Such a frustrating disappointment

One of my all time favorites.

A Major Disappointment

It's a feast for the eyes. But what really makes this dramedy work is the acting.

A soldier returning home after WWI travels to Nepal to seek enlightenment and peace within himself. The story is a very clever one about not only what is enlightenment but about who seeks it and how they seek it.After watching this movie in the 1980s, many parts of the movie still stick in mind as poignant. This movie is famous for having flopped at the box office, and was only made in the first place to get Bill Murray to star in Ghost Busters. So let's face it, spiritual journeys of self-entitled people are not something everyone is going to enjoy, but at the same time, some people will find a message and love this movie.

The title says it all. I've read pages of reviews for the Razor's Edge. Add me to the list of people who think that the viewer needs "the right kind of eyes" to understand this film. Watching this film, for the viewer with "the right kind of eyes" is like a cinematic punch in the gut. It will move the viewer without being the least bit preachy.I saw this film for the first time as a teen. (On HBO, I think.) I decided on the spot that I wasn't going to live a normal, boring life. I wasn't going to allow myself to be like the people in my suburban neighborhood -- caring about a nice house and a new car every year.I also found that I agree with the premise that there is no "meaning of life." It just is. We make our own meaning. So make yours a good one.I created an account here so that I could write this. For me, this isn't the best movie ever made. It's far more important than that. (Read the book, too. I saw the film first so that's what changed my life. I don't know if reading the book alone would have been enough.)

This movie is a great testimonial to the idea that life is complex and people handle it(or refuse to) in different ways. Bill Murray's character finds out that there is much more to life and that it can be very difficult to face. There were characters hiding behind drugs and alcohol or the shallow trappings of high society. The posted quote of Murray's character about his fellow ambulance driver does not contain the most important part. The driver had always written off other killed people as "Liars" and "they won't be missed". Bill Murray labels him as a liar and says that he won't be missed. This is a fundamental of PTSD. One does not have to face the grief and horror if they can diminish the person/enemy/friend in any way. As far as the whole movie's meaning, you sort out what or who is important in your life and cast away the rest. I thank Summerset Maugham and Bill Murray for bringing this movie to life for me. I was 20 and quite shallow when it came out. I am 47 now and living a life that I could not have predicted.

When I saw this movie years ago, I probably gave it a five. I wasn't ready to fully get the message. My partner has always loved this movie, so I gave it another shot tonight and it touched all the bases for me. The last couple of years we discovered Paris so the Paris scenes were great. As a Veteran and peace activist, the PTSD angle was right in my wheel house. Bill Murray is fascinating. In real life he is a seeker who travels alone and just shows in the most unlikely places. There is a sadness to him under the wise guy persona. You cansee why he wanted to make this movie. There is a lot of Larry Darrell in him! The rest of cast did a wonderful job, Therese Russell was a revelation and Catherine Hicks had the unenviable task of making people not like, which she accomplished.