"I don't wanna be the same as everybody else. That's why I'm a Mod, see?" - Jimmy.
It's not often a film is made based on an album. There are plenty of films adapted from books and television, but films like Quadrophenia are a rarity. The Who's album of the same name from the early 1970's tells the emotional journey of Jimmy, a young man struggling to find his worth in life. Brought to life by director Franc Roddam, the film is very much loyal to the album's story, and it's visuals really help to engage the audience further.
Set in London at the height of the Mods and Rockers feud, young Jimmy Cooper (Phil Daniels) loves hanging out with his mod crew, and seeks to impress his crush, Steph (Leslie Ash). Jimmy sees the Mod's planned trip to Brighton as the ultimate chance to impress Steph, but he wasn't quite expecting the trip to turn out the way it does. The Rockers soon show up, complete chaos erupts, and the aftermath will change Jimmy's life for the worst. It's a compelling story, as we see Jimmy through the most important stages of his life: his initial boredom, chasing after Steph's affections, being on top of the world as one of the "faces" who fought the Rockers in Brighton, and then back to nothing as his friends, gang and family abandon him. All the characters, along with Jimmy, go through changes as the film's events unfold, and so people we initially loved, we may hate by the end of the film. There are no obvious good or bad people, it's just people trying to find their way in life, and we see this through Jimmy's eyes. For anyone who's ever felt out of place, Quadrophenia is very engaging, and will leave a lasting impression.
Being based on an album, one might assume The Who's music is the focus. But their music is only used sparingly, and the characters are focused on much more, and they are the film's greatest strength. All of them are memorable, and aren't pushed to the side to make way for Jimmy, but help to advance the plot. Jimmy's right-hand-men Dave (Mark Wingett) and Chalky (Philip Davis) make for a hilarious double-act, and their encounters with the Rockers in Brighton are some of the best comedic moments. Steph is difficult to read at first, sort of just going along with Mods for amusement if nothing else, but her true colours are shown in the final third, where her relationship with Jimmy becomes more and more difficult. Phil Daniels completely owns the role of Jimmy. Its a very strong performance, as Daniels has a lot of emotions to convey throughout. He's very convincing in all of these moments, but my favourite scenes are when he's trying his best to impress Steph. From blasting "My Generation" at a house party to leaping off a balcony at a dance hall, Jimmy's efforts are very amusing and have to be applauded. I think that's what makes him such a great character: he wholeheartedly tries his best in all he does, but sometimes applies this to the wrong choices. An example comes when he chases down a Rocker with a group of Mods, only to realise that the Rocker is actually his close friend Kevin (Ray Winstone). In a short space of time, we see Jimmy's mood quickly change from joyful, to shock, and finally to anger. It's a scene that sums up the film perfectly: a whirlwind of emotions combined with exciting action.
Quadrophenia is a film that can speak to every generation. Though its subject matter is grounded in 1960's youth culture, the struggles Jimmy faces and the changes the other characters go through can be applied to almost anyone. The acting, writing and use of The Who's music really makes the film stand-out. I don't think you necessarily need to be a fan of The Who to like Quadrophenia, as the film is more focused on telling a great story with memorable characters than it is being a feature-length music video to accompany the album. A classic of cult cinema, and one my favourite films.
Pros:
+ Phil Daniels' star-making performance as Jimmy.
+ Memorable side characters who are developed alongside the protagonist.
+ The action sequence in Brighton is fantastic, it should be recognised as one of the best action sequences ever put on film.
+ The Who's music is never obtrusive to the story, instead aiding to show the character's emotions in certain scenes, but still leaving room for the acting to take centre-stage.
Cons:
- Kevin disappears from the film after the above mentioned chase scene. I think this character could have been used towards the end of the film, so we could further see the extent Jimmy's actions have had on the ones he cares about.
Set in London at the height of the Mods and Rockers feud, young Jimmy Cooper (Phil Daniels) loves hanging out with his mod crew, and seeks to impress his crush, Steph (Leslie Ash). Jimmy sees the Mod's planned trip to Brighton as the ultimate chance to impress Steph, but he wasn't quite expecting the trip to turn out the way it does. The Rockers soon show up, complete chaos erupts, and the aftermath will change Jimmy's life for the worst. It's a compelling story, as we see Jimmy through the most important stages of his life: his initial boredom, chasing after Steph's affections, being on top of the world as one of the "faces" who fought the Rockers in Brighton, and then back to nothing as his friends, gang and family abandon him. All the characters, along with Jimmy, go through changes as the film's events unfold, and so people we initially loved, we may hate by the end of the film. There are no obvious good or bad people, it's just people trying to find their way in life, and we see this through Jimmy's eyes. For anyone who's ever felt out of place, Quadrophenia is very engaging, and will leave a lasting impression.
Being based on an album, one might assume The Who's music is the focus. But their music is only used sparingly, and the characters are focused on much more, and they are the film's greatest strength. All of them are memorable, and aren't pushed to the side to make way for Jimmy, but help to advance the plot. Jimmy's right-hand-men Dave (Mark Wingett) and Chalky (Philip Davis) make for a hilarious double-act, and their encounters with the Rockers in Brighton are some of the best comedic moments. Steph is difficult to read at first, sort of just going along with Mods for amusement if nothing else, but her true colours are shown in the final third, where her relationship with Jimmy becomes more and more difficult. Phil Daniels completely owns the role of Jimmy. Its a very strong performance, as Daniels has a lot of emotions to convey throughout. He's very convincing in all of these moments, but my favourite scenes are when he's trying his best to impress Steph. From blasting "My Generation" at a house party to leaping off a balcony at a dance hall, Jimmy's efforts are very amusing and have to be applauded. I think that's what makes him such a great character: he wholeheartedly tries his best in all he does, but sometimes applies this to the wrong choices. An example comes when he chases down a Rocker with a group of Mods, only to realise that the Rocker is actually his close friend Kevin (Ray Winstone). In a short space of time, we see Jimmy's mood quickly change from joyful, to shock, and finally to anger. It's a scene that sums up the film perfectly: a whirlwind of emotions combined with exciting action.Quadrophenia is a film that can speak to every generation. Though its subject matter is grounded in 1960's youth culture, the struggles Jimmy faces and the changes the other characters go through can be applied to almost anyone. The acting, writing and use of The Who's music really makes the film stand-out. I don't think you necessarily need to be a fan of The Who to like Quadrophenia, as the film is more focused on telling a great story with memorable characters than it is being a feature-length music video to accompany the album. A classic of cult cinema, and one my favourite films.
Pros:
+ Phil Daniels' star-making performance as Jimmy.
+ Memorable side characters who are developed alongside the protagonist.
+ The action sequence in Brighton is fantastic, it should be recognised as one of the best action sequences ever put on film.
+ The Who's music is never obtrusive to the story, instead aiding to show the character's emotions in certain scenes, but still leaving room for the acting to take centre-stage.
Cons:
- Kevin disappears from the film after the above mentioned chase scene. I think this character could have been used towards the end of the film, so we could further see the extent Jimmy's actions have had on the ones he cares about.
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