Quadrophenia (film)

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Movie
German title Quadrophenia
Original title Quadrophenia
Country of production Great Britain
original language English
Publishing year 1979
length 117 minutes
Age rating FSK 16
Rod
Director Franc Roddam
script Dave Humphries ,
Franc Roddam,
Martin Stellman ,
Pete Townshend
production Roy Baird ,
Bill Curbishley
music Pete Townshend
camera Brian Tufano
cut Sean Barton ,
Mike Taylor
occupation

Quadrophenia is a British feature film from 1979. The film is based on the 1973 concept album of the rock group The Who .

action

The film deals with the identity conflicts of British working class youth in the mid-1960s. The basis of this conflict are the representatives of two contemporary subcultures - the mods and the rockers .

At the center of the film is the young James Michael "Jimmy" Cooper , who belongs to a clique of mods in London . In contrast to the rockers who ride around town in leather clothing on heavy motorcycles, mods prefer suits and, for protection on the scooter, military parkas; Instead of motorbikes, Mods often drive tuned scooters (several mirrors on the leg shield), mainly Lambretta brand or occasionally Vespa .

Jimmy has problems with his parents who think he is schizophrenic , is dissatisfied with his boring job as an office delivery boy and plunges into his world when he drives through the streets on scooters with his friends Dave , Chalky , Spider and the other mods, Celebrate parties and take “colorful pills” ( amphetamines ), which are also obtained from break-ins in pharmacies.

The first big conflict for Jimmy comes when he meets his old friend Kevin again, who was in the Army and turns out to be a rocker. In a late night brawl in which the two of them are involved, Jimmy abandons Kevin and drives away while Kevin is beaten up by the other mods.

At that time, Brighton has a big dance event for young people every year. There the hostile groups of mods and rockers regularly clash, which ends in open street battles . Jimmy and his group are also going to Brighton for a weekend to party with other mods. From the mass of mods, Ace stands out, acting as a kind of dancer . The next day there was another street battle. After some time, the rival groups are dispersed or surrounded by police officers and many raging youngsters are arrested. During the tumult, Jimmy and his secret lover Steph can flee to a hideout between the houses. They love each other frantically, excited and out of breath. Hardly on the road again, Jimmy is arrested and put on a police bus with his idol Ace. Ace makes a big impression on Jimmy in court by paying the required bail for the entire group of mods arrested by writing a check.

Back in London, spurred on by the experiences of the weekend, Jimmy never returns to his old life. He quits his job, is thrown out of his parents' home, falls out with his friends and finds out that Steph dismisses the weekend and the short interlude with Jimmy as fun. After Jimmy's scooter is wrecked in a mail van accident, he travels by train to Brighton to find Ace and join him. When he finally finds Ace, all expectations are suddenly dashed: Ace works as a bell boy , he is a simple porter in a hotel. Jimmy steals Ace's Vespa scooter and drives to the beachy head cliff . There he steers the scooter towards the cliffs. In the final scene, the scooter flies over the edge of the cliff and crashes about 150 m lower at the foot of the cliff. Jimmy is not to be seen because he does not jump over the cliff himself. Anyone who has watched the film repeatedly will notice that the first scene in which Jimmy approaches the camera from the cliff is also the last scene in the story and Jimmy survives.

Reviews

The alley between East Street and Little East Street, Brighton, England became famous for the "sex scene" of Jimmy Cooper and Steph in Quadrophenia .

The film is considered a successful generation portrait of the 1960s in England. Sting , then the singer of The Police , made his acting debut in this film. The songs by The Who (and some other rock groups that were popular at the time) are more than just background for the pictures. Rather, in mutual completion and commentary, the complex picture of a bygone era and its myths emerges.

"Inspired by the rock album of the same name by the British group 'The Who', the film tells a story from the youthful subculture in England in the early 60s: young Jimmi, a member of the 'Mods' who regularly fight street battles with the 'rockers', adores the leader of his clique as an idol, but realizes after many disappointments that his heroism and rebellion are only feigned. Thanks to good actors and lively direction, a remarkable generation portrait without false nostalgic glamor. "

Soundtrack

  1. The Who - I Am the Sea
  2. The Who - The Real Me
  3. The Who - I'm One
  4. The Who - 5:15
  5. The Who - Love Reign o'er Me
  6. The Who - Bell Boy
  7. The Who - I've Had Enough
  8. The Who - Helpless Dancer
  9. The Who - Doctor Jimmy
  10. High Numbers - Zoot Suit
  11. Cross Section - Hi Heel Sneakers
  12. The Who - Get Out and Stay Out
  13. The Who - Four Faces
  1. The Who - Joker James
  2. The Who - The Punk and the Godfather
  3. James Brown - Night Train
  4. Kingsmen - Louie Louie
  5. Booker T. & the MG's - Green Onions
  6. The Cascades - Rhythm of the Rain
  7. The Chiffons - He's So Fine
  8. The Ronettes - Be My Baby
  9. The Crystals - Da Doo Ron Ron
  10. High Numbers - I'm the Face

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