Harold N Maude
...ways a timeless film that celebrates life through characters who either are obsessed with death or are very well acquainted with dying and suffering. We are all going to die, and no matter how we embrace or deny that fact, at some point life as we know it ends.
Now isn't that a wonderful way to begin a very long analysis about a very funny and poignant film?
When I reviewed the film here many months ago, I did not write a review that was personal enough. Maybe I was chicken, maybe I was lazy or maybe it just wasn't time for me to write the review I needed to about this film. The review I did write, (included below) is a pretty mediocre (and much shorter) one.
Harold and Maude is a unique one of a kind film. It has very dark and broad humor, but is also a film full of quiet under-stated moments. It is a film that risks everything as it veers away from being a quirky comic character study and focuses on the unique life-changing romance. A romance that was bold, controversial and shocking then and still remains so today. A romance, which still makes viewers very uncomfortable. The film has a memorable soundtrack by Cat Stevens whose song lyrics are used to further the mood, tone and texture of the film. The two original Steven's songs written specifically for the film are DON'T BE SHY and IF YOU WANT TO SING OUT, SING OUT. IF YOU WANT TO SING OUT serves as an anthem for Maude's philosophy of living. Both Hal Ashby and Cat Stevens purposely decided against releasing an official soundtrack album. The film contained several previously recorded Stevens's songs (from Mona Bone Jakon and Tea for the Tillerman), and the two original songs only became available many years later on record and CD (with the exception of an un-official and illegal Japanese soundtrack album)..
This is your last warning. If you haven't seen this cult film classic, stop reading this...
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