Quadrophenia (4½ Stars)

First let me say that the picture quality of the UK DVD release of this film is awful, for no apparent reason. I've seen it on television a few times, and the quality was much better. I don't know what went wrong. A similar case of this happening is the second season of "Buffy The Vampire Slayer". The picture quality on televison is excellent, but on the DVD there are parts where the picture starts to wave, like the DVD image has been copied from a fuzzy videotape.

England in 1965. Gang wars between the Mods and the Rockers are common. It's a sad story about Jimmy, a teenage boy from London who finds fulfilment by being part of a gang, the Mods, but realises deep down that it's a sham. His first doubts come when his fellow gang members beat up an old school friend because he's a Rocker. After this he goes from disappointment to disappointment. He loses his virginity to a girl who then rushes into the arms of another man. For him it was love, for her only casual sex. For him the street fights with the Rockers in Brighton are a definition of his existence, but for those around him it's just fun. His fellow gang members call him crazy, and he ends up returning to Brighton for self reflection.

Although this film is about the youth movements of the 1960's, I can relate to it in the context of the Punks of the late 70's, a time that I'm old enough to remember. Jimmy says "I don't wanna be like everybody else, that's why I'm a Mod, see?" Isn't that what the punks said? The truth is that Jimmy isn't like everybody else. He is a sensitive person with deep thoughts. By trying to be like the others he loses his way. A tragic film, worth watching.

Jimmy is played by Phil Daniels, 20 years before he reached fame as Alfie Moon in "Eastenders". Also watch out for Ray Winstone and Toyah Willcox, each in one of their first films, as well as a very young looking Sting playing the suave street thug who speaks coolly before throwing punches.