Quadrophenia (1979)

Jimmy loathes his job and parents. He seeks solace with his mod clique, scooter riding and drugs, only to be disappointed.

Director:

Franc Roddam

Writers:

Dave Humphries (screenplay), Martin Stellman (screenplay)

Stars:

Phil Daniels, Leslie Ash, Phil Davis

Cast

Cast overview, first billed only:
Phil Daniels	...	Jimmy
Leslie Ash	...	Steph
Phil Davis	...	Chalky (as Philip Davis)
Mark Wingett	...	Dave
Sting	...	Ace Face
Ray Winstone	...	Kevin (as Raymond Winstone)
Garry Cooper	...	Peter
Gary Shail	...	Spider
Toyah Willcox	...	Monkey
Trevor Laird	...	Ferdy
Kate Williams	...	Mother
Michael Elphick	...	Father
Kim Neve	...	Yvonne
Benjamin Whitrow	...	Mr. Fulford
Daniel Peacock	...	Danny

Storyline

London, 1965: Like many other youths, Jimmy hates the philistine life, especially his parents and his job in a company's mailing division. Only when he's together with his friends, a 'Mod' clique, cruising London on his motor-scooter and hearing music such as that of 'The Who' and 'The High Numbers', does he feel free and accepted. However, it's a flight into an illusionary world.

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Plot Keywords:

sex scene | teenage boy | teenage girl | riding a scooter | rockers | 

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Taglines:

We are the mods, we are the mods. We are, we are, we are the mods.

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Genres:

Drama | Music

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Certificate:

R

Details

Country:

UK

Language:

English

Release Date:

2 November 1979 (USA)

Also Known As:

Er du gal, mand?

Filming Locations:

Lewes Magistrates Court, High Street, Lewes, East Sussex, England, UK

Company Credits

Production Co:

The Who Films, Polytel

Technical Specs

Runtime:

120 min

Sound Mix:

Dolby (Dolby Stereo)

Color:

Color (Eastmancolor) (uncredited)

Aspect Ratio:

1.85 : 1

Did You Know?

Trivia

On the front of the scooter that Jimmy steals from Ace are the yellow initials "GS". These initials do not actually stand for Gordon Sumner, the real name of Sting, who plays the part of Ace Face. 'GS' stands for Grand Sport, a popular model of Vespa scooter in the 1960s.

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Goofs

Jimmy's cigarette disappears between shots whilst handing pills to Steph in the café.

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Quotes

Mr. Fulford: Mr. Cale tells me that you spent the weekend in Brighton. I imagine you were involved some extent in the disturbances there?
Jimmy: Yeah, I was there.
Mr. Fulford: Weren't arrested or detained or anything like that were you?
Jimmy: No.
Mr. Fulford: I must say I find your attitude fairly incomprehensible. I feel I must warn you, Cooper, that we can't tolerate this kind of absenteeism amongst our junior staff. You've a good steady job here, Cooper. Plenty of young men would give their eye teeth to be in your shoes.
Jimmy: Yeah? Well, find one...
[...]

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Crazy Credits

Jeans By Levis

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Alternate Versions

In the US cable TV version only some of the swearing has been dubbed over, presumably because of confusion caused by the cockney accents.

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Connections

Referenced in Human Traffic (1999)

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Soundtracks

Love Reign Over Me
(uncredited)
Written by Pete Townshend
Performed by The Who

User Reviews

life's core brutally and artfully revealed - 10+++

What a wonderful film. If you ever thought you were safe, or that your world was impregnable, then you must see this film. Watch as every important elements of a young man's (Jimmy's) life is stripped away, piece by piece, until he has no anchor, no magnet, and no direction in life.

Without his familiar crutches (hooliganism, drugs, girlfriends, Mod clansmen, job, parents, home and 'scooter'), Jimmy is faced with a terrifying realization that he - alone - must completely rebuild and reinvent himself.

In a way that is hard to describe in words, director Franc Roddam exposes the raw core of life, unadorned by all the temporal things by which we measure success, worth and happiness. Better still, he forces the viewer to examine the very definition of 'a life'.

The movie generates ever increasing momentum, culminating in one of the most intensely disturbing realizations ever captured on film, with the white cliffs of Dover as the foreground, and the The Who's equally monumental and haunting "Love Reign O'er Me" in the background.

With the possible exception of Bill Murray's version of "The Razor's Edge", this is about as perfect a chance as we are ever afforded to examine the foundations of our own lives (...what more can you ask of a film?). Though this is not an uncommon cinematic theme, it has never been so brilliantly achieved.

An emotional and spiritual tour de force, and simply one of the best films ever made.