Harold and Maude (1971)

True to its essence, the characters remain on the same line and manage to entertain the viewer, each highlighting their own distinctive qualities or touches.

Great movie. Not sure what people expected but I found it highly entertaining.

The plot isn't so bad, but the pace of storytelling is too slow which makes people bored. Certain moments are so obvious and unnecessary for the main plot. I would've fast-forwarded those moments if it was an online streaming. The ending looks like implying a sequel, not sure if this movie will get one

This is one of the best movies I’ve seen in a very long time. You have to go and see this on the big screen.

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.

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.

My brother told me this was one of his favorite movies, so we watched it together. It was not at all what I expected, not that I had really any expectations to begin with. I'd heard the name mentioned, but never known anything about it, nor cared enough to do any research.As stated in the summary, it was a little to weird for my taste. Sure, it was funny (in a dark way) at points, and the relationship between Harold and Maude was all fine and dandy, but it went a little too far. And it was weird to witness. The ending was unexpected though, which added to it. I felt that the movie was a little rushed, with none of the intended change in Harold being found until the very end of the movie. The movie felt like it wasn't particularly paced well in this sense. Overall, this just isn't my kind of movie. Sure, it was enjoyable enough, but it really just didn't click with me. If you liked it, great. If you loved it, good for you. It's not for everybody, and it certainly wasn't for me. If your looking for something different and have a darker sense of humor, then take a look at Harold and Maude.

My Mother loved this movie and so do a lot of older baby boom women I know. However as a baby boomer man when I finally it saw recently I was struck by the fact that to me Harold was obliviously gay and not interested in women except for Maude in a very weird non sexual grandmother way. True they sleep together but I suspect that was just some non erotic hugging and keeping each other warm. Harold is like Sheldon in the Big Bang Theory a man child that doesn't know he is gay or even what that is about just that he is not interested in women in a hetero way.The movie however is fun and quirky, but please keep the romance out of the way this is really about friendship at any age not love/lust way. It is worth seeing as an adventure of 2 people who need and like each other- nothing more