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Harold
and Maude
(1971) |
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When it was first released way back in '71 Harold and Maude with a rather lukewarm welcome - being described as overly sentimental and generally as being a hippy hangover from the over and out 60's.However, over time, it has garnered a dedicated following and has emerged as a cult classic - a sort of cousin of Dr. Strangelove. The film stars one of cinema's oddest couples which may also explain partly why it proved so unpalatable to unsuspecting audiences. Bud Court stars as Harold, a young man obsessed with obtaining freedom, emancipation from a regimented world where he shared none of society's prescribed values. Harold's sole interest in life is finding new ways in which to simulate his own exit from this world of warped values. The person who manages to draw him out of his world of death to the world of the alive is an elderly, decrepit lady who is herself knocking on heaven's door - but she is full of zest, spirit and sheer joie de vivre. Maude, as played by the wonderful Ruth Gordon is full of enthusiasm for the gift of life and it is through her idiosyncratic, quite loopy ways that Harold is able to begin to appreciate what it's all about - he finds a hub, some direction to his soulless, dreary, money - filled drudgery of an existence. The film is indeed a touch overly sentimental and does in fact suffer from being 60's residue, yet it has a charm and vitality that is infectious. The movie rolls along quirkily with its oddball sense of humour carrying it. There are scenes of pathos interspersed with wonderful moments of the darkest ironic humour. Harold's numerous death scenes are hilarious, especially with his mother, the brilliant Vivian Pickles, who is forever the bemused spectator. Hal Ashby went on to direct another superb social satire in "Being There", proving himself a mini-master of offbeat humour. Sorry to be so cliché - but Harold and Maude is indeed a film that has the power to make one laugh and then cry, especially with those free spirited Cat Stevens melodies urging you on to embrace life with a new attitude. Harold and Maude is tonic for when you're down, it'll force you - if even just momentarily - to re-evaluate what you think is important, it may be slightly mushy but the mush is all wonderfully spirited and full of unbridled joy. It may well be a relic of the swinging 60s - wishy washy, mushy, overly sentimental maybe - but a joy nonetheless.
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