Harold and Maude
Hal Ashby · 1971
Hal Ashby’s 1971 film follows Harold Chasen, a young man obsessed with staging his own death, and Maude, a 79-year-old woman who lives with irreverent joy in a railroad car. Their relationship unfolds across San Francisco locations — cemeteries, ruins, hospitals, and highways — to a soundtrack by Cat Stevens. Written by Colin Higgins, it balances black comedy, romance, and existential reflection without resolving its central tension. Initially unsuccessful, it gained cult status and was preserved in the National Film Registry in 1997.
