Quadrophenia

You don’t have to be familiar with the British cultural history of Mods vs. Rockers to identify with the youth in revolt portrayed in this powerful film from director Franc Roddam (The Bride). You don’t even need to know much about the 1973 album by The Who which the story is loosely based on. You may, however, want to turn on the subtitle because the accents of the actors are pretty thick for those not familiar with 1970s British youth slang. The film tells the story of Jimmy (Phil Daniels), an angry young man/Mod who spends his days popping pills and riding around on his tricked-out scooter looking for something –anything – to vent his pent up frustration on. He’s not alone in his needs; in fact, the ultimate battle of Mods vs. Rockers is about to take place at the seaside resort of Brighton and Jimmie plans to be there and be part of history. Roddam fills the screen with energy, and does a good job of blending The Who music (and The Who’s attitude) into a lot of the big scenes. It’s the mesmerizing performance of Daniels that gives the film its edge, though, and ultimately makes it a heartbreaking study of youth in revolt.