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Harold And Maude: Film Analysis

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Although the quality of an actor’s performance is generally subjective, certain performances on film have been deemed extremely noteworthy due to their ability to impress various audiences and film critics. The characters within these performances differ in terms of appearance and personality; however, specific qualities within the actors that play their roles remain common throughout. For example, actors that display emotions realistically and react naturally to fictional circumstances within performances often tend to achieve more success. Anthony Perkins’ portrayal of Norman Bates in Alfred Hitchcock’s film, Psycho, rests among some of the greatest performances on film along with Bud Cort’s portrayal of Harold Chason in Hal Ashby’s film, …show more content…

Although the films Psycho and Harold and Maude differ greatly in terms of plot, both actors use similar tactics, which in turn make their performances impressive. Anthony Perkins’ performance in Psycho remains memorable not only because of his impressive ability to display Norman as a character, but also because his personality and acting style fit the role adequately. His performance, along with the plot of the movie, incite fear within the audience. As a result, when the film was initially released, it generated great success. Similarly, Bud Cort’s performance remains memorable not only because he acts realistically, but also because he fits the role of Harold. However, unlike Hitchcock’s Psycho, the plot of Hal Ashby’s Harold and Maude remains comedic. Though Harold and Maude did not receive much attention when it was first released due to the unique circumstance of Harold and Maude’s relationship, the idea of the film eventually began to grow on audience members. As Harold’s performance within the film became recognized, the film gained popularity. Both Anthony Perkins and Bud Cort are responsible for the success of their respective films. Without their __ performances, Psycho and Harold and Maude would not have been able to achieve as much success as they did. These films, due to their stellar acting and fascinating plots, will always remain

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To summarize this essay, there are several points that highlight differences between the two films, yet the overall context of the film remains the same. One common theme that tends to drive the force between the reasoning in why the two films have varying aspects is because they were made for slightly different audiences at different times in society. Though both versions of the movie have small portions that vary from one another, the main emphasis is the same and both versions are loved by the

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Keaton’s comedy allowed viewers to laugh and emotionally connect at character’s facial expressions and actions during the film which was a different between Keaton’s previous career of live performance where the performer could actually see how the viewer responds. Cohen explains, “Film was a revolutionary means of providing intimacy without involvement, the opportunity to glaze closely at a face without its registering awareness of being looked at.” (Cohen, 113) The General does a great job showing facial expressions of all the characters in the film but also leaves a puzzling mystery behind one character in specific. Keaton’s film did a great job showing expressions of the moods or situations that the characters got into but Buster Keaton’s character, Johnnie Grey, used every facial expression except a smile of happiness.

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Hitchcock through the duality of the characters Marion Crane and Norman Bates influences the viewer’s emotions towards the moral choices being decided. Norman

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However, film critic, Robin Wood, argues that ‘since Psycho, the Hollywood cinema has implicitly recognised horror as both American and familial’ he then goes on to connect this with Psycho by claiming that it is an “innovative and influential film because it supposedly presents its horror not as the produce of forces outside American society, bit a product of the patriarchal family which is the fundamental institution of American society” he goes on to discuss how our civilisation either represses or oppresses (Skal, 1994). Woods claim then suggests that in Psycho, it is the repressions and tensions within the normal American family which produces the monster, not some alien force which was seen and suggested throughout the 1950 horror films. At the beginning of the 60’s, feminisation was regarded as castration not humanization. In “Psycho” (1960) it is claimed that the film presents conservative “moral lessons about gender roles of that the strong male is healthy and normal and the sensitive male is a disturbed figure who suffers from gener confusion” (Skal, 1994). In this section of this chapter I will look closely at how “Psycho” (1960) has layers of non-hetro-conforming and gender-non conforming themes through the use of Norman Bates whose gender identitiy is portrayed as being somewhere between male and female

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