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Author Topic: Harold and Maude  (Read 1471 times)

'Noke

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Harold and Maude
« on: January 27, 2010, 12:45:45 PM »

The Nobodies #10: Harold and Maude

What a strange little film. Harold and Maude is about a teenager who, for fun, commits suicide repeatedly and attends funerals and an 80 year old lady who steals peoples cars. they enter a very strange but sweet relationship. Harold and Maude is a precursor to the very quirky branch of comedy that's very much a part of the indie wave nowadays. Juno, Son of Rambow, (500) Days of Summer, and especially Little Miss Sunshine. But Harold and Maude is different, in a good way. Here's why:

First of all, Harold and Maude is amazingly filmed. You can tell that you are in safe hands very early on, in the amazing credits sequence, a long tracking shot following a Harold walking around the room. Synched marvelously with Don't Be Shy by Cat Stevens, it's a wonderful bit of filmmaking. His style is not over the top, it's stylish but grounded as well. It feels so real.

His second bit of magic is his writing. His characters are quirky, but not over the top. Ashby does not create two strange characters rather, he creates two people who do strange things. An unmarketable film? Not especially. A romance between a teen and an old woman will turn audiences off, for sure, but what Ashby does is takes the concept and tries to reel it back in as much as possible, while sticking to his guns.

But it boggles the mind how many people have not seen this film. This should be a cult classic, this should be the film that gets talked about among sixteen year olds more then something like Donnie Darko. It's strange but sweet, and Harold and Maude are two people you just absolutely fall in love with.

The two leads are amazing. Bud Cort as Harold is quirky, goes from a wide eyed loner to totally sympathetic and sweet/naive kid throughout the course of the film. The real star, though, is Ruth Gordan, because not only is it such a hard role but also because she is bascially fantastic. She oinvest so much life into Maude and into Harold too, in a way, and Ruth Gordan managed to capture all that.

Verdict: Quirky, fun, sweet, delightful. It's a real gem of a film, and one that should be seen by more people.

Grade: A-
I actually consider a lot of movies to be life-changing! I take them to my heart and they melt into my personality.

philip918

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Re: Harold and Maude
« Reply #1 on: January 27, 2010, 01:21:55 PM »
I'd say it is a cult classic and talked about by a fair amount of people, though obviously not as much as more recent films like Donnie Darko.  I absolutely love it.  I'd give it an A.

winrit

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Re: Harold and Maude
« Reply #2 on: January 27, 2010, 01:39:09 PM »
I didn't hear about until I got to college, but instantly loved it!
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THATguy

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Re: Harold and Maude
« Reply #3 on: January 27, 2010, 02:22:48 PM »
One of my favorite films of all time.

Dave the Necrobumper

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Re: Harold and Maude
« Reply #4 on: January 27, 2010, 02:49:46 PM »
One of my favourites. I love what he does to the E type Jag.

It has been a big cult classic. It was listed in the first of the Cult Movie books (by Danny Peary 1981) as  "One of the runway cult favorites of the seventies". Variety did not like it "Harold and Maude has all the fun and gaiety of a burning orphanage" (Art Murphy). It is a shame that the great soundtrack has never been released.

On a side note; the 3 Cult Movies books by Danny Peary list a very interesting selection of films with complete synopses and an essay on each film, well worth looking for second hand.

bb6634

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Re: Harold and Maude
« Reply #5 on: January 27, 2010, 10:58:34 PM »
I love Harold and Maude.  It is such a strange undefinable film.  Even back in the seventies when they were green lighting anything this one still must have given the studio pause.  I'm amazed it got made much less exists.   It has one of the great soundtracks ever, right up there with The Graduate. Hal Ashby really knew how to use pop music in his movies.

Brian Z

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Re: Harold and Maude
« Reply #6 on: January 28, 2010, 02:11:32 PM »
Is there anyone who doesn't like this movie? Not complaining, just curious. I adore it.

IbtyamsmN

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Re: Harold and Maude
« Reply #7 on: February 04, 2010, 02:18:25 AM »
I am afraid this is the kind of movie where you either really like it or hate it. Of course the latter won't appear here. :D
Nice movie.

Holly Harry

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Re: Harold and Maude
« Reply #8 on: February 04, 2010, 02:59:39 AM »
I'm a fan.
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