The Violation of Claudia

1977 1h 4m EN

😐

6.2

MID

★6.2TMDB · 6

DramaThriller

Synopsis

Spoiler shield

A tennis instructor leads a wealthy but neglected housewife into the world of prostitution.

“Some stories are better left unspoiled.”

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Cast

Sharon Mitchell
Claudia
Jamie Gillis
Kip
Don Peterson
Jason
Crystal Sync
Lisa
Victor Hines
Richie
Gandi Sanders
Chrissy
David Lipman
The Senator
Cheri Baines
Maid

Credits

Behind the camera

Director: William Lustig
Writers: Sally McKinley, William Lustig, Richard Vetere
Languages: English
Countries: United States of America

Want more? Switch to Cinephile mode in the header for DP, composer, budget, box office, production companies, keywords, and release history.

Did you know?

Fun facts 🍿

1 / 8

RUNTIME

Did you know

Tight 64-minute runtime — shorter than most television pilots.

MoodPlayr · trivia#01

2 / 8

MONEY

Did you know

Shot for just $0.0M — micro-budget by Hollywood standards.

MoodPlayr · trivia#02

3 / 8

ERA

Did you know

49 years old — old enough to be someone's favourite childhood film.

MoodPlayr · trivia#03

4 / 8

ERA

Did you know

Lean credit list — fewer than 30 people officially credited.

MoodPlayr · trivia#04

5 / 8

DIRECTOR

Did you know

Directed by William Lustig, shot by Robert Lindsay. Note their partnership — DPs and directors often return to each other across a career.

MoodPlayr · trivia#05

6 / 8

DIRECTOR

Did you know

Editor William Lustig shaped the rhythm. On an edit-heavy film, the editor does more to control your pulse than the director.

MoodPlayr · trivia#06

7 / 8

CAST

Did you know

Sharon Mitchell and Jamie Gillis and Don Peterson carry the top of the cast.

MoodPlayr · trivia#07

8 / 8

WILD

Did you know

IMDB entry: tt0076887 — still the authoritative cross-reference for credits and trivia.

MoodPlayr · trivia#08

Cinephile deep dive

The take

William Lustig directs. Robert Lindsay behind the camera. William Lustig cuts. Runs lean at under 100 minutes. Produced in United States of America. Dialogue in English.

Trivia

Things worth knowing

1Tight 64-minute runtime — shorter than most television pilots.
2Shot for just $0.0M — micro-budget by Hollywood standards.
349 years old — old enough to be someone's favourite childhood film.
4Lean credit list — fewer than 30 people officially credited.
5Directed by William Lustig, shot by Robert Lindsay. Note their partnership — DPs and directors often return to each other across a career.
6Editor William Lustig shaped the rhythm. On an edit-heavy film, the editor does more to control your pulse than the director.
7Sharon Mitchell and Jamie Gillis and Don Peterson carry the top of the cast.
8IMDB entry: tt0076887 — still the authoritative cross-reference for credits and trivia.
9Only 6 TMDB ratings — you're getting ahead of the curve on this one.

The technical file

Cinematography: Robert Lindsay
Editing: William Lustig
Makeup / hair: Janet Goroff
Runtime: 64 min · 1h 4m
Aspect ratio (typical): 1.37:1 (Academy)
Status: Released
Budget: $30,000
Original language: EN
Certification (US): NC-17
IMDB: The Violation of Claudia (1977)

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William Lustig

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Community reviews

What people are saying

Martin Oaks2026-07-29
★ 8/10
Shadows and Jazz-Funk The cinematic debut of acclaimed cult director William Lustig (signing here under the pseudonym "Billy Bagg"), a filmmaker formally cited by Quentin Tarantino as "one of his favorite directors" (which, I still don't know if it's a good thing, a bad thing, or quite the opposite). The great Sam Raimi has always recognized Lustig as one of his major visual influences. Moreover, Dario Argento has collaborated closely with him within the context of the Italian "Giallo" subgenre. Truth be told, this guy's talent is instantly visible in The Violation of Claudia, one of the most elegant, ingenious, and surprising gems of the so-called "Golden Age" of adult cinema (1970-1985). Lustig—who would later give us exploitation classics like Maniac or Maniac Cop—crafts an astute and clever formal homage to Luis Buñuel's Belle de Jour (1967). Claudia is a young, wealthy New York housewife trapped in apathy and loneliness due to the constant neglect of her husband—a man older than her, who is always too busy to attend to her intimately. Seeking an escape route, Claudia begins taking tennis lessons with Kip (the great Jamie Gillis), a charismatic and manipulative character. Sensing Claudia's vulnerability, he seduces her and gradually introduces her into the sophisticated world of New York sex work, effectively becoming her pimp. What begins as a transgression transforms for Claudia into a journey of self-discovery and sexual liberation. Yet, just as she takes the reins of her own pleasure, circumstances take a surprising turn, revealing the true motive behind her husband's constant absence. Shot in the raw and cold New York City of 1977 on an absurdly low budget, the film immediately stands out from the commercial productions of its era thanks to an unusually polished camerawork that is deeply aware of cinematic idiosyncrasies. The movie feels like an independent neorealist film enriched by erotic scenes that are perfectly justified by the narrative. Indeed, right from the opening sequence, the hand of a director with true artistic vision becomes crystal clear.

Production companies