Claudine (1974)Claudine (1974)
Movie DVDIt’s easy to get hooked by Claudine, a lean, funny, Nixon-era movie about a romance nearly undone by a patronizing welfare system. Diahann Carroll stars as Claudine, single mother of six children in Harlem and a maid working for under-the-table wages. Forever worried that her white caseworker will discover her meager, outside income (thus eliminating meager government benefits), Claudine further complicates her domestic situation by falling in love with Roop (James Earl Jones). An affab
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(out of 72 reviews)
Review by thesavvybamalady for Claudine (1974)
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I Love this movie.. And I am so glad that it’s coming out on video. You have this woman with a lot of kids(Diahann Carroll), who is on welfare and works on the side to make ends meet. She meets this garbageman(James Earl Jones) who likes her despite the kids, dates her, and despite his own problems, want to marry her. In time,he gets cold feet and runs off for a minute thinking on the committment he’s about to take on, but in the end, love rules the day. This movie,which the late Diana Sands got a hold of initially, was about to star in but got sick and later died, is so realistic. You have this woman who is on welfare, but works. You have this man who loves this woman, but he got kids from another relationship, and he got to pay for that too, then marry a woman with five kids?… That’s enough to make anyone take a pause for the cause. Not to say it isn’t a good idea. I have seen men do it and keep on going. But, it will make you think. A great movie by an unlikely actress. Diahann usually plays classier roles, yet she was good in this one so much so that she was nominated for an Oscar for that role.
Review by Dorrie Wheeler for Claudine (1974)
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This is a really great movie. Although it’s 30 years old it is still captivating and relavent. I saw the movie for the first time in 2004 after I had heard about it for ages. Claudine has six kids–and don’t ask her how she ended up with six kids. The kids are a handful. The relationship between Claudine and Roop (a handsome James Earl Jones) moves at lightning speed. They go from casual acquaintences to an intimate duo very quickly. Roop is quite a character, jovial, eccentric and captivated by Claudines beauty and her plight.
What impressed me the most about this film is the fact that although it is quite old (30 years), the issues that the film addresses (welfare fraud and welfare stipulations on women, failure to pay child support) are still issues that people deal with today.
This drama hits home, the only thing that just struck me is just how fast Claudine and Roops relationship progressed. Where was the getting to know each other? A good movie and a must have for your African American cinema collection.
Review by A. R SCOTT for Claudine (1974)
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THIS IS AN AWESOME MOVIE ABOUT A WOMAN ON WELFARE HAVING A HARD TIME RAISING SIX KIDS I LOVE THIS MOVIE I CRY EVERYTIME I SEE THIS MOVIE AND I LOVE IT I CAN WATCH IT OVER AND OVER AGAIN AND I HAVE TO SAY THAT I LOVE THIS MOVIE…. I USED TO WATCH IT EVERYTIME THAT IT CAME ON TV WHEN I WAS A LITTLE GIRL BUT NOW I AM DEFINITELY SURPRISED TO SEE THAT JAMES EARL JONES AND DIHANN CARROLL HAD ACCEPTED AND AGREED TO PLAY THESE ROLES BUT I HAVE A LOT OF RESPECT FOR THE BOTH OF THESE VETERAN ACTORS THEY HAVE ALWAYS CARRIED THEMSELVES IN A VERY GOOD WAYS AND I HAVE ADMIRED ALL OF THEIR WORK BUT THIS IS A MUST MOVIE TO HAVE AND OWN ESPECIALLY IF YOU LIKE DIHANN CARROL AND JAMES EARL JONES BUT THIS MOVIE IS VERY EASY TO RELATE TO AND THE SOUNDTRACK IS ALSO CURTIS MAYFIELD ARRANGED, PRODUCED , AND COMPOSED THIS SOUNDTRACK CURTIS IS THE BABYFACE OF THE 70′S HE WAS AN AWESOME PERFORMER AND PRODUCER HE AND GLADY’S HAD DID AN EXCELLENT JOB ON THE SOUNDTRACK TO BE INVISIBLE, ON AN ON, MAKE YOURS A HAPPY HOME, ANY MANY GREAT OTHERS BUT I RECOMMEND THE VIDEO AND THE SOUNDTRACK YOU WILL BE HAPPY WITH BOTH!!!!
Review by Daniel Pine for Claudine (1974)
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Well, I admit I’m biased (because my parents wrote and co-produced CLAUDINE), but after seeing the film again as an adult (I was 19 when it came out), I am amazed by the splendid acting and, yes, my parents’ remarkable script. This film definitely improved with age, and I’m extremely happy that my late parents’ finest work is finally available for the home video/DVD market. It was a total blast working on the DVD commentary track; to find out that the movie meant so much to Diahann Carroll, James Earl Jones, Lawrence Hilton Jacobs, and George Tillman Jr. was extremely gratifying. Thanks to all the CLAUDINE fans that clamored for the movie and helped bring it home.
Review by Marc200 for Claudine (1974)
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This is a wonderful film. Historically, I think it is one of the first movies to ever attempt a realistic, three-dimensional portrayal of a complex love affair between an African-American man and woman. Although it does not succeed on every level, it is earnest, entertaining and extremely well acted. Diahann Carroll stars as the title character Claudine, a pretty middle-aged woman whose life is complicated and yet enormously enriched by having to single-handedly raise six children. Claudine is on welfare but also works a job on the side. James Earl Jones is Roop, who turns out to be Claudine’s black knight in shining armor. Claudine and Reuben are very human, but find that their love can bring out the best in each other. Carroll and Jones are both so committed and masterful in their performances that it really elevates material that in lesser hands could be trite and somewhat embarrassing. Carroll, in particular, showed great commitment to this piece, she skillfully shed her high glamour image to play a single mother on welfare, and invested the character with humanity and dignity as readily as she exposed the character’s human flaws. It is a staggering achievement for a woman who began her career as a cabaret singer. Carroll was most deservingly nominated for an Academy Award and a Golden Globe Award for Best Actress. The young actors are very good as well. Lawrence Hilton-Jacobs, only 19 at the time, did a great job of conveying the frustration, confusion and rage of a fatherless young man trying not the repeat the mistakes of his parents and yet fearful of going the wrong way. Tamu is also great, and she brings sass and charm to her role as the eldest daughter who loves, and is loved by, her beleaguered mother but is still uncertain of how she can avoid Claudine’s life of hardship.”Claudine’s” gorgeous score is courtesy of the grand maestro of Black American cinema, Curtis Mayfield. Mayfield composed the original songs, which are memorably performed by Gladys Knight & Pips. My only complaint is that the DVD has rather shoddy production values. It was not remastered so the image is not typical DVD quality, and the DVD is very low on extras. Although it does feature audio commentary by Jones, Carroll and Hilton-Jacobs, among others. Otherwise, “Claudine” gets my highest recommendation. It is a landmark in African-American Cinema.