Rent Quadrophenia: A Way of Life (1979)
3.7 of 5 from 110 ratings
1h 54min
- General info
- Available formats
- Synopsis:
- London, 1964. Two rival youth cults emerge - the mods and the rockers - with explosive consequences. For Jimmy (Phil Daniels) and his sharp-suited, pill-popping, scooter-riding mates, being a mod is a way of life, it's their generation. Together they head off to Brighton for an orgy of drugs, thrills and violent confrontation against the rockers. Will Jimmy emerge a hero or will he be disillusioned by his way of life?
- Actors:
- Phil Daniels, Leslie Ash, Phil Davis, Mark Wingett, Sting, Ray Winstone, Garry Cooper, Gary Shail, Toyah Willcox, Trevor Laird, Kate Williams, Michael Elphick, Kim Neve, Benjamin Whitrow, Daniel Peacock, Jeremy Child, John Phillips, Timothy Spall, Olivier Pierre, George Innes
- Directors:
- Franc Roddam
- Producers:
- Roy Baird, Bill Curbishley
- Writers:
- Dave Humphries, Martin Stellman, Franc Roddam, Pete Townshend
- Aka:
- Quadrophenia: A Way of Life
- Studio:
- Universal Pictures
- Genres:
- Classics, Drama, Music & Musicals
- Collections:
- The Golden Age of British Pop Musicals, A Brief History of Film..., Top 10 Films By Year, Top 10 Films of 1979
- BBFC:
- Release Date:
- 29/11/2011
- Run Time:
- 120 minutes
- Languages:
- English DTS-HD Master Audio 2.0, English DTS-HD Master Audio 5.1, German DTS 5.1, Italian DTS 5.1, Spanish Dolby Digital 1.0
- Subtitles:
- Cantonese, Danish, Dutch, English Hard of Hearing, Finnish, French, German, Icelandic, Italian, Japanese, Korean, Mandarin, Norwegian, Portuguese, Spanish, Swedish
- Formats:
- Pal
- Aspect Ratio:
- Widescreen 1.85:1
- Colour:
- Colour
- BLU-RAY Regions:
- B
- Bonus:
- Feature Commentary with Franc Roddam, Phil Daniels and Leslie Ash
- A Way of Life: Making 'Quadrophenia'
- On Location with Franc
- Trailer
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Reviews (1) of Quadrophenia: A Way of Life
They Were the Mods. - Quadrophenia: A Way of Life review by Steve
The screen version of The Who's concept album is a return to the kitchen sink values of the British New Wave of the early '60s (when the action is set). Phil Daniel is uncanny as a young mod assimilated into the superficial tribal identity, but inside, is all emotion.
There's an unglamorised presentation of working class life, distant from most of the usual chic of the decade, though the teenage mods do long for the elegant materialism that is hoarded elsewhere, and the status which will always remain out of reach.
The narrative, lifted from the impressionistic lyrics of the record, is mostly reportage; the speed and r&b singles, the beach fight, the classic clothes and knee tremblers. But the film fuses with the music brilliantly, cultivating a profound empathy for adolescent yearning.
This stems from Daniel's authentic performance, and Pete Townshend's songs, especially the spiritual ache of I'm One and Love Reign O'er Me. It's among the best films about the brief, tragic metamorphosis that happens between being a teenager and a wage slave.
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