Harold And Maude Film Analysis

“Immature love says, 'I love you because I need you, ' mature love says, 'I need you because I love you, ' ” Erich Fromm. In the case of Harold and Maude, love goes beyond the continuum of our norm in today’s society. With an age gap of about seventy years, lots of people find the film striking and intriguing as an effect of the storyline. Life and death remain bonded by love displayed in a cynical, yet comical way. Contrariwise, is it passion or companionship that is the primary motive of this intimate relationship? As dysfunctional as this whole film is, the film begins by providing background knowledge of the seemingly dysfunctional family of Harold and telling of the dysfunctional childhood and early adult life of Maude. Leaving the audience in bewilderment, Harold and Maude eventually venture into a romantic relationship, and as a result, pre-judgments and assumptions can generate among the viewers. Thus, differences between Maude and Harold including, age and personality could be a direct influence on one’s personal assessment of this cinema, judging whether these differences could have created an obstacle or created chemistry in this remarkable relationship. Furthermore, when assessing this film, bias assimilated by the standards of today’s society can frankly be a cause of criticism towards Harold and Maude …show more content…
While it feels extremely peculiar and often traumatizing to see a young man lying in bed with an elderly woman, there is somewhat maturity about the aspect of the movie (sexual interactions excluded) — as if their love should universally accepted by everyone. It greatly illustrates that love can even have a great impact on the most strangest of people. Overall, “Harold and Maude” was an eccentric, but an utterly magnificent portrayal of the importance others can have in our lives and the effects that one person’s influences can have on the life of