Product Details

• Amazon Sales Rank: #22211 in DVD
• Released on: 2004-06-14
• Rating: Suitable for 15 years and over
• Aspect ratio: 1.77:1
• Number of discs: 2
• Formats: Collector's Edition, PAL
• Original language: English
• Number of discs: 1
• Running time: 111 minutes

Amazon.co.uk Review
If you've ever wanted to hear Jack Nicholson sing (or try to) or marvel at the sight of Ann-Margret drunkenly cavorting in a cascade of baked beans, Tommy is the movie you've been waiting for. As it turns out, the Who's brilliant rock opera is sublimely matched to director Ken Russell's penchant for cinematic excess, and this 1975 production finds Russell at the peak of his filmmaking audacity. It's a fever-dream of musical bombast, custom-fit to the thematic ambition of Pete Townshend's epic rock drama, revolving around the titular "deaf, dumb, and blind kid" (played by Who vocalist Roger Daltrey) who survives the childhood trauma that stole his senses to become a Pinball Wizard messiah in Townshend's grandiose attack on the hypocrisy of organised religion.

The story is remarkably coherent considering the hypnotic dream-state induced by Russell's visuals. Tommy's odyssey is rendered through wall-to-wall music, each song representing a pivotal chapter in Tommy's chronology, from the bloodstream shock of "The Acid Queen" (performed to the hilt by Tina Turner) to Nicholson's turn as a well-intentioned physician, Elton John's towering rendition of "Pinball Wizard" and Daltrey's epiphanous rendition of "I'm Free". Other performers include Eric Clapton and (most outrageously) the Who's drummer Keith Moon, and through it all Russell is almost religiously faithful to Townshend's artistic vision. Although it divided critics when first released, Tommy now looks likes a minor classic of gonzo cinema, worthy of the musical genius that fuelled its creation. --Jeff Shannon

Amazon.co.uk Review
Even by the standards of a genre not characterised by restraint, the 1974 rock opera Tommy is endearingly barmy, a bizarre combination of Pete Townshend's disturbed inspiration and director Ken Russell's wildly eccentric vision. Even if you gamely try and read allegorical meaning into it, the story is frankly odd: a child becomes psychosomatically deaf, dumb and blind after witnessing the murder of his father by his stepdad and goes on to become rich and famous as the world pinball champion (since when was pinball a world-class competitor sport?), before setting himself up as a latter-day messiah. It's about the travails of the post-war generation, the disaffection of youth, the trauma of childhood abuse, the sham nature of new-age cults, and many other things besides. At least, that's what Townshend and Russell would have you believe. But what's really important is the many wonderful, utterly bonkers set-pieces--effectively a string of pop videos--that occur along the way, performed by great guest stars: Tina Turner as the Acid Queen, Eric Clapton as the Preacher, Keith Moon as Uncle Ernie, Elton John's mighty rendition of "Pinball Wizard", even Jack Nicholson doing a turn as a suave specialist.

Roger Daltrey is iconic in his signature role, and Oliver Reed makes up for a complete inability to sing with a bravura performance as his sleazy stepdad, but best of all is Ann-Margret as Tommy's mother Nora: her charismatic presence holds the loose narrative together and she richly deserved her Academy Award nomination; the sight of her in a nylon cat suit being drenched in baked beans and chocolate from an exploding TV set is worth the price of admission alone.

On the DVD: Tommy comes to DVD in a two-disc set, with the feature on disc one accompanied by three audio tracks: Dolby Stereo or 5.1 surround, as well as the original "Quintaphonic" surround mix--a unique experience with effectively two pairs of stereo tracks plus a centre track for the vocals. The anamorphic picture adequately recreates the original theatrical ratio. The second disc has a series of lengthy and illuminating new interviews with the main (surviving) players: Townshend, Russell, Daltrey and Ann-Margret, in which we learn among other things, that Daltrey wasn't Townshend's first choice for the role, that Stevie Wonder was the original preference for the Pinball Wizard, and that Ken Russell had never heard of any of these rock stars before agreeing to helm the movie. There's also a feature on the original sound mix and its restoration for DVD. All in all, a satisfying package for fans of one of the daftest chapters in the annals of rock music. --Mark Walker

Special Features

• Extensive interview with Pete Townsend
  
• Interview with Roger Daltrey
  
• Interview with Ken Russell/Mark Kermode
  
• Featurette on sound restoration
  
• Featurette on the recollections of Tommy by original technical personnel, including Terry Rawlings

DVD Technical Information:

• Running Time: 111 minutes
  
• Region Code: 2
  
• Aspect Ratio: Widescreen 16:9 Anamorphic
  
• Audio: Dolby Digital 5.1/Dolby Digital 2.0 Stereo
  
• Language: English

Customer Reviews

Hear me, See me.........
Tommy (the film) had several audiences to potentially annoy. Die hard fans of The Who album may have cringed at some of the vocal performances (Oliver Reed, springs to mind for so many reasons). Fan's of Ken Russell's earlier, 'not so odd' movies blame Tommy for his so-called downward spiral into films like Whore and Lair of the White Worm. It's true that the film has dated and that it's themes are laddled in with a very heavy hand. But ... !

ZOUNDS! It just goes to show how daft people are.
This film has it all brilliant music, perfectly performed, (it's far more electrifying than the original album, I don't care what anyone says). The imagery has that uneasy hotness that one gets from flicking through the wrong type of tabloid paper, (after an evening of accessive absinth abuse). Ken Russell is a unique artist 'who' though uniquely British, ironically would be venerated if he had emerged on the continent. This film cuts through one's brain like a white hot wire through lard and so what if it's dated? The Mona Lisa isn't?

It's got Oliver Reed in it ! Reed, another victim of the British habit for ignoring genius in their midst, is perfect in his role. So what if he can't sing, he's in character as a common teddy boy he isn't meant to sing properly. The Who are on top form, Tina Turner is brilliant beyond belief. And Miss Magrite is a sensation -- even Paul Nicholas is perfect!
I defy anyone who watches this film not to wish you could cartwheel like Roger Daltry, (he can't be a member of the same species as I...can he?)

Watch this film over and over again. I emplore you!

That deaf dumb and blind kid....sure plays mean pinball!
I first became aquainted with Tommy through such films as Yellow Submarine-films that use music to create a story and keep audiences hooked from beginning to end. Although Yellow Submarine is more of a film based on the music, Tommy is a film OF music. The Who had created an amazingly original and beautiful story when they released the album Tommy; about a boy struck deaf, dumb and blind following a childhood trauma who went on to become a pinball wizard and a cult figure. The film not only takes the music one step further by adding colour and drama but it captures the spirit and imagination of the 1970s.
What astounded me was the emotion and power of the music, clearly striking a chord within my music lovin' soul and keeping me entertained. The cast are irriplacable; Tina Turner is fabulous as the acid queen, Paul Nicholas leaves a lasting mark as the sadistic cousin Kevin and there is no other person on earth who could have played the main man himself- Roger Daltrey IS Tommy.
So finally, I would recommend this film to those who enjoy the finer things in life- music, champagne, colour...and pinball!

Plenty weird yet compelling - and the music's great
Having heard about Tommy for years, I felt it was time to actually watch the movie. I had never acquired much of a sense for what the movie is about, probably because I don't think it is really possible to actually explain the film to anyone else. This is some pretty weird stuff. As the thing progressed, I had a hard time figuring out if I liked what I was seeing, whether it made any sense, etc. In the end, I must say I did enjoy the film, thanks largely to Daltrey, the music, and Ann-Margaret. What does it all mean? That's a toughie, as I'm sure the story means different things to different people. I had the sense that Tommy is supposed to be some kind of spiritual experience, and in some ways it is - maybe.

Here's my ridiculously oversimplified summary of the basic story. As a kid, Tommy is messed up pretty good, having witnessed something pretty dramatic; as a result, he becomes deaf, blind, and mute - for psychological rather than physical reasons. His mother (Ann-Margaret) and step-father try all kinds of weird cures as Tommy enters what should be his adulthood, including a visit to the holy rollers at a church that worships Marilyn Monroe and a special session with "The Acid Queen" (Tina Turner). Nothing seems to get through to him - until, of course, he happens to come across a pinball machine. Truly, that deaf, dumb, and blind kid sure plays a mean pinball, knocking the current pinball wizard (Elton John) off his pedestal. Suddenly, Tommy's family is rolling in the money, yet Tommy remains uncommunicative. When he does eventually find "awareness," he is transformed into a messiah figure, and crowds flock to him to hear his wisdom.

The film gets off to a pretty slow start, as we follow Tommy's childhood. Then Tina Turner enters the picture as The Acid Queen, and she forevermore gets the joint jumping with her electric performance. Other memorable performers include Eric Clapton, Elton John, and Jack Nicholson (who does in fact sing here). Ann-Margaret tops all of them with her performance, though, earning an Academy Award nomination for her work. It's a demanding role; alongside the acting and singing, she also has to roll around in a chocolatey, gooey mess. She may have been a little older in 1975, but Ann-Margaret definitely still had it.

The boys from the band pop in from time to time, but the story is increasingly focused on Tommy, his awakening, and his cult following. Some really obvious representations of Christianity are incorporated into the film, while, at the same time, greed and materialism are also spotlighted as false gods. Ultimately, though - thanks to a problematic ending -it is hard for me to discern the message that the filmmakers were actually trying to communicate here. I've heard that The Who's original album makes some of the more esoteric aspects of the Tommy story a little clearer.

Obviously, some individuals will not like this film at all; it's sort of an acid trip on film, vague and unsettling with its symbolism and discernible criticisms of organized religion. Others may find enlightenment of one sort or another. Most people, including me, will probably just look at this as a weird but oddly entertaining musical that leaves you scratching your head a little bit after you watch it. Of course, even if the story loses you completely, you still have plenty of great music from The Who to sit back and enjoy.