“Look, I don't wanna be the same as everybody else. That's why I'm a Mod, see? I mean, you gotta be somebody, ain't ya, or you might as well jump in the sea and drown.”
Welcome to Harbour Highlights, a series of cult and classic films, all handpicked by the staff of Harbour Lights. This month, Finn revisits the clashes of Mods and Rockers with the film adaptation of The Who’s Quadrophenia.
Set in 1964, the film follows Jimmy (Phil Daniels), a young Mod questioning his life and dead-end job who finds escape in the Mod lifestyle of partying, scootering and clashing with Rockers. However, as turmoil escalates, Jimmy finds that the lifestyle is far from perfect and brings its own troubles.
Based on the 1973 rock opera of the same name, Quadrophenia was not adapted into a musical like the film version of The Who’s Tommy. Instead, the film goes for a more grounded approach, focusing on the freedoms and anxieties of youth and the desire to belong. The film was embraced by critics and audiences of the time and remains a cult classic, held up for its cast, soundtrack and its authentic sense of a time, a place and a movement. Don’t miss your chance to see it back on the big screen where it belongs – tickets only £8 / £5 Members.
