"Harold and Maude" is a 1971 satirical film written by Colin Higgins and directed by Hal Ashby. It was a flop when it first was released, but began to attract attention when it came out as the second part of twin-bills a year after its first run. The result was a film that defined the term "cult film". Its off-kilter and counter-culture styling made it a treat for repeated viewings. (The second-run theaters I attended with friends used to have a lot of double features and "Harold and Maude" was a favorite, not least of which being much of it was shot in the San Francisco Bay Area and had a spark of the irreverence against convention that was floating about for young people at that time.
The story concerns Harold, a rather sensitive 20-year old man (Bud Cort) who is fixated on the idea of killing himself and also attending the funerals of complete strangers. His rich parents try to bring him out of his lethargy and morbidity with a variety of schemes, including psychoanalysis, self-help books, some prodding from the commandant of a military academy, and even pointing a very young, swank, and willowy blond debutante with the unusual name of Candy Gulf in his general direction as the Ultimate Distraction Therapy.
But Harold isn't buying. He goes on freaking people out by fake gruesome "deaths".
It's only when he meets 79-year old Maude (Ruth Gordon), a fellow funeral crasher, that Our Hero comes out of his shell and sees that life holds opportunities and choices beyond what his parents or their stuck-up strata of society offers. Maude is a concentration camp survivor from World War II. A critic of the film summed up the difference in their situations in life.
"Harold is part of a society in which he is of no importance, existentially he is without meaning. Maude has survived and lives a life rich with meaning. It is in this existential crisis, shown against the backdrop of the Vietnam War, that we see the differences between one culture, personified by Harold, handling a meaningless war, while another has experienced and lived beyond a war that produced a crisis of meaning."
[from Wikipedia]
This song, written and sung by Cat Stevens (later Yusef Islam) sums up Maude's--and the film's--philosophy--life is a gift; use your free will, and see what it offers while the time you have lasts.
Even if you've never heard of the film, you gotta listen to the song!
Another one to be added to my must see list. Thanks Doug, and I'm sure Jen will want to see it as well since Yusef features so prominently.
ReplyDeleteI think Jen will enjoy it since Yusef captures the spirit of the story so well in his songs. It certainly is an off-beat little treasure of a movie in my view.
ReplyDeleteWe watched a small feature about him recently, excellent music by a 'gentleman'. How could the US immigration authorities ban him?
ReplyDeleteThe post-9/11 hysteria caused that I believe Jim. Bit crazy.
ReplyDeleteCrazy?
ReplyDeleteI fear that's not an adequate word to describe it Doug.
You're right Jim. I've seen recent interviews with Yusef and he seems to have his head on straighter than most folks do.
ReplyDeleteWhat I never understand is that those who make those sort of decisions do not understand the ramifications down the line. If ever there was an organisation handing out sticks with which people were invited to beat them with that has to be one of the best.
ReplyDeleteThe state of the TSA (Transportation and Safety Administration) is, frankly, a mess. Their idea of who constitutes a threat to airline safety puts people on the list who can only make our government look like a pack of fools.
ReplyDeleteIts rather reminiscent of the Fifties, when writers like Graham Greene were kept out of the country because he briefly joined the Communist Party twenty five years earlier. That was caused by the McCarren Act, one of the most blanket-stupid laws ever enacted to boom-a-rang against a nation's reputation.
I've spent years telling people that it's not truth that's important in public relations, it's perception. How many good and honest people have been pilloried by the court of public opinion despite never having been anything other than fine upright citizens who maybe made an inappropriate statement or some other minor transgression?
ReplyDeleteYes, that's right. Perception is king, and the media takes a statement or an action and runs it into the ground.
ReplyDeletePerception is often the difference between a winning candidate and the rest. Time will tell whether Obama is substance (I so hope he is) or not despite what the hysterical right wing media is saying.
ReplyDeleteThat's true--perception is the biggest battle in power politics, Jim. If the economy improves and the health care package passes, the perception will be that Obama can get things done. The substance of a leader is secondary to deal-making so often, which is sad but the way our system works.
ReplyDeleteI wish you all well on your side of the pond and hope Obama can get a break, he and we certainly need it.
ReplyDeleteThanks Jim.
ReplyDelete