Outside Looking in
Harold is immediately smitten with the strong-minded baker, Ana Pascal, and spends a lot of time hanging outside her bakery and watching her cater to customers. While he is too afraid to talk to her for too long, he relishes watching her at work and seeing how beloved she is in her community. The image of Harold outside of the bakery represents the way that he feels like he is on the outside looking in, the ways that he is cut off from his life and his desires.
Harold at the Bus Stop
At the start of the film, Harold times out every element of his life perfectly, arriving at the bus stop at the same time every day and rarely missing any event on his tightly-held schedule. The image of Harold at the bus stop, a man in a suit and tie among other work-goers, typifies his bland and boring existence. Will Ferrell's face has the capacity to look especially neutral, which gives Harold the appearance of an average Joe, an everyman. The image of Harold waiting to go to work, wanting to blend in and not draw too much attention to himself, is an important image in the film, as much of the narrative concerns his breaking out of this mildness and learning to live with gusto. By the end of the film, just before his near-death experience, Harold is again standing at the bus stop, but he is a different man; he has learned how to live life to the fullest and stand out from the crowd.
Ana watching Harold play the guitar
One night, Ana invites Harold over to her apartment. When he mentions that he is learning how to play the guitar, she invites him to play, but he is bashful about it. Ana goes out of the room and Harold gets the courage to start playing, but he closes his eyes. Ana wanders back into the room as he plays, charmed by his shyness. Harold's eyes are still shut as he plays, and this image shows the ways that Harold is coming out of his shell, but is still afraid to be himself in front of others. It also highlights the tenderness and love that Ana is beginning to feel for him.
Karen Eiffel smoking
Karen Eiffel is a gifted author, but part of what makes her so good at writing tragedies is her acquaintance with sadness and the darker side of life. Karen's "edge" and her morbidity are exemplified by her near-constant smoking. She smokes feverishly, without pleasure, as an extension of the angst that plagues her mind.
