Harold and Maude [M]

Harold is a young man who is bored with his wealth and has a very bleak view of the world and his future, thus making him very interested in death. But Harold’s bleak world view is completely turned the other way around when he meets Maude, a nearing 80 year-old rascal who lives life to its fullest and sees nothing in the world but good intentions. As their paths continue to cross, the two spark up a most unlikely friendship and romance. 

Oh this is a very lovely film. One of the most beautiful, unlikely, and heart warming screen couples in cinematic history, Harold and Maude is a lovely little film about death, love, and life. 

Harold is a young man who is bored with his wealth and has a very bleak view of the world and his future, thus making him very interested in death. But Harold’s bleak world view is completely turned the other way around when he meets Maude, a nearing 80 year-old rascal who lives life to its fullest and sees nothing in the world but good intentions. As their paths continue to cross, the two spark up a most unlikely friendship and romance. 

One of the most genuine “cult” films to grace our screens, Harold and Maude is just a gorgeous and ironic little love story about the resurrection of a youth’s life by the energetic and carefree, sometimes rascally, efforts of an elderly woman. 

The clincher of the movie is the unlikely pairing of the two leads: their opposites and general behaviours completely combating one another. When we are introduced to Harold we see him as a very bleak and macabre boy, tormenting his trying mother with various forms of suicide stagings, giving the film its darkness. When we are introduced to Maude we see her as a glowing little old lady, all smiles and rosy cheeks but with a cheeky and fiendish behaviour such as driving off in other people’s cars, defacing or stealing public property; all done in a most adorable and innocent way. 

The performance and the chemistry between the two romantic leads was just lovely also. But Cort stars as Harold delivering a performance that was quiet, wallowing, bleak, and somewhat defeated, only then to late have new life breathed into by the gorgeous performance from Ruth Gordon, which was carefree, rascally, and very sweet like a flower child. The two of them together was just beautiful to behold. 

Also starring Vivian Pickles, Cyril Cusack, Charles Tyner, Ellen Greer, Eric Christmas, G. Wood, Judy Engles, Shari Summers, Tom Skerritt, Susan Madigan, Ray K. Goman, Gordon Devol, and Harvey Brumfield, Harold and Maude is a lovely little film filled with deaths, frustration, romance, comedy, and life, not to mention a great soundtrack by Cat Stevens. It’s absolutely lovely.