Hal Ashby’s Harold and Maude is a cult classic from the 1970’s. Harold and Maude is a romantic comedy that centers around a young boy, Harold Chasen, an elderly woman, Maude and their odd relationship. Harold has this unusual obsession with death, and Ashby demonstrates his fascination through the comedic twist between Harold’s mother and Harold. However even Maude is also fascinated in death. She lives her life to the fullest attending funerals where Harold also goes simply because they enjoy “death”. Throughout the movie, Maude influences Harold and changes his perspective about death and the two of them eventually evolve into a romantic relationship.
Ashby begins the film introducing Harold Chasen, with a close up tracking his feet, not allowing the viewers to see his face, until two minutes in the film, however even then, his face is hard to make out because the only source of light comes from the window. The moment we do see his face, Ashby reveals the relationship between him and his mother. From the moment we meet Harold, it is obvious that he is anything but joyful. He is pale, dead looking, wearing fancy suits and ties black, grey and brown. Black being a color of grief helps to show his obsession with death has him looking like death. Ashby takes the audience along with Harold to one of his favorite spots, a cemetery. Here we are introduced with a vibrant, old woman named Maude. They come into contact at a funeral and we notice their distinctive personalities. Maude wearing pink and Harold wearing a dark suit again. As their relationship becomes more intimate we begin to see this transition with Harold's costume, from these dull monochrome colors to light patterned, printed shirts. Another example of his distinct costume change is presented at Maude’s birthday, Harold is wearing a tinted light pink shirt, black sport coat, bright red tie, bright red pocket square. Maude’s costume on the other hand, is the probably the films pop of color throughout the film. An example of this is at the funeral they both attend, at the end of the funeral Maude walks along with the crowd with a yellow umbrella. This is seen again when they steal the tree and are chased by the motorcycle cop, Maude wears a bright yellow coat. After Maude dies, Harold’s silhouette and color scheme has relaxed. His costume is no longer emotionless.
Not only is the color palette important but the soundtrack is also a major role in this film because the lyrics relate to the content of the film. With the opening scene of Harold lighting a candle, and stepping up on a step hanging himself, the song “Don’t be shy” is played. In a way the song is presented like an outside character in the film telling Harold “not to be shy” go ahead and hang yourself. The scene is dark, but the music changes the atmosphere creating a humorous effect. In the very end of the movie, “If you want to sing out, sing out” plays, we, as an audience are given this positive vibe, and watch Harold dance away playing the banjo. Cat Steven’s songs are filled with deep meaning and intertwine Maude’s positive outlook and perspective in life.The movie and lyrics succeed not only to amuse and touch our hearts, but also to help us think in a different way. It basically goes hand and hand, without the music the meaning of the film would not impact the viewers as it did. Maude tells Harold that everyone should be able to play music. In this scene Maude gives Harold a banjo that he enjoys playing at home. Metaphorically, this symbolizes that everyone should be able to communicate other than verbally. Music can go a far way, even for oneself. At the very end of the film when Harold is at the end of the cliff and his car thrown off the cliff, Harold dances and plays the banjo while leaving the scene. Taking this metaphor even further, Maude had given him a voice, to communicate with his inner self. At this point Harold finally finds his voice, his joy and his meaning of life. Everything is put in a specific place for a reason. This is my interpretation of mise-en-scene. The props, the lighting, and the costumes are essential in the composition and the meaning the director is trying to deliver in the film. A romantic picnic date in the middle of a demolition site. This shows that it doesn’t really matter where you go with a loved one, as long as you're with them. At least Ashby demonstrates this with Harold and Maude.
Ashby gradually begins the title sequence following a young boy, Harold, coming down the steps. All that is shown is his feet, then we see what this character is doing, lighting a candle, and playing a record. This is about four minutes in, and finally we see his face and we see what he is doing. Reactions already building as we learn that he's hung himself, Ashby completely throws the audience off the curb as Harold’s mother enters the scene and reacts oppositely than what we anticipated, but then once again Ashby does the same thing as we learn that this attempted suicide is more than normal to Harold. With this whole title sequence the tone is set and most of Harold's character is introduced. Throughout the rest of the film we come to understand Ashby’s selective editing choices and how he transitions from scene to scene. As we learn about Harold’s depression, his mother constantly tries to help by suggesting that marriage might be the answer. He cuts to a church, implying a wedding but we are soon to realize that it is just another funeral Harold and Maude are attending. Secondly, another way Ashby’s selective editing is used to help emphasize a meaning is immediately cutting from one scene to another cutting the response of the character and leaving the audience waiting for the response in a humourous way. In the scene where Harold learns that Maude models nude for this man in town. Maude asks Harold, “Do you think it’s wrong?” Harold gives a reaction before the scene is cut and this is more than enough to know what the response would have been if the scene was just a little longer. Another great example of placing the characters and props in a certain spot in the composition is in the scene where Harold and Maude are sitting in a field of flowers. Harold asks Maude about the flowers. Ashby had first introduced this scene with an extreme wide shot of the vast field. Maude explains how the flowers symbolize life and rebirth. With a simple cross dissolve to emphasize a change in time, Harold and Maude are sitting in the middle of a graveyard. Ashby pulls out again to reveal another extreme wide shot of the tombstones, also white as the flowers. However, this was not a symbol of life but a symbol of death. This mirrored two very opposite scenes with a powerful meaning. Not only was being able to show two distinctive shots and bringing them together to display such powerful meaning one of Ashby’s skill. He also displayed his skill of symmetry. One original illustration of this was at the psychiatrist's office where Harold is framed symmetrically as his psychiatrist. Both dressed in identical suit and ties and sitting the exact same way.
I believe one of the major themes Ashby demonstrated in the film is the meaning of life and rebirth. Harold in the beginning was death. Living depressed, finding happiness in death. However, death is the end so what is left? When Maude is introduced, this completely turns Harold life around and he no longer focuses on death. He no longer is obsessed with death and we come to learn as an audience that you should live your life to the fullest. One of the major symbols in the movie was the flowers. As mentioned before, Maude was fascinated by the life of flowers and how they live temporarily just like humans. Right before Maude dies, Harold decorates her house with flowers and Maude is wearing a vibrant floral dress, again, the meaning of temporary life and rebirth. Just before Maude is taking into the emergency room she is holding a wilted white flower as she is holding hands with Harold. Another part in the film that was slightly shown but has great influence on the characters is the fact that Maude was a survivor of the Holocaust. We know that Maude is old but we are given very little about her past until this specific scene where we understand she has been through pain, and she has overcome it. In contrast to Harold and his attempted suicides she chooses to live until the very end. I believe that Ashby's final message to be delivered to the audience is that life has a short existence so go about it with flare and beauty just as Maude does. She chooses to be free and live the life that she chooses, or as the flower. At the end Harold is rebirthed by having a new perspective on life. No longer looking at death as something everyone is going to go through but as a challenge to live until you can't anymore. His mother suppresses him repeatedly throughout the film and offers a simple solution to his depression, instead of involving herself to listening to him, his cries for death, Maude offers him this new perspective. She had chosen not to waste her time here on earth, living until she was 80 and I believe that is the main message that the film is trying to portray to the audience.

Works Cited

Harold and Maude. Dir. Ashby Hal. Paramount Pictures, 2002. DVD.

Boggs, Joseph M., and Keith Jackson. The Art of Watching Films: A Guide to Film Analysis. Menlo Park, Calif.: Benjamin/Cummings Pub., 1978. Print.