CONFRONTATION with Nature -- Wilderness, Animal and Human
Anthony Hopkins stars as Charles, a sad billionaire who has accumulated a vast store of mostly useless facts. Because of his great wealth he's unsure if people are honestly interested in him as a friend or just want his money. His much younger wife (Elle Macpherson) treats him more as a teddy bear than a romantic lover. He wonders if she's having an affair with her photographer Bob (Alec Baldwin).
Charles gets stranded in the Northwest wilderness and is forced to confront three types of nature:
- Wilderness nature (the movie was filmed in breath-taking Alberta and British Columbia).
- Animal nature in the form of a fierce Kodiak bear.
- Human nature in the ugly form of arrogance, envy, malice, greed, lust and murder.
As Charles confronts these challenges he starts to blossom and fully come alive, possibly for the first time in decades. His colossal store of mostly worthless knowledge actually becomes useful.
There are a couple "Yeah, right" Hollywood implausibilities -- for instance, the bear shaking the tree as the guys cross the river (an homage to King Kong) -- but, for the most part, the story plays out realistically.
The flick addresses several quality themes including rebirth & renewal, confronting & overcoming incredible challenges, and, perhaps most potent of all, triumphing over evil through goodwill and forgiveness.
*** SPOILER ALERT *** (Don't read the next paragraph if you haven't seen the movie).
Some may scoff at that last one but, after Charles gains the upperhand over Bob at the end, Bob sincerely 'fesses up to his wicked deeds before he ultimately dies (the 'wicked deeds' being his intention to kill Charles for his wife & wealth). Later, in the climatic scene, Charles refuses to say anything bad about Bob, even though he clearly has the right to; all he states is that Bob died saving his life. Why did he say this? Why didn't he lambaste him for being a murderous, greedy, adulterous scumbag? Perhaps not only because Charles accepted his repentance and forgave him, but also because he realized that all of us are screw-ups to some degree. We all have a dark, carnal side to our psyche, Bob simply made the mistake of going over THE EDGE. Yet, in the end, he realized this and was truly sorry for it. What an amazing story about the power of penitence and forgiveness!
*** END SPOILER ***
There's more I'd like to comment on but it's better to discover these things for yourself. The flick's worthy of repeat viewings.
At the end of the day, if all you want out of "The Edge" is an adventurous survival story with spectacular scenery, you'll definitely get it, yet it profoundly (and unexpectedly) offers so much more.