melaniedperingpoet I watched Harold and Maude when it came out in the 70's and I will NEVER forget it for every worthwhile reason! The personalities of those two were loaded and bursting at the seams with a uniqueness so special you would blessed to meet just one person that original in a lifetime and they found each other. Good people to me and hilarious! You must see it! Your life can only be made better for it! Truly!

s_kuduzovic If someone offered me a chance to pick one movie that will be integrated in education I would definitely pick Harold and Maude. And that is an understatement in praising the movie itself. When talking about the movie, you get to wonder what to mention first, but I guess it's basic theme of life and death gets to be the main talking point. It is a wonderful metaphor for a constant struggle young people face everywhere, every day. And the subject is so basic and every-daily that it is fascinating how fresh the movie is even to this day. But also, it is worth the praise - Ruth Gordon and Bud Cort perfectly embodied the opposing sides. Without their charisma and the vibe between them the movie would never be as good as it really is. And in the end, you get to see how a piece of music (the whole soundtrack is done by Cat Stevens) can mold the moods of this movie - the scene where Harold is driving by a huge cemetery with the piano playing is truly touching.It is not on my list of movies to watch before you die, it is one of my movies to watch so you can truly live.

SimonJack Is "Harold and Maude" an art film? It doesn't bother with a plot. For that matter, it has nothing of the elements of a stage script, screenplay or story. There may be a little message -- about the idle rich, the spoiled rich finding no meaning in life. Certainly, no joy. As much as Ruth Gordon's Maude tries to convince to the contrary, there is no life in the empty, self-absorbed existence that she and Bud Cort's Harold pursue. Rather, it's an escapist, fantasy existence. They don't look for meaning. They just want a different experience … time after time after time. They are delusional. This film is billed as a comedy, drama and romance. I wonder if people who have lost someone close by suicide could see any comedy in Harold's obsession with it. Or his attempts at humor by faking suicide. Or is it really that funny to see an octogenarian squeal a car in circles around a police officer or in an intersection? Perhaps this film is something Timothy Leary would have seen or imagined on LSD. I can't imagine anyone being entertained by this drivel. My two stars are for some beautiful coastal scenic shots. Otherwise, this film is a waste of good celluloid.

Chris Allen The most indie-esque film to come out of the '70s that I have seen, "Harold and Maude" wallows in irreverence. Suicide is played around with as a theme - never trivialised, but used frequently as a source of dark humour. The unlikely relationship between the titular characters is remarkably sweet and loving, if a little rushed, and the jaunty folk soundtrack uplifts the mood despite the heavy themes. The script is superlative, counterbalancing all the incidents of gore; the film almost comes across as a pre-emptive "Breakfast Club" for the "Fight Club" generation. Desperation and listlessness weighs Harold down, until Maude lightens his existence by showing him how to live for once. Her bubbly persona is the yang to his yin, and the film's quirky comedy cheers the audience as well as Harold with its subtlety. A true unexpected pleasure, "Harold and Maude" is surprising and charming throughout, with enough dark substance to mark it out as truly unique.