Suicide in the Opening Scene

The opening scene of Harold & Maud is perceived drastically differently by those who have never seen the film before, and those who have. With Harold's face intentionally omitted from the mise-en-scene during the first half of the scene, our attention is brought to the space in which he moves about with dignity. We see strong, sturdy, darkly polished furniture. We see a fancy, well-dusted piano. We see plenty of space in a room with thick, warm carpet. The audience can plainly see that this is the home of a rich family, as Harold places a needle atop a record.

With the music playing, Harold's feet are seen walking across the carpet to the piano seat. His feet are shown stepping up onto the piano seat and, without hesitation, stepping off. Instead of falling to the ground, his feet hang there, dangling. As it become apparent that Harold has just hung himself, half the audience laughs. The other half wonders what's wrong with the first half.

The scene continues with Harold's mother walking in and seeing the horror. She is not horrified, however, and casually picks up the phone to cancel a party. Harold's mother addresses Harold without any uneasiness. The second half of the audience remains baffled. "What kind of sick movie is this?" they wonder, until Harold opens his eyes and reveals his suicide was an elaborate fake. Now that the first time viewers have been "de-virginized", they'll be among the laughing half of the audience the next time the movie is shown.