45th Anniversary Screening!
The quintessential Mod movie!
Set in 1964 and loosely inspired by The Who concept album, Quadrophenia’s coming-of-age story follows disillusioned Londoner Jimmy Cooper (Phil Daniels) in his search of identity. Jimmy loathes his dead-end mailroom job and together with Chalky (Phil Davis), falls in with the sharp-suited Mods, a subculture of fashion-obsessed working class youth fuelled by Black American soul music. Their pastimes are partying, popping pills, riding scooters and brawling with the motorcycle-cruising, leather-clad Rockers. Powered by amphetamines, tensions between the rival youth gangs come to a violent head at Brighton beach (based on the real 1964 ‘Second Battle of Hastings’ riots). With Ray Winstone and Timothy Spall in early roles, and Sting as suave Ace Face, this cult classic of male teen angst is a feast of sharp suits, desert boots, and gleaming Lambretta and Vespa scooters.
Presented with an introduction by series programmer Nathalie Atkinson.
*DCP courtesy of the American Genre Film Archive!