Happy 2013! I’ve been a little absent these past few months since I’ve been busy with grad school and TA-ing for an Introduction to Film class. It’s been a great experience for me, finally getting to talk to young people about all types of movies, especially classic ones, and get them excited about films.
Another great advantage to teaching is that it’s given me opportunities to see films that are blind spots of my own. Harold and Maude is a perfect example of one of my personal blind spots. An upcoming assignment for my students gives them an opportunity to choose between two films and describe elements of their chosen film that refer to the classical cinema or the art cinema.
I saw Harold and Maude for the first time just a few days ago when I learned this would be one of my films my students could choose. I immediately was captivated and confused by it, but grew to love the title characters just as they loved each other. I felt a huge challenge though trying to explain to my students why they should watch and write about this film. The synopsis is a little strange, the cast is filled with unknowns (to them), and it seems completely irrelevant to a young audience today.
This challenge is why I want to write it up as one of my Essentials.
Harold and Maude (1971)
Harold (Bud Cort), a young man in his 20s is quite disturbed. He comes from a rich family in California, living in a mansion with his also neurotic mother. On numerous occasions, he seeks complicated ways to fake his own death and his mother (Vivian Pickles) ignores every one. For fun, he attends the funerals of complete strangers. At one funeral, he meets a 79 year-old woman, soon turning 80, named Maude (Ruth Gordon). She is a complete enigma to him, so full of life and excitement in complete contrast to himself. While his mother forces him to join a dating service to get married and settle down, he becomes more and more fascinated with Maude and through a series of hijinx and misdemeanours, they fall in love.
Why You Should Watch:
The plot synopsis itself can be a little intimidating if not slightly weird sounding. I think the reason why this film is so enjoyable to me is how Harold sort of acts as an avatar for the disillusioned 20-somethings who fear their lives are already over. The nihilistic point of view that has overcome lots of people (in that unpleasant time between school and the rest of your life) is not so far fetched for many people coming-of-age. Maude has all of the zest for life of a woman a quarter of her age and then some. Her adventurous personality, her uninhibited take on the world, and her ridiculous but very earnest behaviour makes it easy to see how Harold could fall in love with her. While the initial thought of a young man falling in love with an old woman might initially seem kind of “icky”, the film helps us see how this could happen and how they help each other.
Director Hal Ashby perfected the dark comedy and this film is a prime example. A comparable contemporary filmmaker would be Wes Anderson whose films like Moonrise Kingdom and Rushmore also address the idea of the disillusioned, neurotic, or much-too-old-for-their-age young man. If you enjoy Anderson films, you should certainly give Harold and Maude a shot.
Also, for those of you who like Cat Stevens, you will be pleased to know that he composed the entire soundtrack. I think the folk-rock sound of it perfectly fits the film. The lyrics and musical motifs in this film really round out the effect of this film, especially when Maude first sings the theme, ”If You Want to Sing Out, Sing Out”.
Scenes to Look Forward To:
I think this section is best answered by the trailer made by Criterion when Harold and Maude was released on bluray in 2012. They describe their three reasons to watch the film and I wholeheartedly agree with them all. First, his deaths. Harold fakes his death on camera around 7 times and each one seems to be even more unbelievable than the last. They are always confusing but as the film proceeds, the viewer can almost get inside of Harold’s head and begin to understand what he is trying to escape. Could it be life in general or just the life he’s trapped in?
Second, her life. Maude as a character is completely mind-boggling but at a certain point, you stop trying to psychoanalyse her and just go along for the ride. She is a kleptomaniac, an artist, an addict, and a bit of a hedonist. But she is free of judgement, loves the environment, and is full of wisdom and advice. One piece she gives Harold that we can all probably do well with remembering is “Everyone has the right to make an ass out of themselves. You just can’t let the world judge you too much.”
Third and finally, their love. The end of the film is I think my favourite part and because I refuse to spoil it, I’m really going to have to ask you take my word on it and watch it.
Hope you enjoy!
