Strauss' Theory of Binary Opposition

Harold and Maude

What is the genre of the film? How are the genre-signifiers introduced?

The genre is a comedy, black in some areas, and the signifiers are introduced after a rather long introduction where we see the bottom half of a young man preparing for something. When the music starts, we see glimpses of his face, which shows that the tune is linked to him and his actions. Therefore when the preparation eventually leads to the man putting a noose around his neck and hanging himself in front of a woman on the telephone, the mood is still kept light by the cheerful music, which clashes with the dark theme being portrayed. The first proper dialogue between characters also hints at a dark comedy, as the woman has no particular reaction to the situation other than to say as she is leaving: “Dinner at 8 Harold, and do try to be a little more vivacious”. This line cements the comic themes within the film. The binary opposition shown most obviously would be the comedy with the death and the reaction to the situation’s presumed reaction. The music also contrasts with the furnishings in that it is very light and happy while the furnishings are very bleak and devoid of much colour.

Who are the main characters and how are they opposed?

The main two characters that we are introduced to are the boy that initially tries to hang himself and the woman that was on the telephone. By the end of the opening sequence, we are aware that they are mother and son. The two characters are very different; firstly by the initial physical attributes, but also their reactions and actions in social situations. The boy seems fascinated with death, and the woman enjoys the company of others and of life. She makes jokes and is very chatty while he remains reclusive and silent. They obviously have a tense relationship, as is show at 6.45 mins the first lines of each character also show their differences; the woman’s jokey: “Dinner at 8 Harold, and do try to be a little more vivacious”, while the boys much more morbid: “I go to funerals.”

What are the main themes of the film and how are they introduced?

The main themes of the film are comedy, as is shown by the dialogue and reactions to suicide and death, and death itself; a contrast to the comedy, but portrayed with comic value. the multiple suicide setups that the boy creates become absurd, and we learn to not take them seriously through the repetitious nature of them.

How is the narrative organised to show conflict?

The narrative is organised to show conflict largely by the use of binary opposition. The boy and woman are complete opposites which shows a fractured, tense relationship; the boy is fascinated by death which will socially conflict with most other people; the boy’s suicide re-enactments are obviously a cry for help or change, so to achieve help or change, a greater conflict will have to occur to change the equilibrium that is socially and mentally abnormal.