Extra Credit - 2 Harold and Maude

Though this assignment is to focus on the theme of funerals and death in Harold & Maude, I'd like to say that I thought that was not the main concentration of the movie. In fact, I felt that the movie was much about living rather than the care of the dead. It challenges many social practices, but the message that I received was that humans are controlled by religion, politics, and theory. This idea became completed when there was a sequence of clips- Harold's uncle with Nixon in the background, his psychiatrist with Freud in the background, and a priest, with the pope in the background. They expressed each of the topics- Nixon represented politics, Freud represented theory, and the pope represented religion. 

Another way control is expressed is through Harold's mother. I considered her to represent society. Firstly she was selfish- saying things like "I don't know how much longer I can take this" and filling out Harold's survey with her own opinions. Secondly, she wanted the "picture" to be perfect- this was shown when she decided that Harold needed to find a wife. 

The funeral and death sections are mainly show in the beginning of the film, but parts can be spotted through out the rest of the film. The funerals are shown as dull, sad times, with Maude, the little bit of light smiling in the background. There are lots of religious aspects related to the care of the dead in this movie, many of the gravestones had crosses on them, and Maude stole a priest's car. Originally, Harold was more about the death than anything, but Maude changed his perspective. She focused more on how to live life fully. 

Harold and Maude was a great movie, but I felt like it would have been better for the illness and dying unit than the care of the dead unit, because the only time the audience is shown a main character being cared for is Maude.