"Quadrophenia" (1979)
A very cool youth-centered film about British society in the mid-1960s, based directly on The Who`s epic Rock opera of the same name. Two distinctly different groups ruled the roost back then....The Mods, with their flashy Carnaby Street clothing, latest hairstyles, and GS scooters, pitted against The Rockers, black leather-clad hardasses, with greased-back hair, engineer boots, riding BSA, Triumph, and Norton motorcycles.
The two groups were always at odds with each other, and huge fights would break out whenever large numbers of them would show up at the same time, notably in seaside resort towns, like Brighton. Fired up on amphetamines ("leapers", "blues") and beer was the order of the day, and the battles would sometimes escalate to two or three thousand teens, slugging it out in the streets.
One of the high points is the appearance of a very young Sting, cast in the character of "Ace Face", one of the primary instigators for The Mods. He loses some street cred when it is revealed that he is also the subservient "Bellboy", who is looked down upon by the real hardcore types.
This is a great film....it`s a history lesson, and a unique concept album, rolled into one. Although The Who never actually appear in it, their presence is always felt there....
Highly recommended !
