The Edge

"We're all put to the test, but it never comes in the form or at the point we might prefer, does it?"  Charles Morse in The Edge

On New Years' morning this year I opened my phone and saw a headline that said "Anthony Hopkins' Life in Photos.  I momentarily felt a sense of grief.  Had Anthony Hopkins passed away and more selfishly, would there be no more Anthony Hopkins' performances?

I have not seen all of his work but a Hopkins performance can make a great film even better (Remains of the Day, Shadowlands), a good film great (Nixon, Mask of Zorro), and a bad film watchable (Human Stain, Instinct).  The Welsh voice which can be powerful yet soft and, the blue eyes which can indicate deep thought or an intimidating stare, and the stature which is short but imposing, all make Hopkins (who has an obvious adoration of the craft) one of my favorite actors of all time and I believe the best living male actor. 

For all of his success Anthony Hopkins will probably always be remembered first for his performance as Hannibal Lecter in Silence of the Lambs.   As fine as that film is, the biggest gift it gave film audiences is it raised Hopkins' profile among producers and casting directors and has led to an array of phenomenal performances over the last 30 years.  One of my favorites of his films is the intellectual survival drama The Edge.   

Spoilers below

In the film, scripted by David Mamet and directed by Lee Tamahori, Hopkins plays Charles Morse, a billionaire who gets stranded in the wild with two other men after a plane crash in the Alaskan wilderness.  The other two men are Bob, a self centered fashion photographer, played by Alec Baldwin,  who is photographing Mickey, Charles' model wife, and Stephen, Bob's assistant played by Harold Perrinaeu who a year earlier was Mercutio in Romeo and Juliet.  Stephen is brutally killed and devoured by a bear about half an hour in leaving the film to focus on the twisted but codependent dynamic between Morse and Bob, who have to try to survive this ordeal.

Producer Art Linson, in his memoir "What Just Happened" details the early creation of the film.  He had a deal at 20th Century Fox and called writer David Mamet (with whom he teamed on The Untouchables) to give him an idea which became this film, which Mamet originally called Bookworm after the Charles Morse character, who loves to read.  Mamet's script was accepted and Linson tried to cast Robert De Niro as Morse.  De Niro could certainly play the introverted Morse but Hopkins, who has played so many professors throughout his career is a better fit and gives the character more heart.  Hopkins short stature makes it easy to underestimate Morse.  

Linson describes Alec Baldwin's casting with some bitterness.  Linson describes the studio resistance due to his past behavior and spotty box office record.  Then, according to Linson, right before filming Baldwin refused to shave a beard he had recently grown.  These ugly moments were then dramatized by Bruce Willis in the film adaptation of What Just Happened.  Linson mentions the studio thought about replacing Baldwin with Bill Pullman.  Pullman was the right age and is an underrated actor who I think would have made some interesting choices.  But I've always found Baldwin to be a truly talented actor who is at his best when not trying to be likeable.  His siblings William, Stephen and Daniel, all have some screen presence but nowhere near Alec's tools.  I cannot speak for how I would have liked Pullman but I will say Baldwin is perfectly cast here as the greedy Bob who is probably working with Mickey to get close to Charles whom Bob seems obsessed with (Bob repeats Charles' name extensively throughout the films).  Bob probably seduced Mickey as a way of getting something that Charles has.  But Mamet and Baldwin make Bob a fully rounded character who is at first impatient, and then has only a slight redemption as he tries to protect Mickey at his death by making sure Charles knows Mickey never conspired with Charles to kill him.  

The late composer Jerry Goldsmith is a perfect fit for this material, giving the main theme a spirited but nuanced feel.    Donald McAlpine, who has lensed many outdoor films in his long career such as Medicine Man and Predator, makes excellent use of the beautiful British Columbia locations, 

The opening sets the stage with a small plane flying the characters into the lodge which is the setting off point for the adventure.  Mamet never needlessly show us either Morse in his typical  working environment beforehand to show off how brilliant he is when in his element, or cut to people searching for them.  Perhaps due to his background as a playwright, the story stays with the characters in the moment trusting their performances will give the audience all the backstory it needs.

During the rabbit panther scene Charles stands apart, quietly impressing everyone but connecting with no one.  The reference fits the setting (Charles is the rabbit, Bob and the wild are the panthers).  Hopkins beautifully plays a man a little uncomfortable, not by his environment, but by the people around him.  Presumably Mickey suspected he was onto her affair with Bob and invited Charles to somehow prove there was nothing or because it was his birthday.    

In the scene in which Charles tries to get Mickey to acknowledge his birthday Mamet has Mickey  redirect the conversation to send him to the kitchen.  Although it merely sets up a surprise it is a little cruel that Charles has spent the day thinking Mickey forgot.  I do wonder how they got together.  Charles seems a little shy to have pursued her so maybe she went after him.  As played by supermodel Elle McPherson Mickey, is warm and gorgeous, but she describes Charles as "a most excellent man" indicating she admires him a lot but Bob may be more exciting to her.  Mickey is not onscreen much but I never got the impression she planned to leave Charles, but more likely from her perspective was just having fun with Bob.  

Bob's bear gag foreshadows the danger to come both from the bear and that Bob will try to kill Charles later.  Bob savors the moment just a little too much, enjoying getting control of the reserved Charles' emotions however briefly and then apologizing very superficially.  Bob probably talked Mickey into letting him do it.   

Charles undercuts his own vast reservoir of trivia with typical English modesty, stating that "my knowledge is theoretical".  If De Niro had played Morse he would have a hard time selling that line but it is a fit for Hopkins.  

The staging of Bob whispering to Mickey and her reaction is a brilliant move by Mamet and Tamahori to establish the dynamic.  It impossible to prove something is going on between them but it is enough to hurt Charles. 

When the host Styles, portrayed with perfect rustic charm by L.Q. Jones (who the following year appeared in The Mask of Zorro but had no scenes with Hopkins) approaches Charles for the investment, it helps show Charles' isolation (he already is sitting by himself while the photoshoot is going on).  Many people are interested in him for his wealth but few know him as a person.  As the same time Styles seems to really believe in his vision and is probably not trying to con Charles but is just being opportunistic.  Mamet's script has Charles politely but indirectly cuts him off.  Charles agrees to go with Bob to avoid the awkward tension afterwards.  

During the flight Charles' sudden question to Bob "How are you planning to kill me?" is shocking.  It might be a strategy Charles has employed in his career, to get people to underestimate him and then surprise them.  Whether or not Bob is planning to kill Charles at the time or if it actually gives Bob the idea is left for us to decide.  I can see arguments either way.  Perhaps Bob thought he might if given the chance but I personally feel that he decided to later in the story.  

The crash is expertly shot coming right on the heels of Charles' challenge because just when the audience focus is on this drama, a bird strike (the risk of which was mentioned earlier) brings down the small plane.  McAlpine's underwater photography is clear as are the character motivations.  Bob quickly saves himself.  Charles could easily get out of the plane but first cuts Stephen clear and has the presence of mind to grab his backpack knowing they will need it.  

From this point we are never told where they are, how much time has passed or cut to a scene of people looking for them.  We are immersed with the men the entire time.

Charles fails as much as he succeeds but some of his failures are due to Bob.  But he never gives up.   A man with his success would have gone through several failures and adjusted which is what he does throughout the film.  

The paperclip trick does not work.  When he sets Stephen to work to calm him down Stephen ends up stabbing himself.  The initial beartrap also does not work.  Despite all his efforts Charles is not able to save Bob.  But Charles also uses thinking to keep his mind active so they do not die in their situation but ultimately his efforts only are successful in saving himself.

It is clear that Mamet's script is his vision.  Another writer would have made the battle with the bear the climax (and Bob conveniently killed by the bear) but Mamet knows his story is about the two men.   Mamet also avoids an extended fight scene between the two men.  

As they face the new situation when something goes off Hopkins as Charles often reacts by assessing the situation and saying "Oh" and tries to figure out what to do.  Charles on some level relishes the whole situation as a new challenge.  He's a problem solver and as he had started to read a book on the wilderness he can now put some of his new knowledge to the test.  

When Bob acts Charles about his remark in the plane he references his own "diseased mind." Bob is full of self loathing and I think envies not just Charles' money (Bob must be earning at least a decent living with his job) but the way Charles carries himself. 

When the three men come across the bear (played by the late famous animal actor Bart the Bear) for the first time Tamahori sets up a moving shot to capture their reactions.  Bob and Steve are terrified but Charles' immediate reaction is curiosity and starts studying it.  Charles and the bear eyeball each other and I sensed they were issuing a mutual challenge.  

The filmmakers have a challenge here since the men come across the bear several times and Charles and Bob have to survive the encounters believably to set up the final battle.  I doubt a bear would stalk humans over an extended period repeatedly.  However once the bear gets a taste for human blood it would see humans more as prey.   

The initial chase generates some excitement due to the score and the gradual realization that this problem the men have is now a deadly one but the bear is strangely offscreen for most of it.  We see shots of the three men running but we only really hear the bear until the men reach the river and the bear is coming up on them.  I imagine this is for actor safety but there are other scenes where the men are in shot with the bear.  Charles never suggests playing dead which might cause it to lose interest.  

The scene does have a lot of excitement as the three men barely make it across the river on a branch and Charles briefly looses his calm when he is about to fall in.  The location filming really helps the scene and Bob instinctively pulls Charles up, possibly out a sense of humanity but also perhaps self preservation since he knows if Charles is well Bob has a better chance of surviving the experience.

Some of Goldsmith's cues are similar to First Blood which had many scenes of Rambo in a woodsy setting but in that film the threat was due to the conflict between men and Rambo never seemed lost.

When Stephen hurts himself Tamahori keeps it off camera.  It seems like a set up for another attack (which kills Stephen to leave the two leads alone) but the random nature of it (someone who is inexperienced with a knife could easily have such an accident) feels authentic.  Stephen refers to Charles as a "considerate man", which is one of the few times Charles is recognized his compassion. Bob's mistake in hanging the pants with the blood probably comes from laziness to dig but he does not consider that it could draw the bear.  Charles reaction to seeing the pants is frustration that Bob has screwed up again mixed with containing himself from telling Bob directly since he does not need another argument.

The bear attack is horrifying as Stephen is devoured alive by the bear.  The rain and dark obscures some of the visuals so it is not overly graphic but now we understand what a grave threat the bear is.  Charles and Bob have opposite reactions.  Charles tries to intervene and throws burning sticks at the bear.  Bob is determined to pull Charles away since he is afraid of going through the same.  Charles probably always looks after his employees while Bob cares mostly about himself.

When Bob and Charles hear the helicopter there is a well timed shot of Bob running into the field just as the helicopter goes out of frame.  When Bob has a breakdown and starts to argue with Charles, Charles just undercuts it by saying "I just have no imagination.".  This shows how Charles' skills are not just about trivia but he also knows how to motivate and lead people and this brings Bob back when Bob is on the brink of giving up.  

When the film cuts to Charles fishing there is a time jump of some sort.  Both men have thicker beards  so I would guess about a week to ten days have passed.  After Charles narrowly escapes through a log thicket (there is one shot from the side in which Charles appears just a step or two ahead of the bear) and it is nighttime and the bear is like an offscreen movie monster the beards appear less grown in (that scene was probably shot earlier).  We see Charles thinking and deciding what needs to happen for them to move forward.

When Charles needs to rouse Bob to fight the bear he has to convince both Bob and the audience that this might be possible.  Charles is much more riled up, eager to prove himself in battle and actually says exactly how they are going to do so.  He never admits they might die in the effort but it is clear that he wants to set the terms of the battle.  Bob's teasing of Charles pronunciation of lure feel petty.  When Bob starts to believe it, so does the audience.  Hopkins' line at the end is delicious both since Charles is does not curse a lot and for the wicked smile afterwards.  Hopkins has said the day this scene was filmed he had just had surgery on a herniated disc so he was excited because he was out of pain for the first time in months and it shows onscreen.

Tamahori and Mamet set up the battle with the bear beautifully.  As the scene opens the two men have "lured" the bear with blood and set a trap with spears.  Tamahori shows them waiting and ready for about two minutes onscreen but Charles and Bob may have been waiting for hours for him.  The bear takes measure of the situation and then attacks.  The spear trap only wounds the bear which makes the bear attack more uninhibited.  I thought the idea was well conceived but even the best ideas do not work out in reality.

Charles here anticipated the need for a backup plan in which they get to lower ground to fight the bear by the river with wooden spears that are already there.  Presumably for humane reasons the bear is only shown briefly struggling to go downhill and if it had not been wounded it might have given up the chase.  

Bob shows more courage in the fight than expected.  The bear briefly wounds Bob and Charles has to face it down on his own, which he does with courage because he has to let the bear get on top of him.  He lets the bear corner him by a rock he has picked ahead of time where he places the spear in a whole and the bear impales himself (fortunately not breaking the spear).  The shot of the exhausted Charles completely underneath the now dead bear is moving and Hopkins Tamahori captures the sudden loss of adrenaline that would occur.  

The men are rewarded for their kill as the animal's size takes care of both their hunger and cold (the men either have an endless supply of matches or offscreen they use Charles' fire from ice trick).  The bear had slashed Bob in the side rather badly and I wonder if there is a cut scene of Charles giving him stiches afterwards because we never see the wound referred to again.  

The bear was a metaphor for the wild.  Once the men conquer the bear they have proved they can survive out in the wild.  However that territory would have plenty of animals (ie. other bears, mountain lions, wolves) then men could come across but it helps the film's focus to keep it to one.  

The abandoned house is a turning point.  Because there is a boat the dialogue establishes that they could paddle their way back to the lodge but I think there is still a lot of work to be done.  It does set up that Bob has a greater sense of security and now can perhaps kill Charles.  Bob immediately looks suspicious after they test the canoe which proves Mamet had been softening us. Since they killed the bear a lot of the tension around their situation and each other had lessened and Bob had even clung to Charles in the immediate aftermath of the fight.  

There is a crushing moment when Charles finds the note both confirming that Bob was having an affair with Mickey and that Bob, who has picked up a rifle is getting ready to kill him.  Hopkins has Charles handle the dignity of his suspicions being confirmed and politely asks Bob to see his watch (which is his way of telling Bob he knows about the affair).  

The staging and decisions here feel a lot like a play.  It is a long scene with no music and everything is in one room.  Bob is slowly loading the rifle, drinking and is trying to talk himself into justifying the cold-blooded murder he is about to commit.  Bob is about to pass a point of no return.  Greed is not overcome by getting what you always wanted but by learning to appreciate what you have. Bob would probably have become a womanizer and blown all the money and maybe even killed again.  Bob may plan to Charles was killed in the crash or by the bear but I doubt Bob would go to a lot of trouble to hide the body.  Since the cabin was on the river there is a chance of Charles' body being found and the truth uncovered.  But at this point Charles is too far from Bob to try to disarm him or from the door to try to run.

Throughout the scene Charles looks right at Bob (Hopkins' stare facing the new challenge directly) but Bob cannot look at him.  It is convenient that they go outside since Charles leads Bob to the bear trap, but also it works for the plot since if Bob shoots Charles inside he would have a much bigger job cleaning up any potential splatter.  Once they get outside Charles keeps talking to Bob to talk him down and then stays calm and refuses to give Bob his back.  Charles again is strong willed and has good instincts when his life is in danger.  Charles steps a little forward and Bob instinctively steps back into the bear pit.  

Baldwin truly commits to the weak willed Bob, begging Charles for help after his leg has been punctured.  Hopkins has a great moment as he considers his options.  Hopkins could kill Bob and briefly seems about to.  Charles could just leave him to die since that would be the easiest course of action.  Or he could try to save him which is what he ultimately tries, and fails to do.  Charles may do this as much for himself (a task helps keeps his mind focused) versus getting out of the wild while living with the guilt of letting this man die.  I also wonder whether Charles would actually turn Bob into the authorities as I can see arguments both ways.

Tamahori stages a fantastic shot of the two men in a canoe as Charles paddles both down the river.  It is not clear how far they have to go but the landscape has become more open.  In their final scene Bob points out that Charles has a need for friendship.  Perhaps that is true but earlier Charles said he was going to change his life and his helping of Bob looks to be an extension.  Charles may now use his wealth to help the world.  

When the helicopter appears Charles wisely takes a moment to burn the leaves of the branches since it will create more smoke.  In the background Bob collapses and shudders but neither Charles nor the audience notices right away.  Goldsmith's score turns a little more positive as the helicopter turns toward them.  Charles goes from joy to sadness as he realizes Bob has died.  He does not cry but is distraught.

As Charles arrives at the lodge the staging conveys an odd sense.  Four men left the lodge originally and only one is returning alive.  Yet Charles looks healthy if a little unkempt and is walking upright with the rescuers following him the way people probably do in real life.  It feels as if Charles' wealth has protected him during this crisis when in fact it has been the qualities that probably gave him his success: resourcefulness, determination, and a little luck.  If Bob had any of the first two qualities he would have come back with Charles.

There is an overhead shot as Charles walks back and the lodge looks pristine compared to the woods.  The press is assembled (the disappearance has made the news due in large part to Charles' worth).  It is  curious that Mickey is there.  If the men have been gone as long as it has been suggested (anywhere from a couple of weeks to a month) if she stayed that long (instead of going home after a few days to wait for word) then it might mean she has been involved behind the scenes in rescue searches and loves Charles more than we might think.  McPherson has no dialogue and has to convey her mixed emotions with looks, which she does well enough.  Mickey tries not to look distraught when seeing Bob's body.  Charles is happy to see her and but only gives her a light embrace because there is the devastating moment when Charles hands Mickey Bob's watch.  She looks hurt and Charles looks at her directly and sadly.  He is not trying to call her out but needs her to know that he knows about the affair.  I could see a chance that Charles and Mickey could have worked it out but I feel it more likely Charles would have divorced her and perhaps offered a settlement through his lawyers and spoken to her as little as possible.  

Charles quickly turns away to speak to the press, a little overwhelmed in the moment and tries to keep his composure by using the quote at the top about the tests in life.  Charles quietly weeps when saying that they dies "saving my life" as the film closes.  As the screen fades to black we hear Goldsmith's main theme one final time in a minor key to convey the loss Charles is finally letting himself feel.

The Edge is unique to other survival films, because of the two characters at its center who interact a lot but thanks to Hopkins it is also moving.  Mamet could have scripted a film in which a fashion photographer envies and tries to kill the model wife of a rich businessman without the outdoor survival elements and it would probably be remembered for the double crossing but putting them all together makes this a rewarding experience. 

A few years later Mamet wrote and directed the film Heist in which an older criminal (played sharply by Gene Hackman in one of his final performances) plans a successful heist but is double crossed by a younger man (Sam Rockwell) that he has to send his wife (Rebecca Pigeon) to seduce in the course of the story.  Hackman's character ultimately wins the day but loses his wife (who is about half his age) to the younger man.  While having similar elements it is more of a fun movie with a little drama and I remember nothing of the actual heist.  Ironically the wife in heist is played by Mamet's wife.  The Edge is much more moving.

Sadly the film did not perform well at the box office (although I was there) but Hopkins has long stated it is one of his favorite films.  I encourage people to give it another look ****.