Harold and Maude

can you believe i am 21 years old and only recently saw this film. i had heard chatters about it but never followed through...until a few days ago! and wow! how can this film have been made in 1971, it makes no sense, and i know that the 70s was a particularly strong period for American cinema but this film feels like it could have come from last week! perfect performances, the music by the former cat stevens was great, and the quirk of the storyline and dialogue was likable without being alienating. there were just little hidden things that one could take for face value but if you looked further you'd see a greater substance. i loved this film. i loved this film. i loved this film.

The self-destructive and needy wealthy teenager Harold (Bud Cort) is obsessed by death and spends his leisure time attending funerals, watching demolishing of buildings, visiting junkyards, simulating suicides trying to get attention of his indifferent, snobbish and egocentric mother and having sessions with his psychologist. When Harold meets the anarchist seventy nine year-old Maude (Ruth Gordon) at a funeral, they become friends and the old lady discloses others perspectives of the cycle of life for him. Meanwhile his mother enlists him in a dating service and tries to force Harold to join the army. On the day of the eightieth anniversary of Maude, Harold proposes her but he finds the truth about the end of the cycle of life.

The cult "Harold and Maude" was a huge success in Brazil for people of my generation with a refreshing and funny exposition of themes like death, love and life through the friendship and love of a teenager and a septuagenarian woman. The complex Harold is a young man that needs the attention of his indifferent mother. He found in his childhood the only moment that she really seemed to be worried about him after a serious accident in school and he uses to fake suicides trying to have the same attention back. Maude is an anarchist old woman not attached to material stuff like properties or collections that steals cars for self-locomotion. Along a few days, Maude gives a lesson of life to Harold, changing his behavior and feelings forever. The performances of Ruth Gordon and Bud Cort in this weird love story are unforgettable and the soundtrack with Cat Steven's songs is another plus. Unfortunately "Harold and Maude" has been forgotten in Brazil by the distributors and neither the VHS nor the DVD has been released in my country; I just have a tape recorded from the cable TV. My vote is eight.

Title (Brazil): "Ensina-me a Viver" ("Teach me to Live")

Hal Ashby's "Harold and Maude" neatly fits into the category of cult classic, chiefly by virtue of its subject matter. In brief, the film concerns a morbid young man who befriends a free-spirited septuagenarian. Together they make about as unlikely a pair as you'll ever see in a romantic comedy.

The stars of the film, Bud Cort & Ruth Gordon, play their parts with relish. Furthermore, the two have excellent chemistry together. Besides the stars, Vivian Pickles, as Harold's overbearing mother, and Charles Tyner, as his uncle Victor, stand out in support.

Ashby's direction is well-handled and the film sports some nice visuals. However, the film's best element on the technical side is arguably the soundtrack. The songs of Cat Stevens are heard throughout and they truly capture and enhance the spirit of the film.

In the end, "Harold and Maude" is certainly a unique little film and one that seems way ahead of its time. It's the sort of quirky movie that would be right at home next to some of today's independent films. Given it's eccentricities, I'm unsurprised that it was a commercial flop at the time of its release but, thankfully, it has gained in stature over time.

The most indie-esque film to come out of the '70s that I have seen, "Harold and Maude" wallows in irreverence. Suicide is played around with as a theme - never trivialised, but used frequently as a source of dark humour. The unlikely relationship between the titular characters is remarkably sweet and loving, if a little rushed, and the jaunty folk soundtrack uplifts the mood despite the heavy themes. The script is superlative, counterbalancing all the incidents of gore; the film almost comes across as a pre-emptive "Breakfast Club" for the "Fight Club" generation. Desperation and listlessness weighs Harold down, until Maude lightens his existence by showing him how to live for once. Her bubbly persona is the yang to his yin, and the film's quirky comedy cheers the audience as well as Harold with its subtlety. A true unexpected pleasure, "Harold and Maude" is surprising and charming throughout, with enough dark substance to mark it out as truly unique.

I want to BE Maude when I am older. Ironically, I have never seen a movie that was so full of life and joy. There are many little things in this movie, little details and gags, that increase the movie's replayability. The acting is amazing. Ruth Gordon and Bud Cort have wonderful chemistry,which is a tribute to the their acting ability, as well as the tight writing and solid direction. I was sad that this movie did not garner more recognition than it did when it was released. I am also disappointed that Bud Cort has not starred in more things since this movie. Oh well. This is a good Hal Ashby movie to start with, but if you get a chance you should watch as many as possible. They are quirky, thoughtful and wonderful. "Harold and Maude" is a paean to life and love, even if it's in the weirdest places.