The British movie "Quadrophenia" directed by Franc Roddam and released in 1979, picks youngsters’ identity problems from the working class in Britain in the sixties out as a central theme. It is based on the rock opera of the same name by the British band ‘The Who’. The film is quite interesting to watch, especially as a young person, because after all the then-problems still affect today’s youth. It is hard for a young person to find his/her position in society and too many influences from the outside world can distract you from achieving what you aim for in life. In the first part of this term paper I am going to describe the mood of the sixties in England, when the story of the young London Mod James Michael Cooper takes place and important changes during this decade will be mentioned. Besides, two subcultures will be presented: the Teddy Boys, as the beginning of youth movements in England in 1950 and the Rockers, the Mods’ enemies. In the second part of this thesis, I am going to characterise the protagonist of the film "Quadrophenia" in detail. Jimmy’s outward appearance will be described as well as his state of mind. Furthermore, the rivalry between Mods and Rockers will be analised. The members of both subcultures differ not only from their outward appearance but as well in their taste of music and lifestyle which led to riots between 1964 and 1966 between Mods and Rockers, especially at weekends in seaside resorts like Brighton, Margate, Clacton and Hastings.
Table of content
1. Introduction
2. Great Britain in the sixties
2.1 The Swinging Sixties
2.2 Teddy Boys
2.2 Rockers
3. The film QUADROPHENIA
3.1 Jimmy, the Mod
3.2 Jimmy’s quadrophenia
3.3 The seaside clashes between Mods and Rockers
4. Conclusion
5. Bibliography
1. Introduction
The British movie QUADROPHENIA directed by Franc Roddam and released in 1979, picks youngsters’ identity problems from the working class in Britain in the sixties out as a central theme. It is based on the rock opera of the same name by the British band ‘The Who’. The film is quite interesting to watch, especially as a young person, because after all the then-problems still affect today’s youth. It is hard for a young person to find his/her position in society and too many influences from the outside world can distract you from achieving what you aim for in life. In the first part of this term paper I am going to describe the mood of the sixties in England, when the story of the young London Mod James Michael Cooper takes place and important changes during this decade will be mentioned. Besides, two subcultures will be presented: the Teddy Boys, as the beginning of youth movements in England in 1950 and the Rockers, the Mods’ enemies. In the second part of this thesis, I am going to characterise the protagonist of the film QUADROPHENIA in detail. Jimmy’s outward appearance will be described as well as his state of mind. Furthermore, the rivalry between Mods and Rockers will be analised. The members of both subcultures differ not only from their outward appearance but as well in their taste of music and lifestyle which led to riots between 1964 and 1966 between Mods and Rockers, especially at weekends in seaside resorts like Brighton, Margate, Clacton and Hastings.
2. Great Britain in the sixties
England’s – especially London’s- remarkable decade were the sixties. After WW II, London developed into a bright, shining city and several important changes took place in Great Britain. People had more freedom and fewer responsibilities. The phenomenon of the sixties will be explained. Furthermore, the fifties as well as the sixties were mainly shaped by subcultural youth groups. The Teddy Boys and the Rockers will be introduced in this part of the term paper.
2.1 The Swinging Sixties
Sexual intercourse began
In nineteen sixty-three
(which was rather late for me) –
Between the end of the Chatterley ban
And the Beatles' first LP.
(Larkin 1988, first stanza of Annus Mirabilis)
The sixties in Great Britain are often referred to as the “roads to freedom” (Marwick 2003: 83). The British society got rid of strict Victorian traditions and new laws were introduced. Old ideals should be replaced with new and contemporary visions. 1967 was the year of the sixties because three new laws were introduced which provided more freedom for everybody, especially women, and were the reason for “the permissive society” (Kamm and Lenz 2004: 339) of the sixties. The first bill that was passed was the Abortion Act. Abortion became legal when two doctors had agreed that a pregnant woman would not be able to take care of her child due to health or mental problems. In such cases, the National Health Service even paid for the surgical operation (Kamm and Lenz 2004: 341 my translation). However, some people argued that the Abortion Act was responsible for venereal diseases and illegitimate children (Kamm and Lenz 2004: 342 my translation). The second bill that was put through was the Sexual Offenses Act, which legalised homosexuality. Many homosexuals came out and bit by bit a “gay culture” developed (Mergel 2005: 142 my translation). The third law of 1967 regulated divorces. During the Victorian Age, divorces were based on the fault and no-fault principle which made them extremely expensive and hard to do. The new Divorce Act was now based on the principle of irretrievable breakdown which allowed couples to get divorced after two years of living apart from each other. If one partner did not agree, they could only get divorced after five years (Kamm and Lenz 2004: 342 my translation). Once again, conservative critics drew attention to the increasing level of crime and the growing drug consumption caused by the new laws (Kamm and Lenz 2004: 342 my translation). In connection with the Abortion Act, it makes sense to mention that the contraceptive pill has been on sale from January 1961. Girls and women who took the pill were more flexible and it ensured a better birth control (Baacke 1999: 74 my translation). Robert McCrum explains: “[The pill] was liberating sex from the joyless tyranny of the condom” (The Guardian 2012). Like Larkin says in his poem, the sixties were the years of (sexual) liberation, not only for homosexuals but for women as well. The British designer Mary Quant opened her first shop in Chelsea in 1955 and this date can be seen as one of a few as the beginning of subcultures. Karen von Hahn explains: “She is the Mother of all Mod” (Von Hahn 2003). In addition to this, Quant is often said to have invented the miniskirt (Quant 2015) or, in other words, “the gym-slip of the permissive society” (Von Hahn 2003). However, Quant herself says:
“It was the girls on the King's Road who invented the mini. I was making easy, youthful, simple clothes, in which you could move, in which you could run and jump and we would make them the length the customer wanted. I wore them very short and the customers would say, 'Shorter, shorter” (Wikipedia/ Mary Quant).
Women dressed sexy and revealing now - in clothes they could dance in, move in. But the liberation of the sixties was not just limited to fashion and sexuality. It is also worth mentioning that the censorship at theatre was abolished in 1968 (Kamm and Lenz 2004: 341 my translation). The last aspect to be pointed out that had a huge influence on Britain’s ‘new’ society, was a kind of music that had not been there before. ‘The Beatles’ released their first single Love me do in 1962. John Lennon, Paul McCartney, George Harrison and Ringo Starr experimented with different genres, from Rock ‘n’ Roll to Soft-Gospel and they can be seen as the most influential act of the rock era (Mergel 2005: 138 my translation). Great Britain was infected with “Beatlemania” (Mergel 2005: 138 my translation). The rock band ‘The Rolling Stones’ were the Beatles’ biggest rivals (Mergel 2005: 139 my translation). The sixties were the golden age of clubs and discos and every young person, not only from England, visited London, the “epicentre of fashion and music” (History UK 2014) to experience the Swinging Sixties.
2.2 Teddy Boys
“[I]n the 1950s there had been much anxiety about extravagantly dressed Teddy Boys armed with flick knives […] and with more money than sense”, says Dominic Sandbrook (2007: 196). Yet, he also claims that the threat of groups like the Teddy Boys was greatly exaggerated by the popular press (2007: 196). In addition, Baacke says that the Teds did attract attention but that they were busier with their free time activities rather than vandalizing or rebelling against – expect once, when a boy was overrun by a bus in 1953 (1999: 71 my translation). The first Teds appeared in south London. In 1950, “Savile Row” tailors got the idea to produce the “Edwardian Style” for “the man about town” (Baacke 1999: 71). King Edward VIII, who was only king for ten months in 1936 (BBC 2014), had always been different from the rest of the Royal Family and could therefore serve as a model to youngsters, who wanted to proclaim their distinctiveness but be a bit provocative, too (Sandbrook 2007: 196). However, Teddy Boys were not interested in King Edward’s personal life or his biography but only picked his dress style to be their trademark (Baacke 1999: 71 my translation). Teds, wearing the “the Edwardian Style”, could somehow be seen as ironic since they were teenagers from the working class, whose image did not quite match with the one of a dandy (Sandbrook 2007: 196). Even the tailors had not expected them to wear their outfits but had rather thought of homosexuals or young rich officers as their target group (Baake 1999: 71 my translation). A Ted’s outfit consisted out of a narrow tailored drape jacket, suede shoes with thick crepe soles and coloured shoelaces, narrow trousers, a vest with a white shirt underneath and a tie in a screaming colour. Soon, Teddy Boys also wore frocks, pointy half-boots and tattoos. Greased-up hair with a quiff at the front and the side hair combed back to form a duck’s arse, completed a Teddy Boy’s perfect styling (Baacke 1999: 72 my translation). A chief judge of a juvenile court in Dartford once said to a Ted:
“You tried to get money to pay for ridiculous things like Edwardians suits. They are ridiculous in the eyes of ordinary people. They are flashy, cheap and nasty and stamp the wearer out as a particularly nasty type” (Schmidt 2011: 175).
The Teddy Boys fully embraced American Rock ‘n’ Roll music and admired the “Mississippi-Riverboat-Gambler[s]” and the southern US states (Baacke 1999: 72 my translation). However, the Teds were convinced that a respectable boy needed a job as well as a family after having spent several exciting years with good friends (Baacke 1999: 72 my translation). The Teddy Boys of the fifties met up twenty years later at so-called “Ted-Revivals”. Most of them were fathers of a family now, wearing dark suits and they were oftentimes bald. At these revivals they dressed up in their old costumes once more and danced Rock ‘n’ Roll (Baacke 1999: 72). It can be said, that the Teddy Boys initiated a movement about fashion and styling that later influenced another subculture, the Mods, that will be presented in 3.1.
2.2 Rockers
Rockers were members of a biker subculture that firstly emerged in the United Kingdom during the fifties. They presented themselves very masculine and aggressive and “eschewed the fashionable snobbery of the Mods” (Shields 1991: 104). The Rockers’ uniform consisted of a black leather jacket, denim jeans and white socks which were rolled over the top of their Doc Marten Boots (Schmidt 2011: 176 my translation). A white scarf was regarded as a great fashion accessory (BBC Lincolnshire 2005). The common rocker hairstyle was a pompadour, just like Elvis’ quiff (Schmidt 2011: 177 my translation). Moreover, they rode motor-bikes, preferably Café Racers, which they used to tune up (Baacke 1999: 82 my translation). These bikes were not only used for transport reasons but also as an object of intimidation. Robert Shields claims: “Motorcycles became Rockers’ symbols of freedom from authority, of mastery and intimidation” (1991: 104). In connection with motorcycles, the term greaser had also been introduced to Great Britain in 1965 and since then the terms rockers, bikers and greasers have become synonymous (Baacke 1999: 82 my translation). Rockers were mostly low-paid and unskilled manual workers (Shields 1991: 104), who almost entirely belonged to the working-class (Schmidt 2011: 176 my translation). Every now and then, they even took part in racist attacks (Schmidt 2011: 176 my translation). Furthermore, as their name already reveals, they preferred listening to Rock ‘n’ Roll music by ‘Elvis’ or the ‘Rolling Stones’ (Baacke 1999: 82 my translation). The Rockers and their rival gang came together on Bank Holidays in Brighton or other seaside resorts (Shields 1991: 104). The beach fights between both subcultures will be presented in 3.2.
3. The film QUADROPHENIA
The British film QUADROPHENIA deals with youngsters’ identity problems from the working class in Britain in the sixties. Jimmy Cooper, the protagonist of the movie, embodies the typical Mod and his outward appearance will be described as well as his emotional state during the story. In addition, a closer look on the riot in Brighton in 1964 between Mods and Rockers, presented in QUADROPHENIA, will be taken as only one aspect of a few that contribute to evoke a realistic picture of Britain in the sixties.
3.1 Jimmy, the Mod
James Michael Cooper belongs to the subculture of the Mods. They originated in the suburbs of London (Shields 1991: 103). At first glance, you can recognise that Jimmy, like his friends call him, is dressed in a certain way, just like a typical Mod. Mods tried to dress smart to differentiate themselves from other youth movements, e.g. from the Rockers (Schmidt 2011: 176 my translation). Yet, they took over the dandified style of the Teddy Boys but in less screaming colours (Baacke 1999: 73 my translation). A Mod’s outfit needed quite a few things to be complete. They wore tailor-made suits, ironed shirts and silk ties. Narrow trousers and pointed shoes completed the perfect styling (Shields 1991: 103). Besides, the Italian scooter Lambretta was an essential recognition feature for a Mod’s identity (Baacke 1999: 72-73 my translation). For scootering they also needed anoraks (Shields 1991: 103). Ian Chambers says about Mods: “They were obsessed by clothes” (1985: 78). This description also applies to Jimmy, e.g. it is very important to him, to have a new dark brown suit for his weekend away in Brighton. He is also very fussy with his hair – this can be seen when he is at the hairdresser’s and only wants his hair to be styled in a certain way. In general, Mods’ haircuts were short and neat (Baacke 1999: 73 my translation) and not eccentric like the Rockers’ quiffs and their greasy long hair. In relation to the styling, it was of great importance to wear the Mod’s uniform with “nonchalance” and “coolness” (Baacke 1991: 73). The average Mod left school at the age of 15 years and the majority of them were either unskilled or only half-trained workers with a weekly income of 11 pounds (Baacke 1999: 74 my translation). However, upward mobility was indicated through their image (Shields 1991: 103), in contrast to the Rockers, whose aspiration was rather “downward” (Baacke 1991: 74). Rob Shields maintains: “[Mods were] from a largely working-class but white-collar background attempted to abstract themselves from traditional identities” (1991: 103). This is also true for Jimmy – he has an office job and his task is to run errands and to sort letters for his boss. So, during the day he lives a ‘normal’ life but his free time is marked by excessive parties, including drinking and the consumption of the drug amphetamine. Depending on the milieu you either consumed marijuana, LSD or amphetamine. The different drugs reflected certain attitudes of life (Mergel 2005: 138 m translation). Mods were addicted to amphetamine, a purple heart-shaped stimulant (Mergel 2005: 138). Jimmy and his friends call them “purples” and they risk a lot to get these pills. Jimmy masquerades as Uncle Charlie’s nephew to Charlie’s dealer-friends, to get drugs when another Mod, Pete, does not want to ask his uncle for help. Another time, Jimmy breaks into a pharmacy together with other Mods because they desperately need purple hearts for their trip to Brighton – “If we go down to Brighton, we’re gonna need bloody millions of ‘em, ain’t we?”. According to Mergel, amphetamine was the drug of active people (2005: 138 my translation). The last point besides class, styling and means of transportation that distanced the Mods from the Rockers was their taste in music. Mods preferred black music, such as Soul, R & B, Jazz and British Beat music. Jimmy is obsessed with the Band ‘The Who’ and “their hit My generation became the ultimate mod anthem on its release in 1965” (Von Tunzelmann 2011).
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