Episode 127: CLAUDINE (1974)

(Listening note: Harry was late, so we start the episode by talking bullshit about Star Wars and some other stuff. Use the timestamps to skip to the good stuff.) CLAUDINE isn’t a textbook blaxploitation film, but it leans on those tropes and expectations to subvert them in a really radical way, especially in the context of its 1974 release. The story of a struggling mother on welfare finding love with a hardworking man amid the trials of life under capitalism is given a sharper edge by its script, an honest (if often ugly) window into the realities of being a Black American. Moreover, it’s a striking portrait of how those material realities remove opportunity, and what people do to find belonging, value, and worth in each other. Follow us on Twitter at https://twitter.com/trylovepodcast and email us at [email protected] to get in touch! Buy tickets and support the Trylon at https://www.trylon.org/. Theme: "Raindrops" by Huma-Huma/"No Smoking" PSA by John Waters. Music: “The Makings of You” composed by Curtis Mayfield and performed by Gladys Knight and the Pips from the CLAUDINE soundtrack. 0:00 - Episode 127: CLAUDINE (1974) 00:45 - Pre-Harry talk (Star Wars Holiday Special & more) 9:51 - The episode actually starts 11:01 - The Patented Aaron Grossman Summary 12:52 - Jason’s thoughts (feat. Aaron) 18:47 - Cody’s thoughts 22:08 - Harry’s thoughts 28:01 - Aaron’s thoughts 31:37 - Falling in love under the eye of the state 38:11 - Social performance as a lens for understanding the characters 42:13 - The value of an honest, even ugly script 54:08 - Spare thoughts 59:24 - Cody’s Noteys (Games Earl Jones)