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Harold and Maude (1971)
Everyone needs a ticket to the world of Harold and Maude
I only watched it a couple of weeks ago, but holy mother of God, it instantly earned a spot as one of my all time favourites, if not managing to swoop the number one spot.
In theory this film should fail. The story of romance between a teenager/young man and elderly woman is far too problematic to be believable. It's not only too bizarre, but it's also extremely unrealistic (sorry, I'm a bit of a cynic). Nevertheless, I'd heard about this film for a long time and was willing to put all preconceptions to one side. And I am so, so glad that I did. I urge anyone to look past the summary and just watch it. Please, do it, now.
How can you try and dissect a film as complex and beautiful as Harold and Maude? Well you can't, because it doesn't demand anything of the sort. Some classic/cult/icon films encourage us to re-watch and point our cinematic-analytic lenses to nuances that are key. But Harold and Maude actually exceeds the limits of film; it's an experience.
The character of Maude is played exquisitely, and is so charming and free spirited. Harold is Maude diametrical opposite. Morose, pseudo-suicidal, fascinated with death (played BRILLIANTLY by Bud Cort) and the reactions it evokes. He goes to funerals in his spare time, visits his psychiatrist a lot and has no friends...Until he meets Maude. And when he does, the two seem to fit like a glove. They make for one of the most authentic on-screen relationships/friendships I've ever seen, and watching them develop is just...wow. Because the characterisation is so strong (and the film isn't bustling with minor characters)it actually becomes fairly believable, and you'll find yourself embroiled in the world of Harold and Maude. The hospital scene at the end will crush you.
Strong message, unique, beautiful, perfect, and also surprisingly hilarious. Charming and unforgettable, overall a very important film that will question our perspectives.
Wuthering Heights (2011)
An example of why being 'artsy' doesn't make a film any good
Contains spoilers! OK, so I'll get the positives out of the way first. I've read a lot of reviews for this movie and people seem fairly unanimous that the older actor who played Heathcliff was dreadful. To me, I thought he was one of the only good attributes to the film. He conveyed Heathcliff's abrasiveness perfectly and it's essential to remember that in the novel Heathcliff wasn't meant to be intelligent or comprehensible. After you've read the book, you're meant to be confused as to whether Heathcliff was an 'imp of Satan' or one with a brutal exterior that disguised intense emotion. It was Brontes criticism of the archetypal Byronic hero, challenging the poetic stock character of an abrasive, unpleasant and perhaps even violent individual who is in fact very passionate. In this case, the domestic violence and animal cruelty showed by Heathcliff makes it almost impossible to sympathise with the character, which was one of Brontes key themes. Heathcliff is played brilliantly and fits my exact idea of everything he should embody, Literature's most infamous anti-hero.
I also loved the authentic feel of the film, the director went right back to the roots of Wuthering Heights and the setting is perfect.
That's seriously it. It was, undoubtedly, the worst Wuthering Heights adaptation I've ever seen. Excessive pathetic fallacy and animal metaphors (the two birds flying was unimaginative and annoying!) and a pretentious absence of dialogue. Almost all of the characters were completely underdeveloped and it seems Arnold had more fun showing the moors than engaging the audience in a clear plot. Cathy was underplayed- in the book she's much more exaggerated and distinctive- and Nelly Dean was just...was she even there? I can't blame the acting though, it was the fault of whoever did the screen-play (or, more fittingly, didn't do the screenplay). You're constantly waiting for the story to get going and then you realise you're over half way through and the majority of it should have happened already. And when Mumford and Sons kicked in...I nearly fell off my chair. That really did put the cherry on the shitty cake. It sadly reminded me of Luhrmanns' Gatsby. Pitiful.
I don't understand how anyone can take one of history's most passionate, intense novels of destruction, love and revenge and turn it into something so dull, drab and morose.