything and wanted nothing. He learned that he had nothing and wanted everything. He saved the world and then it shattered. The path...

Plot: In Illinois, in 1917, just before America joins World War I, a fair has been planned to raise money to support Gray Maturin and Larry Darrell, who are joining World War I as ambulance drivers. Larry looks forward to returning home to marry his longtime sweetheart Isabel. Larry shares a final night with Isabel watching the fireworks along with Gray, their close friend Sophie, and her husband Bob. At the front, commanding officer Piedmont schools his new men on the harsh reality of war. For example, he has both of them armed, because in spite of it being an ambulance unit and America's neutrality, the enemy can and will kill those helping the Allies. He also destroys the headlights and windows of a fellow ambulance truck because the lights will signal enemies to their unit. Larry adapts quickly, shooting the headlights and windows of his own truck. Larry witnesses the deaths of soldiers and fellow ambulance drivers, and is in constant danger. By the time America is deeply in the war, Larry's unit is down to a few men. During an unexpected encounter with German soldiers, Piedmont is fatally stabbed trying to block a German soldier from shooting a wounded Larry. The war ends not long after, and when he and Gray return to America, Larry suffers survivor's guilt and realizes that his life has changed. His plans to join Gray in working for Gray's father as a stockbroker will not make him happy, so he puts off his engagement to Isabel and travels to Paris in an effort to find meaning in his life. Isabel's uncle, Elliott Templeton, assures her that some time in Paris will help clear Larry's mind and take away any jitters he has about marriage. Instead of following Elliott's suggestions of staying at first-class hotels and wining and dining with the aristocracy, Larry lives a simple life, reading philosophy books in a cheap hotel. He finds work, first as a fish packer, then as a coal miner. After saving the life of a coworker by pushing him out of the way of an out-of-control mine car, he has a conversation about books with the elder miner. The miner discusses a Russian magician's book, lends a copy of the Upanishads, and suggests that Larry travel to India to gain a different perspective. In India, Larry joins a Buddhist monastery. As an exercise, he hikes to the top of a snow-covered mountain and meditates alone. After running out of firewood he starts to burn books that he brought along. He finds his sense of inner peace. A monk lets him know that his journey is not over, that "the path to salvation is narrow and as difficult to walk as a razor's edge." Returning to Paris, Larry first re-encounters Elliott, who lets him know that many things have changed, notably that Isabel has married Gray. (She had ended her relationship with Larry after a disastrous reunion in Paris not long after he first arrived.) They have had two children. Gray and Isabel were forced to move to Elliot's house in Paris after the Great Depression bankrupted Gray's livelihood (His spirit was also shattered when his father committed suicide after the crash.) Also while Larry was gone, Sophie lost both Bob and her child in a car accident and turned to alcohol, opium, and prostitution. Larry immediately attempts to reform Sophie, and after a period of time they become engaged. Isabel insists that she will buy Sophie a wedding dress as a gift. They have a conversation where Isabel admits she still loves Larry and condemns Sophie, labeling her a burden on Larry. She is interrupted by a phone call and leaves Sophie alone with a bottle of liquor. Larry searches for Sophie and finds her at an opium den with her former pimp. After a confrontation, Larry is left bleeding in the street with a black eye while Sophie stays in the establishment. The next morning, Larry is awakened by two men at the door and brought to the morgue to identify Sophie's body. Her throat had been slashed by a razor. Larry then goes to Elliott's house to try to figure out what went wrong the previous day. Elliott has had a stroke and has been given his last rites. Larry confronts Isabel about what happened and forces her to admit her role in driving Sophie back to the bottle. She tells Larry what she did is no different from Larry ruining their relationship by running off to find the meaning of his "goddammed life", but she admits that she still loves him and did not want anyone (including Sophie) to hurt him the way she had. Before Larry can respond, they are interrupted by the final moments of Elliott's life. Larry does a good deed for Elliott by convincing him that the Parisian aristocrats have not forgotten about him. (He had been waiting for an invitation to a costume party thrown by a French princess.) After Elliott dies, Larry comforts the grief-stricken Isabel. He admits that his journey was about trying to lead a good life that would make him worthy of Piedmont's sacrifice. He and Isabel part on reasonable terms, and he says his goodbyes to her and to Gray. He states his intention to depart for home, which prompts the question, "Where is home?" to which he replies, "America."