Harold and MaudeThere are some movies that you have a special association with, that bring back fond memories and evoke nostalgia. Many years ago, a local theater was showing midnight movies, "cult classics" and other gems. It was not the first time I had seen Harold and Maude, but I did meet someone special at that showing, someone I would enjoy a special relationship with for a while after. Like with Harold and Maude, that relationship was not to last, but the bond would stay with me forever afterward. And I remember that night whenever I watch this movie, the whimsy and the affirmations, banjos and sunflowers.
|
|
Harold and Maude tells the tale of two misfits who find a connection with each other--as disparate as they appear to be--after they recognize one another from several funerals they have attended. No, the pair are not experiencing an unfortunate turn of mutual friends or family dropping off; they attend to satisfy an inner longing within them, but that longing is very different for Harold than it is for Maude. Harold (Bud Cort) is a despondent and gloomy young man, for reasons he reveals to Maude in time, though he does have a dark sense of humor. Harold's suicidal performances are not meant to inflict self-harm, but rather reflect a sense of unease and an inability to cope with life. Harold wishes for a sense of belonging and, really, just feeling loved. His father is nowhere to be seen--maybe dead, maybe ran off--and his socialite mother is not only detached from Harold's needs, she treats him with all of the dignity of a Pomeranian. Harold has no other friends, and probably hasn't had any for a while. Even the people in the world surrounding his tend to be shallow or at least trite, offering insipid advice that has their interests in mind, not Harold's. But then, Harold meets Maude (Ruth Gordon), and yin meets yang. Harold "wakes up" to life in the glow of her wisdom and life-affirming kindness, and re-learns what it is to live again, and, that hardest button to button, to be himself.
Whereas Harold would not be out of place in The Addam's Family, Maude's personality beams so bright, you'll feel yourself getting a suntan just watching her in action. Maude speaks her mind openly and directly, but does not impose upon Harold. No, what makes Maude special--to Harold and the audience--is that she listens and motivates without lecturing. (And, really, that's what real friends do.) Maude is far older than Harold (eighty on Saturday), but age is no barrier for the two adults, displaced by society, each with a peculiar outlook on life and death...at least peculiar to the so-called "normal people", wherever they may be. Maude opens Harold up to new experiences, prying open the clamshell he's wrapped himself in, forcing him to live not by forcing at all, but just "being". Maude invites Harold into her house for snacks, invites him to "explore" her art collection, and they enjoy nature in its splendor. As Maude says, she "likes to watch things grow". Maude only shares some of her past briefly with Harold--we sense that she and her late husband endured much sorrow during World War II. Maude is more interested in living the life she chooses to live for as long as she wants to--for her "choice" is key, and her freedom is a right. Her words to Harold on her birthday are a final geis, a quest for him to live and love, and abandon his walking death, even if it requires a baptism by fire.
The musical score by Cat Stevens/Yusuf Islam is an inspired choice for the film, as the singer/songwriter's talents are not squandered here. Unlike many films where the musical score is just used to accentuate the action, in Harold and Maude his music (nine contributed selections) define scenes, and I can not envision the movie without its presence, nor would I want to. This bravura stylistic choice by director Hal Ashby still resonates among beloved filmmakers today, from Wes Anderson to Cameron Crowe, and is one more example of how monumental and original Harold and Maude is: a romance that is far outside "May-November", a comedy about varied suicides, a satire of us so-called "normal people", and even a tale about giving that involves constant instances of grand theft auto. Harold and Maude is sweet without being sappy, inspiring without being oppressive--watch the film, and recall those great memories it stirs.
Recommended for: Fans of a comedy that makes you feel, a whimsical tale of love and friendship, and for anyone who wants that warm connection that comes from knowing someone who truly gets you.
Whereas Harold would not be out of place in The Addam's Family, Maude's personality beams so bright, you'll feel yourself getting a suntan just watching her in action. Maude speaks her mind openly and directly, but does not impose upon Harold. No, what makes Maude special--to Harold and the audience--is that she listens and motivates without lecturing. (And, really, that's what real friends do.) Maude is far older than Harold (eighty on Saturday), but age is no barrier for the two adults, displaced by society, each with a peculiar outlook on life and death...at least peculiar to the so-called "normal people", wherever they may be. Maude opens Harold up to new experiences, prying open the clamshell he's wrapped himself in, forcing him to live not by forcing at all, but just "being". Maude invites Harold into her house for snacks, invites him to "explore" her art collection, and they enjoy nature in its splendor. As Maude says, she "likes to watch things grow". Maude only shares some of her past briefly with Harold--we sense that she and her late husband endured much sorrow during World War II. Maude is more interested in living the life she chooses to live for as long as she wants to--for her "choice" is key, and her freedom is a right. Her words to Harold on her birthday are a final geis, a quest for him to live and love, and abandon his walking death, even if it requires a baptism by fire.
The musical score by Cat Stevens/Yusuf Islam is an inspired choice for the film, as the singer/songwriter's talents are not squandered here. Unlike many films where the musical score is just used to accentuate the action, in Harold and Maude his music (nine contributed selections) define scenes, and I can not envision the movie without its presence, nor would I want to. This bravura stylistic choice by director Hal Ashby still resonates among beloved filmmakers today, from Wes Anderson to Cameron Crowe, and is one more example of how monumental and original Harold and Maude is: a romance that is far outside "May-November", a comedy about varied suicides, a satire of us so-called "normal people", and even a tale about giving that involves constant instances of grand theft auto. Harold and Maude is sweet without being sappy, inspiring without being oppressive--watch the film, and recall those great memories it stirs.
Recommended for: Fans of a comedy that makes you feel, a whimsical tale of love and friendship, and for anyone who wants that warm connection that comes from knowing someone who truly gets you.