Harold and Maude: A Film Analysis
In the cult classic Harold and Maude, director Hal Ashby uses cinematic techniques to develop complex characters as a way to drive the plot forward.

Many techniques ranging from acting to lighting have revealed different elements of Harold’s character. Bud Cort ―the actor that played Harold in the film, has taken care of his sick father for the majority of his life. At the time the film was shot, his father passed away from MS; Multiple Sclerosis earlier that year. Because of this tragic event, Cort was able to implement an age old acting technique called method acting. Because of his recent encounter with death, Bud was able to communicate to the audience a sense of brokenness and loss that was vital in