Franc Roddam’s Quadrophenia could be thought of as a sort of British equivalent of West Side Story, not so much as a musical version of Romeo and Juliet but rather as a look a rival gangs fighting, loving, and losing to a musical beat. Of course, The Who’s widely celebrated concept album used as dramatic counterpoint to what we see on screen comes from the rock era which succeeded the 1964 time period of the story, but that’s never seemed to bother the generations of filmgoers who have made this one of the seminal coming of age films in all of cinema.
Quadrophenia (Blu-ray)
Directed by Franc Roddam
Studio: Criterion
Year: 1979
Aspect Ratio: 1.85:1 1080p AVC codec
Running Time: 120 minutes
Rating: NR
Audio: PCM 2.0 stereo English; DTS-HD Master Audio 5.1 English
Subtitles: SDH
Region: A
MSRP: $ 39.95
Release Date: August 28, 2012
Review Date: August 22, 2012
The Film
4/5
Edgy mailroom boy Jimmy (Phil Daniels) belongs to the “mods,” a youth movement that prizes modern clothes (suits, well groomed hair), staying up all night by taking uppers, and who ride scooters to their various parties and meeting places. They have a continuing rivalry with the “rockers,” leather jacket-wearing, motorcycle-riding greasers who despise the nattiness of their clothes and haircuts. Jimmy’s got a crush on Steph (Leslie Ash) who at the moment seems taken with Pete (Garry Cooper), but as they all hang together, it’s no big deal. What is a big deal is the upcoming bank holiday which the mods plan to spend at the seaside in Brighton (the rockers also plan to be there). Jimmy and his pals are thinking ahead trying to score enough pills to get them through their upcoming lark, and if their dealers can’t meet their demand, they always have burglary to fall back on.
The story of Jimmy’s complete involvement in the mod movement and his growing disillusionment with it over the course of his Brighton holiday and its aftermath makes for surprisingly gripping drama even on repeated viewings. The story by Dave Humphries, Martin Stellman, Franc Roddam is simple enough as Britain’s “angry young men” of that period get reflected here even in the younger teenaged generations of mods and rockers we see before us. While the rock music (right on the cusp of the punk era so the music here is quite listenable), the profanity, and a couple of sex scenes (including a masturbation sequence) shocked some audiences at the time, it all seems so much tamer now. The communication gap between the teens and their parents is as real as can be, and while the mods and rockers groups might need some explanation here, it’s pretty easy to follow even without explanation. Director Franc Roddam films some remarkable, evocative scenes for a first-time feature director (he had been directing dramas for the BBC). Not only are the riots at Brighton really riveting to watch with scores of battling gang members and police also part of the melee, but he stages some neat shots with the rearview mirrors on the mods’ scooters, and he does a marvelous job filming a dance in the seaside ballroom with couples undulating under the hypnotic red lighting. And the climactic scooter ride along the steep white cliffs makes an impressive and exhilarating sight to be sure.
Phil Daniels is a real find as the angry Jimmy. Bursting with hormonal emotions and eager to taste everything life has to offer only to be dashed just as he’s achieved everything he’s wanted, Daniels makes a vivid impression throughout. And talk about a star-is-born entrance: when Sting as Ace on his silver Vespa arrives in Brighton, all heads in the film and at home instantly know that royalty has arrived. He has only a few lines of dialogue, but all of his business in the film makes a memorable impression (even the surprising discovery Jimmy makes about him near the film’s conclusion). Scattered through the cast list are now familiar names in small roles: Ray Winstone as a neighborhood friend of Jimmy’s who has allied with the rockers and Timothy Spall as a projectionist who works in the same ad agency as Jimmy; both do well with their limited parts. Leslie Ash as the female embodiment of what the boys all want is lovely and yet proves to have some bite in addition to her beauty late in the film. Kate Williams and Michael Elphick give believable portrayals as Jimmy’s frustrated parents.
Video Quality
4/5
The film is presented in its theatrical aspect ratio of 1.85:1 and is offered in 1080p resolution using the AVC codec. It’s a strong transfer with a clean, crisp picture (the trailers show how awful the film could have looked) that only deteriorates a bit under low light conditions when grain level rises appreciably. Flesh tones are believable, and color saturation levels are well maintained. Black levels are very good. The film has been divided into 23 chapters.
Audio Quality
4.5/5
The disc offers the original theatrical stereo mix in PCM 2.0 (2.3 Mbps) and a newly designed 5.1 surround mix in DTS-HD Master Audio. Both mixes have their merits, but fans of The Who’s score should give the new mix a try as instrumentation has been imaginatively and effectively placed around the soundstage in a way that really enhances the listening experience. Dialogue has been well recorded (though ADR is sometimes noticeable) and has been placed in the center channel. Other ambient effects are present but in a much lesser degree than one would experience in a more modern soundtrack.
Special Features
4/5
The audio commentary is compiled from comments by director Franc Roddam and cinematographer Brian Tufano. It’s a well crafted track with interesting and enlighting comments from both men. Fans of the movie are sure to enjoy this new track recorded for this release.
Unless otherwise noted, the bonus material is in 1080i.
“Talking Pictures” is a 1979 television program meant to publicize and discuss (then) upcoming films. The 26 ¼-minute show previews Quardophenia and besides offering film clips from the movie, also has brief interviews with director Franc Roddam, co-star Sting, and The Who front man Roger Daltrey, and shows some behind-the-scenes shots of the film being made.
“Sept jours du monde” is a 1964 French television news report delving into the British youth movements of mods and rockers with interviews with young people in each group. It runs 8 ¼ minutes.
“Seize millions de jeunes” is a 1964 French television program examining the Mods as “the new face of English youth.” This 34 ½-minute program interviews some British teens to get their opinions on their movement and other aspects of society they might have trouble accepting. A very young The Who perform “Heat Wave” and a couple of other numbers during the program, and Pete Townshend makes some comments as well.
Producer Bill Curbishley tells the story of the film’s production in a 2012 interview that runs 13 ¾ minutes. It’s in 1080p.
Sound engineer Bob Pridden discusses the new surround mix for the film featured on one of the tracks on the disc and gives a demonstration of the differences between the original presentation and his new mix. This 1080p featurette lasts 7 ¾ minutes.
There are two theatrical trailers which run 1 ¼ and 1 ¾ minutes respectively.
The Criterion Blu-rays include a maneuvering tool called “Timeline” which can be pulled up from the menu or by pushing the red button on the remote. It shows you your progress on the disc, the title of the chapter you’re now in, and index markers for the commentary that goes along with the film, all of which can be switched on the fly. Additionally, two other buttons on the remote can place or remove bookmarks if you decide to stop viewing before reaching the end of the film or want to mark specific places for later reference.
The enclosed 36-page booklet contains cast and crew lists, a selection of black and white and color stills from the movie, author Howard Hampton’s interpretive essay on the movie, mod Irish Jack offering his view of his youth movement, and Pete Townshend’s liner notes from the Quadrophenia album.
In Conclusion
4/5 (not an average)
Not a rock opera in the same sense as The Who’s Tommy, Quadrophenia nevertheless incorporates the songs from The Who’s groundbreaking album into a bittersweet coming of age story that continues to entrance today. The Blu-ray offers some worthwhile bonuses that expand the story’s meaning and impact for modern viewers. Recommended!
Matt Hough
Charlotte, NC
