Philosophy -- Film Review Existentialism in Razor\'s

Philosophy -- Film Review

Existentialism in Razor's Edge

In 1984, Bill Murray starred in the second film adaptation of the novel, The Razor's Edge, written by W. Somerset Maugham in 1944. Murray plays the protagonist, Larry Darrell, who desires one kind of lifestyle at the inception of the film, but goes on a physical and spiritual journey over the film's course. The philosophies of men such as Friedrich Nietzsche, Martin Heidegger, and Maurice Merleau-Ponty are illustrated in the film, especially in regard to the truth of individual experience and the exploration of personal freedom. Larry encounters the gamut of the existential experience, from angst, to the absurd, to the debate between the authentic vs. The inauthentic. The paper will concisely summarize and reflect upon the protagonist's journey to relate the narrative to philosophical questions and experiences.

Larry Darrell wants to lead, and in some ways he has, a charmed life. He enjoys an almost upper class lifestyle and is engaged to the beautiful socialite, Isabel. Larry is drafted and is assigned to become an ambulance driver during World War I. His experience in the war changes his perspective on life forever. Many soldiers, if not all of them, suffer from Post Traumatic Stress Disorder, which was a phrase and condition not yet coined during the time of WWI. This is, though, what Larry suffers from. He suffers from a physical and metaphysical form of PTSD. His perspective changed because of the experiences he endured during the war. Larry's character arc resembles that of Neo-from The Matrix, or Hamlet from "Hamlet." His journey also resembles Buddha's. Buddha was a wealthy prince who gave up the trappings of luxury to pursue enlightenment and found it through his travels. This is the same order of journey Larry has through the course of the film.

Larry's character is also representative of the "everyman" of the time. Because of the horrors experienced during the war due to biological warfare, a new military tactic at the time, and other advances in military technology, people in general were distraught and shocked by the horrors. People were confused and numb by the war and its effects. WWI is a leading contributing factor in the development of existentialism. Larry, then, is a figure for people in general during this historical period who had direct experience with WWI. Larry questions what life means if humanity wastes and destroys it with war. His primary questions are what is the meaning of life and what is the meaning of my life? When Larry returns to America after the war, he is disillusioned with life in America. He drinks alcohol excessively and postpones his engagement with Isabel. The life he dreams of having no longer appeals to him once that life is within his grasp.

Larry postpones the wedding and travels to Paris. Paris was an important city in WWI and WWII. It is also the birthplace of existentialism. In Razor's Edge, Paris is also the birthplace of Larry's existential journey to enlightenment, inner peace, or at least some basic understanding about the nature of life. While in Paris, Larry is motivated by a book to travel east and seek the guidance of a monk. Many of the greatest philosophers communicate with us via their books, so in this way, the audience is aligned with the character of Larry. This book motivates Larry to seek inner peace or seek some answers, or at least more fully articulate his questions. Philosophy is concerned with answers, but not only that. Philosophy is furthermore concerned with asking questions and understanding why the questions exist at all. What about existence and experience make the question need to be asked?

Though Larry's war experience is not thoroughly expounded upon, the audience knows that he was deeply affected by it. As an ambulance driver, he must have had to drive through, into, and out of many perilous situations. He had to see the worst of the horrors because he and his friend drove wounded soldiers to safety and to medical care. It was not as if Larry was far away from the action, is lazy, and does not want to get married or get on with life. He may not have been a very brave soldier or a general on the front lines making tough decisions involving the fate of people's lives, but an ambulance driver is a key position in general, let alone during war. Larry was a relatively peaceful man who went to war, came home without peace, and goes on a peaceful journey to rediscover the peace he believed he once had.