The
Edge
a film by Lee Tamahori released through
Twentieth Century-Fox in 1997
Stress and peril reveal the true nature of
men. Much of civilization is civility,
which enables men to tolerate each other.
Strip that away, and the Truth is all that remains; character is revealed
as are the fallacies and falsehoods of civilization, being constructed according to the ignorant aspiration and clouded vision of mankind. The
Edge is billed as an edge-of-your-seat thrill
ride, but it excels as
a morality tale.
On location in Alaska for a photo
shoot with model Mickey (Elle Macpherson), three men, Charles Morse (Anthony
Hopkins), Stephen (Harold Perrineau), and Robert Green (Alec Baldwin) are stranded
in the wilds when the sea plane they are traveling in crashes. With the plane submerging in a lake, Charles
frees Stephen from his seatbelt while Robert surfaces. Charles is a rich man of learning, and takes
it upon himself to provide leadership. But he proves unable to guide them south. In the process, a growing conflict between
the two men over Charles's wife, the model, seems resolved when Robert saves
Charles's life. Stephen accidentally
cuts himself and dies when a bear, attracted by the smell of blood on a rag
carelessly left out by Robert, storms into the camp. Constantly on the run from the bear, and
having little hope of immediate rescue, the pair decide to kill the bear. After a titanic struggle, they succeed. Finally enjoying food and warm clothing, they
continue on. Finding an abandoned cabin
with plenty of supplies and a canoe, they are finally safe. Just as Charles realizes that Robert has been
sleeping with his wife, Robert threatens to kill Charles, but Robert falls into
an old animal trap, and his leg is impaled.
Charles dresses the wound the best he can and sets out in the canoe to
secure medical attention. Robert,
humbled, asks Charles's forgiveness.
They are sighted by a rescue helicopter, but Robert has expired. Returning to his wife, he silently presents
her with the evidence of her infidelities—an inscribed watch she'd given
Robert. He tells the assembled press
that no one can prepare for his test in life, and we realize he is talking
about his struggle to accept his wife's unfaithfulness, not his ordeal in the
wilderness. Asked how his
"friends" died, Charles quietly observes, "They died saving my
life."
The story is solidly constructed. Characters are clearly delineated and the
surprises are not cheap, but fair. For
example, an audience watching this film for the first time probably know the
characters will be stranded. They may
even know that an airplane crash will bring this on. The plane flies during the opening credits,
lands safely. It flies again twenty-some
minutes later, lands safely. Then it
takes off once more. Surely it will
crash now. Earlier in the film the issue
of flocking birds was raised. So, the
seed was planted. As the four characters
fly to a remote lake, the pilot warns about a storm coming up. Perhaps here the characters will bicker about
whether they should turn back or not—probably Charles will urge a speedy
return, and the others will say it is no big deal, and they'll hit the storm
and crash. But, instead, the seaplane
plows into a huge flock of birds and crashes.
The Edge is full of nimble
story construction like this. Another
example is Charles constant reminder to the other men that most people lost in
the wilderness die of shame. Robert had
already made a stupid mistake by not leaving any word with the others back at
the lodge about where they would be. But
then Charles makes a mistake and loses the vitally important flares. The ultimate mistake is Stephen's. He cuts his leg and loses his life because of
it. But, on a deeper level, the shame of
which Charles speaks is best applied to his slow realization of self-deluding
trust; truly, his wife is not the person he wanted to believe she was.
Charles talked in the beginning of the
film of the futility of his vast knowledge—he couldn't put it to use. But he triumphed in his testing, applying his
intelligence and learning while also proving to himself that his kindness and
generosity were for real. He gained the
appreciation of Stephen before he was killed, but never was accepted by
Robert. Yes, he did save Charles's life,
but it was just so he could rely on Charles's know-how to carry them through,
as Robert admitted in a conversation of stupefying irony.
Once they were safe, he sought the kill,
which Charles had suspected all along. After Robert
is hurt, Charles continues to show him kindness, but he finally
realizes that it was his charity—for example, his willingness to get up and make
his wife a sandwich at her request—that blinded him to the fact that he was
being used for his money. Before he was
rescued he talked of not going back. His
life was different now, for the better.
No longer naive, he preserved Robert's life for as long as he could,
making sure the rifle remained empty.
His conscience would be clear and he did think of Robert as his friend,
and was truly sad he could not board the helicopter with him. He probably won't reveal just what went
on. The humility of the man prevents it,
perhaps, but the mystery remains.
In a film of harrowing adventure and
suspense, the character of Charles Morse shines bright; long-suffering, brave,
and resourceful, he's a transcendent figure of grace.