Harold and Maude first released in 1971

There is a misconception, long taken for granted, that death can’t be as funny as most other things. It is only those who desire a death wish, the ones who fervor to accentuate their own mortality, who are willing to laugh at it, but laugh at it they will. It seems that somewhere along the way, in the sociocultural pollinated world that we reside in, we have learned to look down on those who manage to surpass eccentricity and escalate into the land of pure abnormality. However, I’m sure it is a great feat when ones oddity is so great that they succeed in garnering all kinds of attention at funeral homes. The disapproving glances they receive from teary eyed distant relatives when they smile during procession, or when they utter a squeal of delight when the sun shines just so so a beam of light illuminates the black casket, the one, yes that one, where dear old Uncle Kevin who use to steal your allowance to buy liquor at the corner store, lies. Nonetheless, morality is temporary, and death, well, death is as funny as we make, I suppose.

Harold and Maude, first released in 1971, succeeds in a couple things, but most importantly for a dark comedy, it achieves the unthinkable and passes the threshold of disturbing and into disturbingly funny. Harold, played by Bud Cort, is an impassive cynical 20 year old who is obsessed with suicide and whose pastimes include attending strangers funerals. Cort plays the part of a surly young adult perfectly as he remains expressionless and deadpan throughout the film. He finds the equilibrium between unassertive and unhinged perfectly as he walks his character through the woes of young adulthood and onto the shaky ground of first love, particularly an unconventional love match, and an existential crisis.

Harold's character makes a fine juxtaposition to Maude, played by Ruth Gordon, who is, despite being a 79 year old woman, more alive than anyone Harold has ever met. She is a slightly offbeat, confident and optimistic personality that shines through the screen, but instead of making Harold pale in comparison, she brings out his light, too. At one point in the film, when they go to the park, she asks Harold what kind of flower he wants to be. Harold shrugs, monotone as always, and, the film keeping up its comedic effect, points to an emaciated looking plant that is drooping into itself. Maude gasps audibly, for once not delighted about something, and tells him that she would rather be a colorful flower, such as a rose or a sunflower. She never loses a beat, never flinches, and neither does the direction of the film.

Inevitably, they do fall in love, but keeping up the age old tradition of a Romeo and Juliet tragedy, Maude tragically, ironically, overdoses on sleeping pills on her eightieth birthday because she believes that that's the perfect time to die. Harold is devastated, again ironically, but Maudes death seems to have instilled in him the passion of wanting to live. People can infer this by the ending scene of the movie when Harold drives his car off a cliff, and the audience watches horrified as it hits the ground with him presumably still inside, but when the camera pans upwards it is revealed that Harold is still standing at the edge of the cliff looking down at the wreck. This scene provides a pinnacle point in the movie because it seems to be forcing Harold to make a final choice between life and death. Finally, however, Harold takes out the ukelele that Maude gave him (Everyone should be able to make some music, Harold!) and plays a melody as he dances away, back into the backdrop of a blue sky and white clouds.

There is no doubt why Harold and Maude has turned into such a cult classic in the last few decades. It culminates all the sad wonderful things a black comedy should have: quirky characters, scandalizing situations, controversial topics, and surprisingly philosophical moments. In essence, its an allegory, two caricatures assimilated and broken down to capture the concept of another. Like, Moby Dick. Kinda. Except, instead of encapsulating social inequalities in the sea while looking for a white whale, a young man searches for his colors and finally finds an old woman who gives him a flower.

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