Product Details

• Amazon Sales Rank: #107510 in DVD
• Released on: 2001-09-25
• Aspect ratio: 1.85:1
• Formats: Colour, Dolby, DTS Surround Sound, DVD-Video, Letterboxed, Original recording remastered, Soundtrack, Widescreen, NTSC
• Original language: English
• Number of discs: 1
• Running time: 114 minutes

Amazon.co.uk Review
Franc Roddam's terrifically energetic movie, set to music from the Who's Quadrophenia, is--at the very least, the best film ever based on a rock album (and, yes, that includes Tommy, Pink Floyd: The Wall, and Jesus Christ Superstar). Actually, this tale of the battle between two early 1960s youth subcultures--Mods and Rockers--in the seaside teenage wasteland of Brighton, isn't so much a cinematic "version" of the Who's 1979 double-record rock opera as it is a story based on the sequence of songs on the album. Quadrophenia is about that crucial time in teenhood when the lion's share of your sense of identity is tied up in the music you listen to, the clothes you wear, and the groups you hang out with. Jimmy (Phil Daniels) identifies himself with the sharp-dressing, scooter-riding Mods, who listen to American soul and British pop-rock. The Rockers, on the other hand, are leather-jacketed, black-booted, motorcycle-riding tough guys who listen primarily to classic American rock & roll. The film captures this minor pop-culture revolution perfectly. Look for Sting as a club-hopping slickster, who's shameful secret is that he's a hotel bellboy by day. --Jim Emerson

Customer Reviews

quadrophenia
where do you begin with this movie,basically it's about a young mod called jimmy cooper who has everything going for him that a young guy in 60's london could have going for him and then in the space of a few days his life is turned up side down.........jimmys' a mod in the swinging sixties,he has it all, the scooter,the clobber,the cash on his hip and age on his side.............franc roddems' brilliant direction takes the whos quadrophenia from vinyl to celluloide in a seamless transformation.................can jimmy get the girl???? can he "survive" the mods trip to brighton?????????............can he stand his ground against the rockers??????????????this film is a must have for any collection...............great soundtrack and you can also play spot the star........look out for sting,toyah wilcox,ray winstone,"carver" from the bill,"nasty nick" from eastenders,"barry" from auf weidersein,michael elphik and the delectable leslie ash amongst others.
as a side note if you like the film buy the soundtrack cos it really is the "orrible ooo"(the who) at their best

They all look so young
Deserving of a classic status this is a well told story, good costume, period detail etc. Excellent performance from the lead and amazing to see Sting looking soooo young.

Out of my Brain on the 5:15
As previous reviewers have stated, it's a pity that this remains the yardstick for most people's perception of what Modernism was about. It's important to divide the movement from this perception - influenced in no small part by the media's coverage of the tail-end of the movement, with teenagers in greasy parkas running amuck through crumbling seaside towns. But look closer; there are different elements working together here, namely The Who's angst-ridden soundtrack (like it or loathe it)creating the emotional framework for a film that actually reflects the time that it was made (1979; think unemployment, bombs, gangs, egg & chips and "youth opportunity schemes") as much as the period that it purports to describe. The experience of Franc Roddam as a documentary director comes through here, as the often wobbly improvisation ("Bonzo!")and numerous continuity bloopers are purely secondary to capturing a spirit of aggression, rebellion and the striving for tribal acceptance that seem very alien to our contemporary society. Deep analysis aside, it's ruddy good fun; having a genre all of its own means that it won't be eclipsed, and the sight of a pre-tree-hugging Sting trying to dance to "Green Onions" will curl toes worldwide. The evocation of a cruddy, greasy-spoon Britain with few concessions to modernity will inspire shudders from those of us old enough to remember, while others will draw comfort from nostalgia for an era that saw young people attain a degree of freedom that has rarely been surpassed. This deserves a following, but not everyone gets the point; the sun has set off beachy head and a rabidly disillusioned Jimmy begins his long trek back to the humdrum world beyond, and we should be reminded that this is the way of all things, and that the quest for acceptance can lead to tragedy and alienation. There is nothing to emulate here but the spectacle, while it lasts, stands for something quite rare - a worthwhile subject for a British film. Shot on 35mm, the negative used to master the DVD is scratchy but this doesn't detract from the subject matter. Extras are a bit limited but anyone interested in the material will find loads of books to fill the gaps. A great way to pass a rainy bank holiday. Now where did I put the keys to my Lambretta....