Nik Lackey’s review published on Letterboxd:
70 From The 70’s Part II: #52
Hal Ashby follows up his first film, ‘The Landlord’ (1970) with yet another social commentary on class system, all while topping it off with a humorous tone. I’m talking of course about ‘Harold And Maude’ (1971), a sometimes disturbing, but almost always hilarious look into the world of someone who struggles to find a real place in this life, then discovers a friend in someone he would never think of. Sounds cheesy right? It really does work though, and with the hand of Hal Ashby on the film, it ends up flowing together to make a sentimental and careful story about relationships and contemporary struggles.
‘Harold And Maude’ (1971), whether it means to it not, and I have a pretty good idea that it does, breaks down a class system in the late 1960’s to early 1970’s. Harold comes from plenty of wealth. Living in a massive mansion with an endless rooms and even a swimming pool. Yet, Harold clearly shows signs of depression through his everyday ventures. Maude lives in a much more modest home, that is cluttered to the sealing. Despite this, or perhaps because of it, Maude shows much more carefree excitement and joy in her life. Hal Ashby definitely seems like someone who would wish to make a point like this. Money doesn’t bring happiness, those around you and the way you view the world does.
Compared to Hal Ashby’s previous film, ‘The Landlord’ (1970), this is clearly much closer to the comedy genre than his first movie. Though ‘The Landlord’ (1970) has its humor, ‘Harold And Maude’ (1971) have much more. The story is a black comedy to say the least, where a few visuals are intense to say the least, but definitely still has a touch of silliness. Once the film goes on, you’ll realize there is more than just comedy though. Underneath all that is still a tender and kind story about wanting to be accepted, and finding friendship. This is the classic style of Ashby’s stories, and the ending really helps wrap up many ideas through the film.
Bud Cort stars as Harold in this film, and he does something for sure. I wasn’t able to tell if he was just a poor actor, or if he was really meant to be as stiff in his dialogue reading. Comparing him to the other lead, Academy Award winning actress, Ruth Gordon was no help either. With Gordon’s charisma and charm, she manages to steal the show every single time she is on the screen. Her humor and her joy is contagious at its worst. She brings a lovely light to the film that otherwise really could have been more damp with a less skilled actress.
Hal Ashby’s ‘Harold And Maude’ (1971) is not my favorite work from the director, but it is something that is worth noting. This is a small picture about relationships and love and loss. There are parts that will make you laugh, and plenty of parts that’ll make you cry. The two leads somehow manage to balance each other out, even though they are both in different acting classes. This being the follow up to Hal Ashby’s first film is pretty impressive, and it’s definitely worth the time to sit down and watch.
