Harold and Maude
★★★★ 1/2
Harold and Maude is such a morbid, yet sweet, tale about love, life and death. What I appreciate most about Hal Ashby's trippy tale is how he uses humor to explore philosophical questions about one's purpose in life. As in-your-face as Harold's (a bug-eyed Bud Cort) bloody sight gags are, Ashby is just as subtle about clues to what makes Maude (a vivacious Ruth Gordon) tick. A quick glance of a tattoo on Maude's arm immediately takes the film to a whole new level.
As preposterous and somewhat disturbing as the romance is between Harold and Maude, it all makes sense. I truly buy into the fact that love grows between these two despite a generational divide, but I think each character possesses a different type of love for the other. Harold's is consumed with romanticism and adoration, while Maude's love is more of a nurturing love, trying to lift Harold's spirits from their dark grave. It goes without saying that Maude is far more mature than Harold. She is able to show him that there are different ways to be rebellious and that there is much more to life if you look closer to the world around you.
I love the style, camera work and tone of this film. You can quickly understand why it's garnered such a cult-like status with its dark jokes, biting commentary and celebration of art. It's clear that Ashby is a car nut because we get a little too many gags dealing with Maude's horrific driving skills, and the scene where the two trick Harold's Uncle Victor (Charles Tyner) falls completely flat. But if someone opens themselves up to this movie's themes, they'll be surprised to find themselves laughing and contemplating more than they ever expected.
