A dated and easy target to deride, but the winning cast, especially Marcello Mastroianni's deadpan lethargy, is enjoyable under Demy's light satirical touch.

This one doesn't scream Jacques Demy the way The Umbrellas of Cherbourg and The Young Girls of Rochefort do, but compared to his more popular fable Donkey Skin I came away liking this one better. With John Hurt, Donald Pleasance, the Black Plague, a Jewish chemist burnt at the stake on charges of witchcraft, and British singer/songwriter Donovan luring rats and children out of Hamelin with his flute, there's something here for everyone.

Maude embraced life then embraced death.
Harold embraced death then embraced life.

Terrific short. Humanity drowning in a colorful candy nightmare of advertising. The scary thing is, it's fun being there.