The Razor's Edge (1984 film)

The Razor's Edge is a 1984 American historical drama film directed and co-written by John Byrum starring Bill Murray, Theresa Russell, Catherine Hicks, Denholm Elliott, Brian Doyle-Murray, and James Keach. The film follows Larry Darrell, a traumatized World War I veteran who goes on a quest for meaning that leads him through Paris and to the Indian Himalayas. It is an adaptation of W. Somerset Maugham's 1944 novel of the same name, the second after Edmund Goulding's 1946 film. The book's epigraph is dramatized as advice from the Katha Upanishad: "The path to salvation is narrow and as difficult to walk as a razor's edge."

Development of The Razor's Edge began in the early 1980s, with Byrum and Murray collaborating on the film's screenplay. The film marked the first starring role in a dramatic film for Murray, known primarily for his comedic roles. Principal photography began in the summer of 1983, with filming taking place on location in Paris and the Indian Himalayas, as well as at EMI-Elstree Studios in England.

The Razor's Edge was released by Columbia Pictures on October 19, 1984. It was met with largely unfavorable reviews from film critics, and was a box-office bomb, grossing $6.6 million against a budget of approximately $12 million.