Audio Video News

Quadrophenia, director Franc Roddam's 1979 film, has at last arrived on DVD, complete with immensely improved sound and a battery of worthwhile extras. The new print, remastered from the original 35mm film negative and Dolby A soundtrack, reminds us why the original became one of the 1970s' most important youth-culture films.

Loosely based on the seminal Who "rock opera" of the same name, Quadrophenia is the story of Jimmy Cooper (Phil Daniels), a rebellious mod tangled in the web of growing up. A typical teenager, Cooper's life reflects the emotional vicissitudes of youth, at times bitter with frustration, at others flush with euphoria. Roddam looks at Cooper with an unflinching, unsympathetic lack of nostalgia, at times bringing a raw intensity to the plot that may surprise some viewers.

The film is adeptly underscored by Pete Townshend and the Who's terrific soundtrack, which includes such classics as the anthemic "My Generation," the telling "The Real Me," and the soaring "Love Reign O'er Me." These and other songs benefit considerably from Rhino's remastering. Fans of the original film will be glad to know that the substantial visual and sonic work done for this reissue make it worth a second look. New viewers will appreciate the fact that Quadrophenia, although a '70s film about the '60s, doesn't seem dated.

Combine that with several entertaining and revealing extras and you've got a DVD worth owning. There's a commentary track by Roddam, a subtitled trivia track, an animated location map, a featurette on the film's restoration, a Who discography, a photo gallery, a quiz, and bios. All of these make Quadrophenia the kind of stimulating experience that listening to the original album in four-channel sound must have been back in 1973.