Harold and Maude (1971) [Blu-ray]
Comedy | Romance

The Criterion Collection [Blu-ray]

Self-destructive and needy but wealthy teenager Harold is obsessed with death and spends his leisure time attending funerals, watching the demolition of buildings, visiting junkyards, simulating suicides trying to get the attention of his indifferent, snobbish and egocentric mother, and having sessions with his psychologist. When Harold meets the anarchic seventy-nine-year-old Maude at a funeral, they become friends and the old lady discloses other perspectives of the cycle of life for him. Meanwhile, his mother enlists him in a dating service and tries to force him to join the army. On the day of Maude's eightieth birthday, Harold proposes to her but he finds the truth about life at the end of hers.

With the idiosyncratic American fable Harold and Maude, countercultural director Hal Ashby fashioned what would become the cult classic of its era. Working from a script by Colin Higgins, Ashby tells the story of the emotional and romantic bond between a death-obsessed young man from a wealthy family and a devil-may-care, bohemian octogenarian (Ruth Gordon). Equal parts gallows humor and romantic innocence, Harold And Maude dissolves the line between darkness and light, along with the ones that separate people by class, gender, and age, and it features indelible performances and a remarkable soundtrack by Cat Stevens.

User Comment: melanietighe from England, 29 June 2004 • I only saw this film quite recently but it hopped straight to my number one film of all time. It is beautiful. Bud Cort is charming as Harold and Ruth Gordon - dare I say cute? As Maude. If I look like her when I'm eighty I'll be out there nicking cars and fluttering my eyelashes at policemen too! Maude wrenches Harold free from his morbid and lonely existence to show him how lush and amazing the world can be and he emerges from his experiences a happy man. This is definitely one of the films that (along with say, Fight Club, American Beauty and The Rocky Horror Picture Show) show you can be who you want to be, and you needn't let anyone oppress you. It's brilliant. Everyone should know a Maude. It has inspired me to buy a banjo and play Cat Stevens songs.

Summary: The reason movies exist!

User Comment: smacarena from Northern N.Y., 2 June 2003 • If so irreverent a story were to be told today, how would one react? As was probably the case when the film was released, people would probably find the theme edgy, if not inappropriate.

Such is the case with the cult film `Harold and Maude.' It openly explores themes of suicide, love, death and life with a fresh perspective.

The interesting part is how this film will likely find you. In most societies, an older man will likely fall for a woman years his junior. However, Harold (Bud Cort)-a shy teenager with an affinity for death-meets his 80-year-old true love Maude (Ruth Gordon), not at a dance or social event, but at funerals. The meeting almost seems reminiscent of Edward Norton's character's support group addiction in `Fight Club.'

Harold loves the attention he gets from staging fake suicides to frighten his obtuse and superficial haute-culture mother. In a reaction, she enlists him in a computer dating service in a vain matchmaking attempt to fix him up with Beetle-driving yuppies-to-be. The beauty is he frightens off all his prospective mates with cleverly staged fake suicides. At the same time, he meets Maude, a free-spirited senior who teaches him to appreciate life. After spending more time with her, he finds himself in love with her. However, a barrage of authority-i.e. priests, army-loving uncles and a psychiatrist-urge him not to follow through with his relationship.

`Harold and Maude' plays on '60s-esque themes of anti-establishment and open minds. Harold's militaristic uncle comes across as comical in his war-mongering vices-right down to his armless right sleeve that salutes when he pulls the string. Harold seems unhappy though he's surrounded by extravagance that rivals anything on MTV's `Cribs.' Not only that but his mother's lack of sense and indifference to her son mirrors her addiction to affluence. In addition to the swarm of brides-to-be, she tries to pacify him with material possessions-including a spanking-new Jaguar convertible, which he converts into a hearse.

Cat Stevens' open-air, acoustic-driven rock 'n' roll provides the soundtrack for the film. It gives the film a decent organic sound indicative of its demeanor.

This is a film that chases happiness wherever it can be found with a Woodstock-sense of responsibility. Maude's vices of vehicular larceny and bong smoking match Harold's love of fake hara-kiris and hearses. In a way, this movie comes across as a bit dated in that time has indeed erased the '60s anticipation of The Age of Aquarius and replaced it with `Fight Club' desperation.

However what the film lacks in reality, it makes up for in heart. This movie is not meant to be taken seriously; it's only to break down paradigms of societal thought.

Summary: Interesting love tale.

User Comment: Casey-52 from DVD Drive-In, 15 August 2000 • HAROLD AND MAUDE is one of the quirkiest comedies ever made, both heartwarming and hilarious. Just recently, it made the AFI's Top 100 Funniest Movies of All Time (#45). Not that the list means anything, it didn't include DUMB & DUMBER the funniest damn movie ever made, but I agreed with this choice.

Bud Cort is Harold, a morbid teenage boy neglected by his rich mother (Vivian Pickles), who spends her time trying to match him up with blind dates. Harold delights in pretending to kill himself to get attention from his mother and pulls some gruesome tricks out of his sleeve to scare away his blind dates. He goes to funerals as a hobby and while there, he meets Maude (Ruth Gordon), a carefree elderly woman. Maude helps to teach Harold the beauty of life and the two slowly fall in love.

HAROLD AND MAUDE was ever nominated for any Oscars, but it should have been. Bud Cort and Ruth Gordon are both brilliant in their roles; unfortunately, this would be the last good film either of them made. Cort was recently reduced to a bit part in THEODORE REX and Gordon died in 1985. But both here are at shining moments in their careers. Vivian Pickles is right on-target as Harold's rich, prissy mother who tries to run Harold's life for him until he breaks free. Maude is certainly one of the most heartwarming characters in cinema history; her philosophies are so very true that I couldn't help but apply them to my life after the movie was over. Some viewers may be disgusted at the thought of a teenage boy and an elderly woman being a hot item, but the idea and execution of it is more an act of respect and love for one another as people than an act of lust and romance, making this in my opinion the most romantic film of all time. HAROLD AND MAUDE is also told very realistically, making the story unfold gracefully and the twist ending is both poignant and reassuring.

HAROLD AND MAUDE is certainly one of the funniest movies of all time, but is also one of the most important human stories as well.

Summary: Brilliantly executed quirky comedy that could be the most romantic film ever.

[CSW] -3.8- This movie does make you ponder the absurdities of life. The humor here is quirky, and extremely black. You cannot help but become enthralled with Harold's bizarre fascination with his death! In this cult movie Ruth Gordon (Maude) is perfect as the eccentric senior who tosses caution to the wind at every opportunity. Bud Corts' (Harold) character is drawn to her off-beat charisma when they meet at a total strangers' funeral-they share attending funerals of complete strangers as one of their common interests. What ensues is a very cool soundtrack that accompanies these two off kilter characters as they gradually fall for each other, in different ways, but still endearing. But remember the people who "get" this movie, who love it are a special group and this is not a movie for everyone.
[V4.5-A4.5] MPEG-4 AVC - No D-Box.

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