User reviews

A young man joins the British mod movement and gains a feeling of belonging and importance, but this makes him even more disenfranchised from his boring 9 to 5 life.

Britain's answer to Rebel Without A Cause is based around a fair-to-middling Who concept album (they financed the movie too) and was made on a modest budget, but has far too much going for it to be ignored. Especially if you are working class and come from the UK.

(How it is viewed elsewhere is beyond my telling, but reading reviews on this site I get the impression that people from all over the world can relate to its central themes - even if the locations and accents are alien.)

Director Franc Roddam was smart enough to cast a young Phil Daniels in the central role of Jimmy. Daniels is a good actor, but he is neither smooth or particularly good looking. This prevents him being accused of glamorising some of the things that he gets up to.

Jimmy is, indeed, also a bit naive. He has a boring job in the post room of an advertising agency (note the satire about pushing smoking - this is the "no health warning" 60's!) and rides around on a scooter with lots of lights on the front.

Life, for him, is about getting through the day and partying at night/weekends to the hip sounds of the day - the non-Who soundtrack album is a taster to mid 60's Brit Pop.

(His parents don't understand him either - but this could be taken as read in this style of movie!)

As most of us know, and a few even tell Jimmy in the movie proper: Life cannot be all parties, cheap thrills and gang fights, but he doesn't seem to want to listen. He is one of the world's great "there must be more to life than this" merchants - in this he is right, but you need to be brighter, better educated or better looking to have it.

There is a good cast of British new wavers on show here: Leslie Ash plays Jimmy's love interest and Sting gets to be the "Ace Face" - the good looking top dog mod that Jimmy wants to be. The home truth about this character leaves Jimmy even more exposed.

Quadrophenia is one of the greatest films about being a teenager ever made and thank god we have video cassettes, DVDs and cable/sat TV so people can actually see it. A low budget classic that deserves to seen at least once by all film buffs and several times if it reflects your life in any way.

Quadrophenia is about British Mods from the 1965 era and the struggles of young adults, which could be from any era. Mods were a subculture of youths that wore tailored suits, road scooters and popped pills. They liked bands like The Who, The Kinks and The Yardbirds. Mods also listened to some 1960s ska music, soul and R&B. If you like this sort of music, the movie has a good soundtrack attached to it.

The main character in the film is Jimmy (Phil Daniels) he doesn't have a long term plan for his life or the future, his life is all about next weekend. Jimmy is a Mod and frustrated with his boring life, working as an office boy and living at home with his parents. The only time he feels alive is with his Mod friends, who aimlessly drink, fight and party their weekends away. The Mods enemies are the Rockers who they physically clash with at times.

The highlight of the Mods calendar is a big dance coming up at Brighton. Jimmy and his Mod friends go to a big dance at Brighton with much anticipation. Its the absolute high point of Jimmy's life. He see's the top Mod (Sting) at the dance, who seems to be everything a Mod should aspire to be. However things aren't what they seem, and Jimmy learns the top Mod is just another young man with his struggles. Jimmy finds a fleeting love but the outcome is far from what he desires.

With his boring life and let downs, Jimmy becomes even more frustrated and reckless. Its a sad film to see how young people can get so caught up in the moment and let little things burn them up, that would mean nothing in 5 years time. Phil Daniels is really good as Jimmy, the support cast and settings are good as well.

From the creator of Masterchef, here is something Franc Roddam made earlier.

A film about being young in the 1960s, being part of the Mod subculture and alienation and angst with some good tunes. There are a lot of future cast members of Eastenders and The Bill.

Phil Daniels gives a career defining performance that should had got an Oscar nomination as Jimmy who has a mundane job, boring home life with parents who do not understand him. Jimmy lives for the weekend clubbing with friends, popping pills and getting into scrapes with his mates.

Jimmy and his friends go off to a bank holiday weekend in Brighton, he wants to get close with girlfriend Steph (Lesley Ash.) He is in awe of cool dude Ace Face (Sting) and gets in a rumble with Greasers.

However Jimmy gets more disillusioned losing his job, friends and family. Seeing Ace face as just an ordinary bell boy sends him to the edge.

The film quickly became a cult classic, This Who produced film led to the revival of the late 1970s & early 1980s mod scene.

It has some cool tracks, a lot of humour, earthy language and a cast of now familiar actors. In a sense it's like a British version of Saturday Night Fever.

Director Franc Roddam gives this drama a sense of rawness and some vitality when you see the action scenes in Brighton.

One of the main criticisms at the time "Quadrophenia" came out was that it was noisy and violent rubbish. Quite how this opinion was ever formed is puzzling because the film I saw was a brilliant realistic portrayal of a mod in the 60's. The film has directorial flair, an excellent soundtrack and some underrated scripting and performances. It perfectly captures the angst and disillusionment of its protaganist to a level that has never been seen on film before or since.

QUADROPHENIA is a cult classic movie that explores the life and loves of a Mod living in Britain in the 1960s. The lead character is played by Phil Daniels, a familiar face from British television, and he gives an exemplary performance as an awkward but likable youth struggling to grow up and make it in the adult world.

Produced by The Who, QUADROPHENIA offers as its backdrop a portrait of 1960s era Brighton and the like, where battles between the Mods and Rockers are just around the corner and a great soundtrack generally accompanies the action. I'll be the first to admit I'm not a huge fan of this era - I missed it by a long shot - but this likable drama paints a solid picture of the times.

It's also remarkable as a "before they were famous" movie, featuring performances from the likes of Ray Winstone, Timothy Spall, Leslie Ash, Phil Davis, Michael Elphick, even Sting before they hit the big time. Barely a minute or two goes by without a familiar face, and it's fair to say that everyone is putting plenty of effort into their performances. It's this level of enthusiasm all round which has led to QUADROPHENIA's well-deserved cult status.

I hated this film when I saw it as a teenager back in 1979. The reason was the movie was realistic--too realistic! I identified (in some respects) with the main character Jimmy, and his life was bleak and depressing. Seeing it over 20 years later, I love it! It's a superb mix of the 1960s British "Angry Young Men" films, the Who's great album and 1979 sensibilities. It's about Jimmy (excellent performance by Phil Daniels) and his friends. It takes place in 1964 London and there are constant battles between the Mods (Jimmy and friends) and the Rockers. The film is full of violence, sex, VERY strong language (good luck with the accents), anger, alienation...the works. However, there is a strong sense of humor (a break in at a drug store is hilarious) and it does have a (sort of) happy ending. But it is very dark and depressing.

The music score is excellent. It's not just the Who, but other 1960s groups are used also. The direction by Franc Roddam is wonderful--it perfectly merges the music, imagery and story (especially with "Love, Reign Over Me"). My only real complaint--why not use the whole album "Quadrophenia"? Only about 1/8 of the two record set is used! Also interesting to see Sting in his first movie. Don't miss this one!

Excellent as a period piece, which is, I think, its primary goal. The main character, a young man in the mod scene, feels a lot like Catcher in the Rye's Holden: Most of his problems are of his own making, he's unlikable, he doesn't feel like he fits in, everyone else is a faker. This hampers the film from encompassing the actual scene, somewhat; tribalism does function as depicted, it also doesn't mean every sub culture is the same, either.

The soundtrack is fantastic and the acting passable. Most things in production are just fine, actually, feeling outside of the purview of the film. I can see why Criterion selected it, but don't expect too much from it, like a plot or a likeable character or a leap forward in the craft of film making, imo.

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.

A feast of future C-list celebs and also rans remind us why Punk was so vital in resuscitating the corpse of British music and why that cadaver needs more help than ever today; Quadrophenia demonstrates the absolute misery created by the fascist regime, that left the youths of the day with no future, with little to look forward to once they'd outgrown their primitive street gang days, and an underground movement that left them in a bit of a Jam.

Ultimately a culture destroyed by technology, as the Vespa riders, and just about all alternative identifiers of the day have chosen to play in the abstract digital world. A forgotten adolescent mainstream dispersed and scattered to the margins like so many other traditions and cultures of yesteryear. A classic British film - bring on the Bank Holiday!

I love this movie. Hell, I'd marry it if I could. It's my favorite rock movie with some British actors, who I really like, where in their younger acting years, they really impress, in a movie that can only be described as a faultless rock musical, masterpiece. Jimmy (Daniels) is a sixties rebel, who's so frustrated with his place in life. He has a courier job, is taking flack from his parents, that results in arguments, and he wants the girl his mate's doin'. We can relate with this character so well, us loners, where Jimmy's got a lot of bad energy, and it's going in the wrong places. Near the end of the film, he becomes such a desperate and pathetic mess, finally driving him to steal Sting's flashy scooter and total it off a cliff. Watch all the anger that pours out of Jimmy when he crashes his bike with a truck. But this is what Jimmy is, a very angry driven teen, and Daniels (one of my favorite British actors, and a bloody underrated one at that) plays him to a tee. I was thankful too, for the time a young Ray Winstone had in this, an old friend of Jimmy's who's popped back in town, and has decided to become a punk rocker, much to other people's disapproval, including Daniels. Two other actors from Scum have brief roles in this too. I loved the scene with Winstone, explaining and defending himself to Daniels in his backyard, a seasoned professional. The film, heavy on rock, is just one music pounding experience with a lot of bad language, where there are a couple of frighteningly violent moments. There's a foreboding of what crazy s..t, our unstable Daniels is gonna do next, but it's him, who sells this film. One notable feature is Sting's haircut. He's another rebel here with his own posse. Quadrophenia just managed to entertain me all the way through. It doesn't have fancy shots, though the long shots of a bleak Brighton were memorable, I felt so cold watching this town. It doesn't have fancy color, and the dialogue, isn't t the best I've heard. What it does have are engaging performances, amongst 60's culture, the environment, and it's conditions. With Daniels taking us through the story, it's one cool ride, and a cult rocker classic.

I'm not from Brighton or London but understand a little about the culture. This is an honest and necessarily messy film of a specific place and time. Overall a good film and worth watching. Cool to see Sting in it if unaware (like I was) of his role. Kind of odd ending since it's obvious what happened and... not?

Franc Roddam, the director of Quadrophenia, did not disappoint me with his interpretation of The Who's rock opera (unlike Tommy, which had it's moments but didn't was all over the map so to speak). He lets a viewer, who may not be entirely familiar to what occurred between the mods and the rockers in the early to mid 1960's Britain, in on what the energy, the attitudes were like among the young and old. It's not even classifiable as a rock opera as a film, because it becomes a hybrid- it's part motorcycle flick, with some well staged, intense fight scenes, rumbles, riots, etc; it's part anti-establishmentarianist take on what it's like to be at an age when you don't know what to do you with your life, and outside of the pleasures of being with friends and kicking' ass you tend to be aimless or work for people you don't like. It's also, major in fact, a psychological character study of one of these anti-establishment kids, a mod named Jimmy (Phil Daniels), who may be a little off balance in the head due to a fueling desire to be both with the excitement of his gang and with his need to find himself by himself, as well as to the "blues" pills.

There isn't as much of a story as there is character development, which sticks true to the source material, written by the clever and driving force of The Who, Pete Townsend. As Jimmy goes through parties, fights, a little love with a girl (Steph, played well by Leslie Ash), a riot, and problems with his parents and job, he enters a downward spiral. This is a tricky sort of story and character to pull off, because lay it on too thick and the audience could see the character as naive (and perhaps the character is, which makes sense in a sense), but add on the toughness and one-dimensional side of the biker attitude and it becomes a B-movie motorcycle flick. This doesn't happen.

Somehow the elements come together in the film, with the performances (by the way, Sting's debut performance is both mysterious and, ultimately, kinda funny), the documentary-style direction and editing (by Brian "Trainspotting" Tefano), and the music. The Who themselves serve as musical directors, and it's highly interesting for both Who and non-Who fans in how they choose only parts of songs sometimes (Punk and the Godfather, Dr. Jimmy) and leave some out completely (Sea and Sand, Drowned, two songs I hoped would've made the final cut). By the time the third act reaches it's heated peak, the music starts to perfectly embody what the character's going through. It also doesn't come off as cheesy due to the power of the songs.

Maybe I might be a little biased in writing this review- when I was around seventeen, eighteen years old, this was my favorite album behind Jimi Hendrix's Are You Experienced. Besides it containing some of the Who's most daring, somber, and fun work (5:15, Bell Boy, I'm One), the story was something that I could identify with strongly, as its themes are very knowing of what it's like for any guy at that point of crossing the bend from childhood to adulthood. Not to mention it rivaled Tommy in its ambition via the compositions, the entertainment value, etc. So I was almost hesitant to watch the film, as I thought I might have my expectations raised too high and it would be too loosely translated and made as not my kind of rock musical (i.e. like Tommy). For me, the experience was contradictory to what I thought- I ended up learning more about this atmosphere, the essence of living in Brighton by the beach and feeling the need for competition, acceptance, and then anger and loneliness. By the end of Quadrophenia I looked at Jimmy as being a character in the tradition of Humphrey Bogart in Treasure of the Sierra Madre- an anti-hero that may be doomed, but a viewer can still care about him.

Overall, an un-expected treat, and will surely please both Who and non-Who fans alike, though for Who fans the added treat is that the the emotion and strength of the group and songs translate excellently in the film. A+

It's 60's London. Jimmy hates his working class life. He hates living under his parents. He hates his boring job. He parties with his Mod friends. They ride their scooters, take drugs, listen to music, and fight their rival Rockers. Ace Face (Sting) is a respected leader of the Mods.

I don't like Jimmy much although he has the right sense of bitter anger of youth. He's self-obsessed, entitled, reckless, and careless emotions. It's a hard character to like but one that fits the time and place. His journey meanders around. The only recognizable face is Sting and I wish the movie has more of him. That would also make the final reveal much more compelling. The music from The Who is a bit before my time and it holds no appeal to me. While much of this may not be to my liking, there is an energy and a sense of youthful urgency with this movie.

"Quadrophenia" is a movie that is based in part on the album of the same name by The Who. It also was co-written by Pete Townshend and some of the executive producers included the four members of the band. It's set in the early-mid 1960s in England and concerns Jimmy and his group of 'Mod' friends. The Mods were well before my time but apparently they liked to dress stylishly, drive mopeds and tended towards R&B instead of popular rock 'n roll. Also, the Mods in this film are mostly angry, directionless and seem in many ways like precursors to the punks of the 1970s--though with a much greater fashion sense. Plus, I really cannot imagine punks riding around in motor scooters. But, they both seemed to share a love of violence, drugs and anger.

As far as the plot goes, the film is much like the Mods--rather directionless. This isn't a complaint and the film deliberately chose to show the lack of structure and anger of the Mods. For the most part, these teens drink, fight, take amphetamines, listen to music and stay up all night. Jimmy seems to be among the angriest and most likely to get himself killed. Later in the film, Jimmy and his blokes head to Brighton for a holiday and mayhem ensues. Exactly what happens, you'll need to see for yourself.

As I said above, how much you like the film will depend a lot on you. If you grew up at the same time and place as these hooligans, then perhaps you'll have a feeling of nostalgia watching it. As for me, although the film was well made, it was also unpleasant and I got a bit tired of all the pointlessly angry and disaffected youth. It just wasn't my thing and it's hard to love a film where you cannot stand any of the characters.

A few final observations: I don't think it was unintentional that the leading man, Jimmy, sure looked quite a bit like Townshend. The film sure could have used captions. I saw it on HULU and had to really pay attention to get what they were saying due to the accents. There's also a bit of male frontal nudity--though considering all the violence and anger, I doubt if it's a film you'd show your mom or your kids! Also, the music was very nice--the best part of the film, really.

I'm almost finished reading Pete Townshend's autobiography "Who I Am" and have been listening a lot to the Who's original double album of the same name so the time was right to finally watch the big-screen dramatisation of the record. I'm just a bit too young to remember anything about the vicious Mods v Rockers pitched battles at Brighton or the Mod lifestyle (I'm not sure just how far north it made it up to Scotland, it always seemed to me principally a London-based movement).

Nevertheless, the broader themes in the film of the generation gap between teenagers and their parents, the pain of rejection, youthful revolt against authority plus the less intellectual need for young kids to get drunk, drugged, violent and sexed up are universal and seemingly constant, which with the background of great 60's music, made for an engrossing and enjoyable if occasionally challenging watch.

This is Phil Daniels' Jimmy Fenton's worm's eye-view of life in the mid-60's, working in a dead-end job, out of touch with his parents and although on the face of it, there doesn't appear to be much to rebel against, sure enough, he loses his way and his mind as he suffers rejection from his employer, said parents, would-be girlfriend Leslie Ash and after seeing his Mod Hero '"ace-face" played by Sting, meekly conform to society mores carrying bags at a hotel, he gets pushed over the edge (literally). His only way out of the tormenting feelings he's experiencing for the first time sadly involves just a one-way ticket.

The film adopts a realistic, warts and all approach, with no let-up in the levels of bad language used, scenes of drug use (although it is "only" pill-popping "uppers" or "blues" as they're called in the film) and of course the centre-piece of the film, the recreation of the infamous Mods and Rockers "Battle Of Brighton" of 1965. There's some earthy humour though to leaven things, particularly when two Mods encounter in the dark a bunch of sleeping rockers, although one or two stray elements of sentimentality (Jimmy's heart-to- heart with his long-suffering dad, his friendship with an old pal turned rocker) slightly jar. Fan as I am, I could have also done without the too obvious genuflecting to the film's producers The Who (Jimmy putting on the "My Generation" single at a party, then gazing in awe at the band on "Ready Steady Go"), I guess he who pays the piper and all that.

Central to the movie is a superb performance by Daniels as Jimmy, his mood-swings oscillating violently as he takes or comes off his pills, wired to the moon as we say today. His energy and vividness set the tone for the whole film. Interestingly director Franc Roddam (later the creator of "Auf Weidersehn Pet" and, ...er "Masterchef" on TV), changes the ending and placement of songs from the album, but there's no denying the memorable climax to the piece.

In the end I was transported not only back into the era depicted, but more importantly into the head of "helpless dancer" Jimmy and would state that the movie well complements the great album The Who originally released, a rarity in "rock" movies.

Inspired by one of the best albums of all time. A cult movie and a must watch if you have any interest in 60's London or the Who.

Easy to pick faults, for instance the motorbike crash stunts are awful. But this isn't a high budget, Hollywood CGI, piece of forgettable technology. Take it for what it is, a walk through a period of dramatic change within British youth and culture.

The actors at the time were largely unknown, although Sting is certainly one of the most recognisable faces. But many of them went on to successful careers.

I love this film and can honestly say I must have watched it 20 times!

Interesting take on the mods vs rockers scene of the 1960s. The plot is pretty basic though, and verges on pretentious towards the end. The movie is made by the soundtrack, performed by The Who.

Decent performances all round. Has Sting in a semi-major role.

Set in London (circa 1964) - (The way I see it) - "Quadrophenia" was something of a "rebel without a cause" story (geared for the lost, 60s generation).

But, when it came to this particular wayward, little rebel (in the incarnation of Jimmy Cooper) - The emphasis on his 4-sided schizophrenia was more decidedly pronounced, yet not so seriously dangerous.

As I understand it - "Quadrophenia" was something of a biography tale closely depicting (guitarist/songwriter) Peter Townsend's nostalgic youth (as a "Rocker") in London.

And, in those glory days - It was all about dancing, romancing, drugging, and, yes, slugging it out with the "Mods" over control of territorial turf, and such.

*Note* - (singer/songwriter) Sting (of the Police) makes a cameo appearance in the story as the belligerent teen-idol, "Ace Face".

This is basically the British version of Martin Scorsese's film Mean Streets. They're both 70's films about young gang members in a major city taking drugs, partying, getting into fights etc. Also, they both don't have much of a storyline, taking more of a slice of life approach. They even have similar soundtracks. And of course, (minor spoilers) things don't go well for the protagonists at the end, but the endings are a bit ambiguous.

There are some differences though. Mean Streets is a bit more experimental, feels more like a documentary, and it's scenes feel a bit more disconnected with each other.

But overall I'd say I liked them about the same, so if you liked Mean Streets you may like Quadrophenia, and vice versa.

As the years have wore on, Quadrophenia has broken free of tagged cult classic status to emerge as a bona fide candidate for best British youth movie ever. The iconography of its main protagonist has subsided to let the core sensibility of the movies theme shine thru, this is pure and simple a perfect depiction of fallen youth during a heady time, a tale of ones ideology crumbling so sadly over the course of one weekend.

The period is captured vividly by director Franc Roddam, the stark threat of violence mixed in with the best music the 60s had to offer, serves to let the viewer feel they were there at the time, and the result is a perfect period piece. The story follows Jimmy {a tremendous Phil Daniels} on a voyage of discovery that is funny at times, yet also very sadly tragic, and for anyone who was once a teenager searching for identity and purpose........ then this film will have maximum resonance.

Wonderful 9/10.

Brought up indifferently by parents who couldn't care less, "Jimmy" (Phil Daniels) goes through the motions at work only so he can afford to live the life of a pill-popping "Mod" riding around on his beloved Lambretta scooter. He's in his element, initially, but the adrenalin rushes start to wear off and his search for more exhilaration takes him on a trip to Brighton where an all out battle ensues on the beach with the motor-cycling "Rockers". The results of that opens his eyes a little to the realities of life but now he struggles with adjusting and this leads to a sense of loneliness, isolation and even paranoia. The film is accompanied by The Who's eponymous soundtrack and it's at these points it is most effective, presenting a poignant and rather bleak look at pre-Thatcherite Britain that illustrates just how little hope there was for many and at how almost tribal existence could be on the streets fuelled with conflict, depression and confusion. At times it's a really intense and well focused drama and Daniels is ideally suited for his character. The rest of it is all a bit so-what, though. This hasn't aged particularly well and though maybe unfair to review 40-off years later, it's largely lost what impact it certainly had at the time and is largely devoid of even the darkest of humour to lighten the downbeat mood. Sure, it's brutal and violent at times, the language is honest and authentic and it depicts elements of racism and intolerance effectively, but the plot is a little like life itself. A meandering and frequently disinteresting series of occurrences that rarely merit remembering. It started many a career but somehow even that just seems to reinforce it's stereotyping analysis of society - as Franc Roddam saw it. It's to be commended for the intensity and clever use of hand-held photography but, perhaps because it is so London-centric, I just found it somewhat alien, over-rated and all just a little bit pointless. Maybe that was the whole point?