Comedy, Romance
Distributor:
Eureka! Entertainment
BD Release Date:
14th July 2014 (UK)
Rating:15
Running Time:91 Minutes
Director:
Hal Ashby
Cast:
Ruth Gordon, Bud Cort, Vivian Pickles
Buy:Harold And Maude (Masters of Cinema) (Blu-ray) [1971]
It is easy to see why Hal Ashby's wonderfully funny Harold and Maude was an instant counter-culture favourite on its release in 1971, with Ashby and screenwriter Colin Higgins carrying forward the counter-cultural values and ideals of the late 1960s in to the era of Woodstock, Altamont, and Kent State. The film follows Harold (Bud Cort), a young, disaffected man of 20 who acts out against his life of stifling privilege by staging elaborate suicides, and Maude (Ruth Gordon), a sprightly free spirit on the eve of her 80th birthday who espouses the ideals of the counter-culture. The pair meet when attending a funeral, a favourite pastime for both characters, and an unlikely relationship blossoms. It is this central relationship that gives the film its staying power, drawing people in with its universal theme of love, tugging at the heartstrings with its unconventional and original approach to the genre. The films popularity has increased considerably in the decades since its release, becomming one of the most beloved cult comedies ever made and influencing many modern filmmakers, most notably Wes Anderson whose films owe a great debt to the sweet, quirky, off-kilter, and ultimately life-affirming world on show in Harold and Maude. If I was to sum the film up in one word, that word would be endearing.
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