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Re: tommy movie



As a fan of the movie in general (not every little detail), I'll jump in:

>Date: Sun, 23 Dec 2001 01:04:57 EST
>From: Sroundtable@aol.com
>
>I'll give ya that one, but the line in 1921, "might be good for me and her,
>but you and her, no never!"  clearly implies a confrontation between capt
>walker and "the lover."

Right.  A glance at the libretto confirms this.

i take it as capt w killing the lover and that is
>what tommy "didn't see, hear, and can't tell about."

Right.  The movie changed this.  While it was a shock to me at the time, I
have no problem with it.  Tommy's father being presumably dead eliminates
any guilt on his mother's part about taking a lover, and the device of
having him killed just as he reappears for what should have been a joyous
reunion intensifies the tragedy of his death.  I also love the idea of him,
giving in to a quite understandable impulse, going into the boy's room for
a first look at his new son...which in turn rouses Tommy just enough that
he goes out and witnesses the homicide, leading to all Tommy's troubles.
While the stage production switched it back to the more conventional,
"happier" version of the father killing the lover, it's not clear to me
that this is better (more powerful) than the movie's plot version.

the whole pinball scene
>when tommy is drawn by his reflection to the junkyard is way too goofy.

All I can say on this is IMO you are being too critical and literal. Relax
and receive what the movie (Russell, Townshend, whoever) is showing you.  I
think it's brilliant...Tommy sees the glowing, capable avatar of himself
and for the first time ventures out of the house on his own, following his
vision.  Did it mean anything to you that the colored reflections fused
into a pure white reflection for this scene?

they
>should be in some bar w/tommy and he wanders over to the machine after
>staring in the mirror for a few minutes,

His own reflection in the mirror is the most beautiful thing he's ever seen
(although he doesn't realize it's himself)...thus, there's no reason for
him to wander away from it.

then frank comes over and puts a
>quarter in the machine to see what's going on- then tommy starts playing.
>makes much more sense than that silliness- and sparks can be the backdrop for
>tommy playing pinball everywhere, winning money, etc.

I think Sparks is perfectly matched (despite an an awkward sound edit
somewhere in there) to the exploration Tommy's going through in that scene.
When the reflection/avatar disappears in the junkyard Tommy's thrown into
panic, analogous to the panic anyone might feel on discovering they are
responsible for their own spiritual journey.  And then out of all the
hundreds of junk objects in the yard, he chooses the pinball machine...or
is it chosen for him by the huge glowing sphere?  It could have been done
your way, but depicting a spiritual odyssey like that would be very
difficult to make exciting in a static bar environment, and if you spend
Sparks showing him playing pinball and winning money then the Pinball
Wizard becomes redundant.

Happy wholidays to all,

Alan

"Never never hesitate, communicate, communicate..." --Pete Townshend