Movie Review: Quadrophenia from Bikes in the Fast Lane

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Movie Review: Quadrophenia

October
2012

  File under Movie Review Product Review
  Author: Mike Werner
  Location: Travelling

Score:
Plot: 5
Acting: 4
Visual: 3
Sound: 4
Nudity: Full
Gore: None

Quadrophenia is a classical movie, since it's based on a successful rock opera by the famous The Who

. The band made the movie based on the rock opera, and it's all about scooters and motorcycles. In fact, it's the struggle between Mods against Rockers, a clash between two cultures in the UK in the 60's.

Released in 1979, this almost 2 hour long movie is full of heavily customized scooters (a gazzillion mirrors, horns and other things) with their riders, the Mods, dressed in a fashionable way, and English motorcycles with their greaseheads, the Rockers.

The Who made the movie, and you'll hear many of their songs, but they don't star in it, though there are a lot of posters in the movie of The Who, their way of making some publicity for themselves. The only celebrity in it is Sting. Although there's a lot of music, it's not a musical, i.e., the actors will not be singing (thank God).

The action is set in the mid-60's, a time when ATGATT meant nothing, so no one wears a helmet or other protective clothing. Drugs were a big part of their lives, so it's a drug-fest. There is frontal nudity in this movie, but all the nudity is male... so ladies eat your heart out.

Apart from the many riding scenes, there are also a lot of street brawls, with one major fight scene with hundreds ducking it out, Mods against Rockers against cops.

Plot: 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, cruises London on his motor-scooter and hears music such as that of 'The Who' and 'The High Numbers', he feels free and accepted. However, it's a flight into an illusionary world.

Quotes: "I'll pay now. Got a pen, judge?" "I don't give a monkey's arsehole about Mods and Rockers. Underneath, we're all the same, 'n't we? " "If you don't work, you don't get paid no money. And I like money."

Verdict: Very good movie, different from the current crop Hollywood makes. A bit in the Clockwood Orange spirit with a gang of no-good young guys, looking for trouble, and finding it wherever they go. There is a lot of riding going on throughout the movie with customized scooters. A very good movie, worth it to take a look. It's a biker movie, but not as we've come to get used to. It's drama with a capital "D". Highly recommended.

Have a look at the trailer video below.