Harold and Maude Response

http://oldschoolreviews.com/rev_70/harold_maude.htm

Hal Ashby talks about the movie ‘Harold and Maude’. He says that he loved Harold and Maude. He said that he generally agreed with Siskel and Ebert’s tastes in movies, but Ebert hated the movie. Ashby said that he was stunned to find this out, because he always thought that he had decent taste in films. In this review he tells about how this movie seemed to have one of the weirdest opening scenes ever. “It is where Bud Cort who played Harold slowly down the stairs, lights some candles, and then hangs himself!” He said that this made him think that Harold is either 1) faking this suicide. 2) Dreaming of this. 3) Or really committing suicide, and we are actually seeing some flashbacks. Harold seems to enjoy staging different suicides seeming to try and get his mother’s attention, he also enjoys going to other people’s funerals. We get the impression that Harold has given up on life whatsoever, he tells his psychiatrist that he has performed at least 15 different suicides.
Ashby then adds that at these funerals Harold begins noticing this 79 year old woman who is also seems to be attending all the same as him. She is different from everybody else, when everybody else is wearing black she wears light colors and takes off with other people’s cars. Ashby said that he believes that from the beginning they are destined to be together. Maude seems to act as Harold’s mentor in life. He adds this quote which I just loved, Maude asks Harold what his favorite kind of flower is, and he answers back with a daisy because they all look alike. Then Maude remarks that how each daisy is individual in its own way with different shapes, etc. I thought this movie was really good, also kind of very disturbing in parts but all and all a very good movie. I also agree with Hal Ashby’s review and how he does not really agree with what Roger Ebert thought of the movie.