This classic rock opera is brought energetically to life by an
outstanding cast including many stars of the rock music industry. Told
through the remarkable music of The Who, this is the story of Tommy,
who, when just a boy of six, witnessed the murder of his father by his
mother (Ann-Margret) and her lover (Oliver Reed). They command him, “You
didn’t hear it, you didn’t see it, and you won’t say anything to
anyone…” As a result, the traumatized boy retreats into the shadows of
his mind and becomes deaf, dumb and blind. Growing into manhood, Tommy
(Roger Daltrey) is subjected to several bizarre cure attempts by The
Acid Queen (Tina Turner), the Preacher (Eric Clapton), and the
Specialist (Jack Nicholson). In spite of his handicap, Tommy defeats the
Pinball Wizard (Elton John) and becomes the champ, attaining a devoted
following. When he is finally cured, he is hailed by his fans as a
“Messiah.”
If you've ever wanted to hear Jack
Nicholson sing (or try to) or marvel at the sight of Ann-Margret
drunkenly cavorting in a cascade of baked beans, Tommy is the movie
you've been waiting for. As it turns out, the Who's brilliant rock opera
is sublimely matched to director Ken Russell's penchant for cinematic
excess, and this 1975 production finds Russell at the peak of his
filmmaking audacity. It's a fever-dream of musical bombast, custom-fit
to the thematic ambition of Pete Townshend's epic rock drama, revolving
around the titular "deaf, dumb, and blind kid" (played by Who vocalist
Roger Daltrey) who survives the childhood trauma that stole his senses
to become a Pinball Wizard messiah in Townshend's grandiose attack on
the hypocrisy of organized religion.
The story
is remarkably coherent considering the hypnotic dream-state induced by
Russell's visuals. Tommy's odyssey is rendered through wall-to-wall
music, each song representing a pivotal chapter in Tommy's chronology,
from the bloodstream shock of "The Acid Queen" (performed to the hilt by
Tina Turner) to Nicholson's turn as a well-intentioned physician, Elton
John's towering rendition of "Pinball Wizard," and Daltrey's epiphanous
rendition of "I'm Free." Other performers include Eric Clapton and
(most outrageously) the Who's drummer Keith Moon, and through it all
Russell is almost religiously faithful to Townshend's artistic vision.
Although it divided critics when first released, Tommy now looks likes a
minor classic of gonzo cinema, worthy of the musical genius that fueled
its creation.