Rating summary

Movie		4.0
Video		4.0
Audio		4.0
Extras		2.0
Overall		3.5

Harold and Maude Blu-ray Movie Review

Reviewed by Martin Liebman January 5, 2022

Paramount has released the 1971 film 'Harold and Maude,' directed by Hal Ashby, to Blu-ray as part of the studio's prestigious 'Paramount Presents' line of releases. Specifications include 1080p video, Dolby TrueHD 5.1 lossless audio, and a few extras, including a brand-new commentary track. Note that the film was previously released to Blu-ray in 2012 by fan favorite studio Criterion. I did not review, do not own, and do not have access to a copy of that disc and cannot speak to any similarities or differences that may exist beyond what is listed in the Blu-ray.com review. See below for takes on video, audio, and supplements as they are exclusive to this release.

Official synopsis: In this essential cult classic, Harold (Bud Cort) is a death obsessed teen who falls for Maude (Oscar winner Ruth Gordon), a happy go lucky, eccentric 79 year old. To a lilting Yusuf/Cat Stevens soundtrack, Maude teaches Harold a valuable lesson about making the most of his time on Earth.

For a full film review, please see Dr. Svet Atanasov's writing accompanying the 2012 Criterion Collection release by clicking review.

Harold and Maude Blu-ray Movie, Video Quality 

Paramount brings Harold and Maude to Blu-ray as part of its prestigious "Paramount Presents" line with a fine 1080p transfer which the studio touts as being "beautifully restored and remastered." The picture is organic and filmic, retaining its natural grain structure and offering robust, complex, naturally textured details. The grain shows some spikes in intensity, but the field is generally very even and pleasant, though some who preferer the cleaner look might find it off putting. Faithful film fans, though, will love it. The picture is well capable of revealing facial complexities, including lines and wrinkles, hairs, and applied makeup. Clothing textures are rich and so, too, are environmental pleasantries. Colors are healthy and satisfying, boasting good, natural contrast and temperature. There is some lightness, some airiness, to the image, a little white blooming here and there. Faces can look a little pale; Harold's in particular has that appearance, but the somewhat ghastly look seems purposeful, particularly as other skin tones on other characters appear to be accurate and full. The film offers a broad spectrum of colors, from deep browns to brilliant greens, from colorful flowers to dark reds, all appearing accurate to the source. Black level depth is generally fine. The print appears free of all but the most insignificant of speckles and signs of age-related wear and tear. There are no serious encode issues to report, either. I cannot say how this stacks up to Criterion's disc, but this is certainly a very solid and soundly engineered presentation in its own right.

Harold and Maude Blu-ray Movie, Audio Quality 

Criterion released the film with LPCM mono and 2.0 soundtracks. Paramount has encoded in the typical Paramount Presents Dolby TrueHD 5.1 specification, but the track doesn't really take much advantage of the extra channels afforded to it, which is perfectly fine as it sounds more reflective of the original audio parameters. The track's front focus is practically exclusive, even in some scenes when it would seem that some additional surround content would be warranted, such as during a junkyard cutaway in the 36-minute mark. But front favors the material. It's wide with good spacing and fine clarity to the various musical selections. Listeners will appreciate the instrumental and lyric fidelity while basking in the simple pleasures of basic front side space and balance. Dialogue images well to the center with little feel for extraneous spacing in the middle areas. Spoken word clarity is very good and prioritization is fine. This is a fully unremarkable track in terms of verve and vigor, but it carries the material to total audio satisfaction.

Harold and Maude Blu-ray Movie, Special Features and Extras 

This Blu-ray release of Harold and Maude contains a commentary track, a featurette, and a pair of trailers. Note that a featurette of the same name appears on the Criterion disc, but the runtime is much shorter here. I cannot say for certain if the content here is identical to partial content there, but Dr. Atanasov's review seems to indicate some similarity. Also note that the commentary track is not listed under the "Extras" menu subheading but rather the "Settings" tab. This release is the 29th in the "Paramount Presents" line and includes the slipcover with fold-open poster artwork. A digital copy code is included with purchase.

• Audio Commentary: Larry Karaszewski and Cameron Crowe, who had "literally nothing to do with this movie except love it," sit down to discuss it in detail. They share their fondness for it, favorite scenes and details, music, the movie landscape then and now, the film's staying power and points where it shows its age, technical details, and so much more. This is a super fun and informative track. There need to be more commentaries that are by fans (even "[almost] famous" fans) rather than the majority which limit themselves to actors and filmmakers who were directly involved in the project. With optional English, French, and German menu selectable subtitles.
• Yusuf/Cat Stevens on Harold and Maude (1080p, 5:48): A look at Stevens' relationship to Harold, his music for the film, the entertainment medium's and the film's impact on is life's perspectives, and more.
• Theatrical Trailer #1 (480i, 2:49).
• Theatrical Trailer #2 (480i, 3:03).

Harold and Maude Blu-ray Movie, Overall Score and Recommendation 

Paramount's Blu-ray release of Harold and Maude scores big on Blu-ray. The "Paramount Presents" treatment yields a handsome 1080p transfer, a solid 5.1 lossless soundtrack (albeit one that is more front focused and faithful to the original source), and includes a great new commentary track as the headline feature in what is otherwise a fairly scant and skimpy collection. Recommended.