Cult British drama movie Quadrophenia was released in 1979, following the wave of the homonym concept album of The Who, also titled Quadrophenia. The first-time director Franc Roddam would never have thought that what he was directing would become a cult film.
His camera followed the story of Jimmy, a young London mod of the 60s, who escapes from his job to party and take amphetamines. Driving his scooter and arguing with the Rockers on the bike, the director was giving viewers a realistic representation of what was happening in Brighton during that time, with the rise of the mod subculture that spreaded throughout Britain.
After 40 years, Sky Arts decided to reunite the original cast of Quadrophenia, such as Phil Daniels, Toyah Wilcox and Leslie Ash to celebrate the anniversary of the cult film, with a new documentary titled Quadrophenia: Our Generation. It tells the story of the filmmaking and the complex themes presented within the film, and also looks at the history of the Mod movement, the music, fashion, youth rebellion.
Phil Davis, who played in the movie, puts the film’s longevity down to its relatability:
“There’s something magical about this story that speaks to adolescent boys and I think it’s because of the struggles of Jimmy […] Because he isn’t the coolest kid on the block, he’s not someone you aspire to be […] He’s like every adolescent boy and I think because of that it speaks to every generation and not just the generation around when it was first made“.
Quadrophenia: Our Generation will show on Sky Arts as part of its movie celebration evening on September 21.
#Peace.Love.Quadrophenia
