Dying to Live

Harold and Maude (1971) – A Review 

Director ~ Hal Ashby

Producers ~ Colin Higgins, Charles B. Mulvehill

Writers ~ Colin Higgins

Starring ~ Ruth Gordon, Bud Cort

A bizarrely touching film, this dark comedy tells the story of a young man, Harold (Bud Cort) who falls in love with a 79-year old woman called Maude (Ruth Gordon). Sounds strange right? Well it is. To add to this Harold is morbidly obsessed with death to the extent that he fakes these extravagant ‘deaths’ and spends his spare time hanging out at funerals. He is deeply introverted and seems to struggle to relate to anyone around him, especially his overbearing mother. Along comes Maude with her infectious kookiness and zest for life. As a survivor of World War II, she believes in the idea of a higher purpose and appreciating every day. The director uses this stark contrast between these two characters as a social commentary on American generations. Harold lives in the shadow of a meaningless war and is experiencing an existential crisis whilst Maude comes from a time of revolution giving her life more substance.

The music, by Cat Stevens, is fantastic and fits perfectly in each scene and the cinematography gives you a grainy, 70s feel that fits the simplicity of the film. The characters are quirky, especially the ‘Manic Pixie Dream Girl’ that is Maude. This term is used to describe a particular type of female role in film described by the film critic, Nathan Rabin, as ‘that bubbly, shallow cinematic creature that exists solely in the fevered imaginations of sensitive writer-directors to teach broodingly soulful young men to embrace life and its infinite mysteries and adventures.’ This seems to sum Maude up quite well.

In the end Harold finally learns to appreciate life and Maude dies leaving Harold heartbroken and alone once more. It seems that the director is trying to say that you cannot truly die until you have experienced life fully and, through Maude, gave Harold a chance to discover this. All in all, I would not say that I loved this film but it was certainly interesting in its strangeness. It is worth a watch for its dark comedic gags and to see Ruth Gordon’s performance as the loveable Maude.

Favourite Quotes ~

Maude: Harold, everyone has the right to make an ass out of themselves. You just can't let the world judge you too much. 

Harold: I haven't lived. I've died a few times. 

Maude: Well, if some people get upset because they feel they have a hold on some things, I'm merely acting as a gentle reminder: here today, gone tomorrow, so don't get attached to things now. With that in mind, I'm not against collecting stuff.

Maude: A lot of people enjoy being dead. But they are not dead, really. They're just backing away from life. Reach out. Take a chance. Get hurt even. But play as well as you can.