Quadrophenia (film)

Quadrophenia
UK theatrical release poster by Renato Casaro
Directed by	Franc Roddam
Screenplay by	Dave Humphries Franc Roddam Martin Stellman Pete Townshend
Based on	Quadrophenia by the Who
Produced by	Roy Baird Bill Curbishley
Starring	Phil Daniels Leslie Ash Toyah Philip Davis Mark Wingett Sting Ray Winstone
Cinematography	Brian Tufano
Edited by	Sean Barton Mike Taylor
Music by	The Who Various Artists
Production companies	The Who Films Ltd Polytel Films Curbishley-Baird Enterprises
Distributed by	Brent Walker Film Distributors
Release dates	16 August 1979 (1979-08-16) (Premiere) 17 August 1979 (1979-08-17) (London)
Running time	120 minutes[1]
Country	United Kingdom
Language	English
Budget	£2 million[2]
Box office	$1,050,000[3]is

Quadrophenia is a 1979 British drama film, based on The Who's 1973 rock opera of the same name. It was directed by Franc Roddam in his feature directing début. Unlike the adaptation of Tommy, Quadrophenia is not a musical film, and the band does not appear live in the film.

The film is set in London in 1964, a time when the lower- and working-class youth broadly aligned themselves with one of two factions who frequently engaged in gang brawls with each other. The Mods had short hair-styles, wore sharp suits, parka jackets, listened to British Ska, jazz and American soul music, took amphetamines, rode scooters and hung out at coffee bars. The Rockers had longer hair-styles, rode powerful British motorcycles, such as ones from Triumph and BSA, wore black leather jackets, listened to 1950s American rock 'n' roll, drank alcohol and frequented British pubs.

The film stars Phil Daniels as Jimmy Cooper, a young mod who escapes from his dead-end job as a postroom boy by dancing, partying, taking amphetamines, riding his scooter and brawling with Rockers. After he and his friends participate in a huge brawl with the Rockers at the seaside town of Brighton, he is arrested and his life starts to spiral out of control; he loses his love interest (Leslie Ash), gets kicked out of his house by his parents and discovers that his idol, the popular, successful mod nicknamed Ace Face (Sting), is actually a bellboy at a hotel.