Films Quad & Tommy vs the albums

[mleaman@sccoast.net (Mark Leaman)]

OK, first of all one must realize that Tommy was made during a time when
being over-the-top in Rock was the norm...we were just coming out of the
Glitter/Glam Rock period, when artists like David Bowie, Elton John, and
Alice Cooper had taken the level of "show" to new heights (or depths,
depending on how you look at it). With this in mind, Tommy was made in a
totally bombastic manner by a director (Ken Russell) who was known for his
over-the-top films.
So instead of the more serious work we got on the LP, we got in essence
Tommy-on-acid. Indeed, a lot of the scenes look as if they were designed to
be seen when tripping one's brains out. As many times as I listened to the
original TOMMY on acid, I can't say that I ever saw the movie that way. So
I'm speculating here, with some experience to justify it.
I will give them points for campiness (whether it fits one's ideal of how
the story should be presented or not), social satire, and
symbolism...there's a lot of symbolism. Note the wallpaper in many scenes.
Note the Amazing Journey sequence. And more, too much to list here.
So to appreciate this particular movie, one must look past the flashing
blatantness of the film and seek beyond. In doing so, the meaning(s) of the
movie can be found. And, it's an artform of sorts...an in-your-face artform.
Quadrophenia, on the other hand, is a truly gritty, realistic movie. It's
one of the most realistic movies I've ever seen...that and Apocalypse Now.
It looks as if the scenes were filmed at the actual venue rather than in a
controlled environment. The party scene (when the camera pans in around and
out) is particularly impressive. The movie doesn't compromise a thing, and
in that it's very life-like...much more than most movies which end up being
entertainment rather than art. Quad the movie is art. I must give them
points for the story NOT being a story so much as what happened to Jimmy for
a week. It goes beyond its medium.
The weakness of one film is also in the other: the original story is
compromised. In Tommy, the father is killed rather than the lover; the lover
is a bad guy; changes are made so that various things (like Religion) can be
explored. In Quad, there is no evidence of multiple personalities. Jimmy
acts like a confused teen. The ending of the album has Jimmy contemplating
his situation (Townshend is big on realization as a goal, as I've noted here
before) while the movie has him violently throwing away the entire Mod
lifestyle. Big difference.
Anyway, that's my thesis on the two Who films.



                   Cheers                   ML

"Never underestimate the power of human stupidity."  L. Long