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6 comments:
http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0067185/quotes
http://www.epinions.com/review/mvie_mu-1009241/content_24879009412
http://www.associatedcontent.com/pop_print.shtml?content_type=article&content_type_id=906827
Harold and Maude works on two different levels; the first being a critique of society itself and all it’s hypocrisies, the second being a story that can be foun in any society, that of a young man trying to figure out how to be happy in a world that he knows he doesn’t quite fit into.
To understand how the movie questions society you have to study Maude and the time period the movie takes place in closely. Her character makes you wonder if the powers that be are truly thinking about your best interest. The movie’s writer and director help show you why she’s so rebellious by revealing the small tatto on her wrist which is a dead give away that she was a holocause survivor. With that in mind you start to understand why she distrusts the powers in society and what happens to a society that doesn’t question it’s authorities. She is the exact opposite of what society deems acceptable, “She is nearly eighty years old, she is unmarried, she lives in an old abandoned train car (made homey by all her decoration, and she seems to be a little bit mentally unbalanced. Maude defies nearly every stereotype that can be held about women.” (Lanphier, page 2) With all these “unacceptable” qualities about her she still is happy and glad to be alive. An example of how the authorities of society are wrong, they have no idea how to keep their people happy.
Harold’s story is that of a young person trying to figure out how he can become apart of society and become happy and satisfied with his life. It’s one that anyone that’s felt like an outside or lonely in the world can relate to. He lashes out against the authorities in his world, realizing they do not have answers that he needs to live what he considers to be a productive life. He desperately wants to be shown that he isn’t weird that the world around him is in fact weird.
These two symbols, one of an older generation that knows the problems of society and the younger generation that is just beginning to cope with them intermingle. “He needed to change his life, and while his mother knew a dsrastic change was what was necessary she was unable to reach Harold after keeping him at arm’s length from her for so long. Maude was able to make an important connection with Harold. Perhaps it was her destiny and purpose to meet Harold.” (ChrisJarmick, page 5) Maude was not an authority in Harold’s life so she was a perfect way for him to learn the beauties of life. All the rest wanted to control him and force him to accept their morals down his throat. Maude wanted him to make his own choices and showed him that it was okay to disagree with those in power.
Maude: I should like to change into a sunflower most of all. They're so tall and simple. What flower would you like to be?
Harold: I don't know. One of these, maybe.
Maude: Why do you say that?
Harold: Because they're all alike.
Maude: Oooh, but they're *not*. Look. See, some are smaller, some are fatter, some grow to the left, some to the right, some even have lost some petals. All *kinds* of observable differences. You see, Harold, I feel that much of the world's sorrow comes from people who are *this*,
[she points to a daisy]
Maude: yet allow themselves be treated as *that*.
[she gestures to a field of daisies]
Maude: [cut to a shot of a field of gravestones in a military cemetery]
(IMDB, page 1, second quote)
http://www.echeat.com/essay.php?t=27048
I agree with everything this article states about the film Harold and Maude. Then again it wasn't a hard movie to write about to begin with.
www.layouth.com/modules.php?op=modload&name=Issue&action=IssueArticle&aid=1995&nid=69
Although the writer of the essay on "Harold and Maude", Samantha Sumampong was just 17 years old at the time she wrote it, I feel she did and excellent job collaborating and understanding just what the original writers were trying to point out.
http://www.echeat.com/essay.php?t=27048
The online essay that I wrote had some very strong points. Overall I agree with this essay that this person wrote, but I think I would have put the wording a little differently. The essay states that the theme of the film is freedom, because Maude is teaching Harold how to live life freely. I think that this is true. However, I think the better way to say it is she’s teaching him how to live a more carefree life. Maude is a free spirit. She doesn’t care what others think and she marches to the beat of her own drum. Harold wants to be himself and have his mother love him for it and this is what makes Maude “shine” to Harold. The essay also states that another key point to the movie is to do what makes you happy. I think this is shown by the music choices in the movie. I was literally brought up on Cat Stevens music because my sister was a “hippie” so I was familiar with the song “If you want to sing out, sing out”. This song is pretty much the anthem for the whole movie. I think the film maker was trying to stress that by playing that song on more than one occasion. The lyrics stating “if you want to be you be you, and if you want to be me be me.” I think that’s telling the person to do what makes them happy whether or not it makes anyone else happy or not. I think this essay that I’ve read on the film is pretty right on with what I think the film maker was trying to display.
http://www.angelfire.com/cantina/dame/fall02_two.html
I chose an easy that talked about the movie Harold and Maude, that I feel strongly about in a positive way. The author mentions many things about what the movie was suppose to mean.
http://www.echeat.com/essay.php?t=27048
the author had strong views on the movie and what the theme was their veiw was that the theme of the movie was freeedom i agreed with them and showed some refrences in the the movie to why i agreed with them.
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