The Razor's Edge (1946)

Plot:  A disillusioned WW I fighter pilot (Larry) rejects the conventional life and goes on a search for the meaning of Life.

Stars: Gene Tierney (Isabella),  Tyrone Power (Larry), Clifton Webb (Elliot), Ann Baxter (Sophie)

Based on the 1944 bestselling Novel by Somerset Maugham, this was Daryl Zanuck's baby. The only Studio head to bid for the novel's movie rights, he hovered over the production like a mother hen. Fortunately, 20th Century Fox had the right actors and the movie is *almost* perfectly cast.  Perhaps, Montgomery Clift as "Larry", or George Sanders as "Elliot", would have been as good, but  not significantly better.

And the script is an excellent adaption of the novel, although its a little too long at 2.5 hours.  Today, Larry's rejection of materialism seems old hat, while his "philosophy" - supposedly based on the "Wisdom of the East" - comes off as sophomoric. However, 1946  audiences - who didn't know the Hippies and Beatniks were just around the corner - probably found Larry's antics fresh, and exciting.

In any case, Zanuck knew the public wants entertainment, not sermons. And so Larry's search is only part of the picture. Instead,  we get a lot on Sophie's Tragedy, Isabella's love for Larry, and Elliot's snobbish good humor. Webb, as you might expect, steals the movie with lines like these:

Elliott Templeton: You know, I've never been able to understand why, when there's so much space in the world, people should deliberately choose to live in the Middle West.

Isabella the Villainess - Novel vs. Movie

One major difference between the novel and movie is the treatment of Isabella.

 In novel, Isabella is materialistic, tough-minded and possessive.  But she's not an aloof beauty with high cheek-bones. She's warm and vivacious and later at 30 -after she lost her "baby fat" - she's thin and chic. IOW, she's more Myrna Loy than Gene Tierney.

And the novel's Isabella is admirable is many ways.  When young, she's incredibly understanding toward Larry. She's faithful during his 2 years in the Air Force, defends him while he "loafs" for 1 year, and consents to his 2-year trip to Paris to "find himself".

When the 2 years are up, she amicably rejects Larry's marriage proposal, because she won't fit into Larry's life. What is she is going to do, while Larry continues to read philosophy and goes on his spiritual quests?  She's NOT a philosopher, and she already has HER answer to life's meaning. And what about kids?

So, she marries rich man Gray.  But later, when Gray loses all their money and can't work , she never criticizes and supports him every way she can.  She's also good mother, and while attracted to Larry, never thinks of leaving Gray for Larry - or even having an affair.

Which brings us to Sophie.
In the novel, Isabella has maternal feelings for Larry.  She sees Sophie as a "loser"  trying to drag Larry down with her. So, somewhat ruthlessly, she "tests" Sophie. And the test shows Isabella was right.

All this is pretty much  skipped and skimmed over in the movie. Because Tierney was good at playing the cold villianess (Cf. Leave her to Heaven), Isabella's materialism and aloofness are emphasized and all her good qualities left out.  Its implied that Isabella is motivated by jealousy and wants Larry for herself. She doesn't just test her with a bottle of liquor, she practically pours it down Sophie's throat!

Novel Sophie vs. Film Sophie
Due to the production code and for better drama, the film makes Sophie more sympathetic than the novel.  The film script "cleans her up" by dropping her opium addiction, love of handsome brutes, and the substantial allowance spent on drugs and drink. Instead the film leads us to believe Sophie's just an alcoholic that's hit rock bottom.

And in the novel, she leaves Larry for Toulon where she spends 2 years drugging, drinking and consorting with low-lifes.  There, she meets Maugham (the narrator) tells him  she "had no desire to be Mary Magdalene to Larry's Jesus", and doesn't want to change.  Of course, this is all dropped in the movie. Instead, Sophie runs away after Larry's rescue attempt fails, and she turns up dead.

Had the film been the true to novel, Isabella wouldn't be such a villianess, would she?