Review of Harold and Maude (1971) by Squalid J — 03 Jul 2009

Harold and Maude may be one of the funniest films ever made. It's about a supposedly troubled teenager called Harold, who's mother, at her wit's end with him and his constant suicides (it passes the time), sets him up with a few eligible women via a dating service in order to get him married. Little does she know that Harold has already met a woman - a seventy-nine year old artist, musician and joyrider called Maude.

As a comedy, it's above reproach, and as a love story it's sweet in just the right way, even if it is stuffed with a little too much whimsy. But mainly, it's a film about people being themselves, what it means to be an individual and all that balls. The problem? The problem, my friends, is Yusuf Islam, then known as Cat Stephens. His songs of empty-minded optimism are all over this film, detracting from the film's message, rather than adding to it. It sounds like a minor complaint, but bad use of music can cause untold damage to a film, and the music in Harold and Maude would have killed most other films completely.

Still, Harold and Maude remains a great piece of work, and speaking purely in comedy terms, it's just about as good as it gets.