Review of Harold and Maude (1971) by Andrew M — 13 Jul 2009

This film is easily an acquired taste of movie. It has a kind of quirkiness that I think most people would have a hard time appreciating. For myself, I found it to be very funny and enjoyable. The story follows a young man named Harold whose obsessed with death and pain, seeing how its the only way he's ever found a way to be close to anyone.

Being obsessed with death, he goes to all these different funerals of people who have died (he knew none of them). At these funerals he runs into another death obsessed loner named Maude, an elderly woman who although fascinated by death, is more deeply obsessed with life and living it to the fullest.

Together, they form an unlikely friendship and eventually fall deeply in love with each other. Bud Cort and Ruth Gordon find just the right balance between seriousness and humor, which can be really hard to find, especially given the material.

I don't know if this film is for everyone, it's definitely a cult classic, but for my part, I found it to be one of the most amusing, and oddly touching films that I've ever seen.