Too saccharine
Am I the only one who felt that Larry was a bit self-righteous and irritating? I'm all for 'finding oneself,' but somehow his plight seemed overly-sentimental and artificial to me.
shareRead the book. It is a little different. I actually liked his character. Every one was so selfish and he was the only one who seemed to try to be kind. Isabelle is so nasty I don't know what he ever saw in her. Even in the of the movie she treated the Anne Baxter character mean. He should of gotten rid of her a long time ago. I think just because of the meaness of everyone around him he seemed self rightous.
shareI agree with your rebuttal. Larry is a charming playboy in the beginning, who is not satisfied with what life offers and demands of him. He is more relaxed in Paris, but truly transforms in India. In a sense, he is a new character with the same history.
He is by no means self-righteous, as he constantly conveys how he doesn't have all the answers, he wants to share his knowledge with those who can benifit from it, and he still gets frustrated and upset, but he uses his experience and knowledge from his transformation to refocus. It is a struggle that he admits is not easy. It would be easier to stay on that mountain in India, but he must be " in the world" among others who do not share his enlightenment. He also empathizes with the other characters' plights because he has been on an emotional journey that encompasses a wide scope of varied perceptions. The character of Larry is deep and complex, and Tyrone Power did an amazing job.
I have read and heard comments about the Larry character. It is sad to see so many cynical opinions. This is a man who life was spared in WWI. If I remember correctly from the book someone actually saved his life or he was a only survivor. That alone in reality would change a persons prespective. I think that is why most of his friends were so shallow and he didn't seem to fit in, because before the War he was like them but afterwards he was not. His journey was to find out why he lived and to make life better for all. It was not a false transformation, which I do see in some movies but a genuine one because of his expereinces.
My aunt was a only survivor of a plane crash over 20 years ago in which killed over 100 people, the man who sat next to her dragged her out of the plane and he eventually died. You would think if you talked to her she would feel lucky, she doesn't. She feels terrible and wants to know why she lived. She doesn't believe it just was not her time, she believes it was a terrible thing that happened to the dead passengers. So I can see how the character was well written in the book and how he arrived at a different place where his friends were at. One of the reasons I feel the people who watched the movie are very cynical about Larry is because they only briefly touch upon his war expereince which is a big mistake. I think he mentions it only once. It is very odd that no one in the movie even brings it up. I mean we have a feeling he was away from his friends for a while but they never really get into it. BTW I think Tyone Powell is one of the most underrated actors ever, I suspect because he was so good looking. But he comes from a acting family. I have seen him in bad movies like the Eddie Duchin story but never seen him give a bad performance. And I think Clifton Webb deserved a Oscar for his role ecspecially his last scene, what a screamer. There is this stupid show on TV called "you want to be a Hilton. Every week people get eliminated, and she eliminates them by say "You're not on the List". Every time I see that I think of the last scences of the Razor Edge and Clifton Webb hysterical because he wasn't "on the list"
A soldier in WWI sacrificed his life to save Larry's. Larry not only wanted to know why he was the one to live, but how can he honor the life of the dead soldier. He felt he had to make his life as useful and meaningful as possible to honor the sacrifice another made for him. That man's gift of life had to have a purpose and Larry felt that debt. It's easy for some people to find fault with Larry because he chose kindness, peace, love and communion with God, yet he was still a man in a world that could not understand him. People like Larry are shunned in this world yet we could not do without him. Tyrone Power gave an excellant performance. It almost looked as if he learned from the character as the filming progressed. The entire cast was excellant in my opinion.
shareI agree. But Larry's biggger problem was that he had the get past the obsticle of his childhood friends. I had a feeling that Larry was still different from them even before he went off to fight. Remember he was always very close to the Anne Baxter character( I can't think of her name) and I think even if he did not have that profound experience during WWI he still would of helped her I think the real meaning of that incident was to bring out the Larry that was always there. He was always very kind, but that incident inabled him a second chance to see things more clearly. Case in point the ex girlfriend I believe before he went to fight he overlooked her obvious faults and mean streak, and she expected that. But since the incident he was able to not just overlook those traits he was now able to get past her. I think that, his abiltiy to see things clearly and to put his kindness to good use something that he was not able to do before was the real meaning of the effect of his life bein saved had. So even though to Larry wanted to find out how to make life more meaningful, his true calling is what he was already doing. Making other people's lives more meaningful.
He made the Anne Baxter's person feel like she was wanted, even in death he made sure she ws not just forgotten. His ex's hubby who was a shell of a person because he lost his money, Larry was able to make his life more meaningful. Even Clifton Webb's character, he indulged him in the end so he would die believing that all of those dumb parties he went to and showing off for his friends just to be accepted was not meaningless and that people did not think he was the jerk he really was simply by getting him that invitation before he died.
Very intelligent and insightful reply. You made me think even deeper about the character. It would be nice if movies today could inspire such thoughts. Thanks a lot.
shareYou're Welcomed. I am very flattered. I just want to say that I feel that is a on going theme in the Somerset Maugham writings that I have read. Searching for a meaning to life or purpose.
Just look at The Moon and a Sixpence. It was supposedly based on Gaugain life, but his life happened to fit Maugham's theme. It is not a wonder that he used his life as the basis for Charles Stricklands. Looking for purpose and meaning.
Of Human Bondage, Philip Carey looking to fit in and find a purpose.
All three characters also looked initially in the wrong places for it. Midlred and the big city, in Philips case. Isabel and most of his old friends in Larry's case. And Paris in Charles Strickland's case. Now I am going to read the Painted Vail next. I can bet the same themes is running through this book from the synopsis of it.
The characters of Gray Maturin (John Payne) and Somerset Maugham (Herbert Marshall) were certainly not mean. Larry was almost too good to be true. Power was a fine and underrated actor, but I don't think this was one of his better films.
shareOne of the main threads through most of Maugham novels and short stories is how the rich British or Americans thrust themselves on other people's cultures, like intruders. And here is not exception. He liked Larry because he cared about people and what was going on around him. He tolerated everybody else. Read any of his writings. Not just the movies. You get very little of his feelings from the movies. Particularly The Letter and Of Human Bondage
Read Rain and The Letter and the Painted Veil. He has nothing but contempt for Leslie and her husband in the Letter and the preacher and his wife in Rain. They were intruders who forced their way of life on perfectly happy people. Read Of Human Bondage. The main character was a cripple but he was contemptuous. A snob, some woman commits suicide over him. The part you see in the movie is just a snippet of the book. Maugham puts himself as the voice or reason, the observer. Nothing any different in the Razors Edge.
IMO Clifton Webb stole the movie. But Tyrone Powell is one of my favorite actors, underrated because of his good looks, like Cary Grant.
I confess to not havceing read other Maugham works, so I can't comment on your points.
I do agree wiht your view on Clifton Webb's exceptional performance as Elliott Templeton. In fact, the casting in general of the leads was just oustanding. I'm including Tyrone Power, Gene Tierny, John Payne, Anne Baxter, Webb, and Herbert Marshall. I probably liked the two older actors- Webb and Marshall the best. But Payne had Gray Maturin perfectly and was underrated for his performance.
I think you meant Tyrone "Power" not Tytone "Powell."Yes, I agree he was underrated, but you look at his films, and just about all of them were successful.
Yes Tyrone Powell. His films did very good but I think he was underrated as a actor because of his looks.
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