Tommy
Amazon.co.uk Review
If you’ve ever wanted to hear Jack Nicholson sing (or try to) or marvel at the sight of Ann-Margret drunkenly cavorting in a cascade of baked beans, Tommy is the movie you’ve been waiting for. As it turns out, the Who’s brilliant rock opera is sublimely matched to director Ken Russell’s penchant for cinematic excess, and this 1975 production finds Russell at the peak of his filmmaking audacity. It’s a fever-dream of musical bombast, custom-fit to the thematic ambition of Pete Townshend’s epic rock drama, revolving around the titular “deaf, dumb, and blind kid” (played by Who vocalist Roger Daltrey) who survives the childhood trauma that stole his senses to become a Pinball Wizard messiah in Townshend’s grandiose attack on the hypocrisy of organised religion.
The story is remarkably coherent considering the hypnotic dream-state induced by Russell’s visuals. Tommy’s odyssey is rendered through wall-to-wall music, each song representing a pivotal chapter in Tommy’s chronology, from the bloodstream shock of “The Acid Queen” (performed to the hilt by Tina Turner) to Nicholson’s turn as a well-intentioned physician, Elton John’s towering rendition of “Pinball Wizard” and Daltrey’s epiphanous rendition of “I’m Free”. Other performers include Eric Clapton and (most outrageously) the Who’s drummer Keith Moon, and through it all Russell is almost religiously faithful to Townshend’s artistic vision. Although it divided critics when first released, Tommy now looks likes a minor classic of gonzo cinema, worthy of the musical genius that fuelled its creation. –Jeff Shannon Amazon.co.uk Review
Even by the standards of a genre not characterised by restraint, the 1974 rock opera Tommy is endearingly barmy, a bizarre combination of Pete Townshend’s disturbed inspiration and director Ken Russell’s wildly eccentric vision. Even if you gamely try and read allegorical meaning into it, the story is frankly odd: a child becomes psychosomatically deaf, dumb and blind after witnessing the murder of his father by his stepdad and goes on to become rich and famous as the world pinball champion (since when was pinball a world-class competitor sport?), before setting himself up as a latter-day messiah. It’s about the travails of the post-war generation, the disaffection of youth, the trauma of childhood abuse, the sham nature of new-age cults, and many other things besides. At least, that’s what Townshend and Russell would have you believe. But what’s really important is the many wonderful, utterly bonkers set-pieces–effectively a string of pop videos–that occur along the way, performed by great guest stars: Tina Turner as the Acid Queen, Eric Clapton as the Preacher, Keith Moon as Uncle Ernie, Elton John’s mighty rendition of “Pinball Wizard”, even Jack Nicholson doing a turn as a suave specialist.
Roger Daltrey is iconic in his signature role, and Oliver Reed makes up for a complete inability to sing with a bravura performance as his sleazy stepdad, but best of all is Ann-Margret as Tommy’s mother Nora: her charismatic presence holds the loose narrative together and she richly deserved her Academy Award nomination; the sight of her in a nylon cat suit being drenched in baked beans and chocolate from an exploding TV set is worth the price of admission alone.
On the DVD: Tommy comes to DVD in a two-disc set, with the feature on disc one accompanied by three audio tracks: Dolby Stereo or 5.1 surround, as well as the original “Quintaphonic” surround mix–a unique experience with effectively two pairs of stereo tracks plus a centre track for the vocals. The anamorphic picture adequately recreates the original theatrical ratio. The second disc has a series of lengthy and illuminating new interviews with the main (surviving) players: Townshend, Russell, Daltrey and Ann-Margret, in which we learn among other things, that Daltrey wasn’t Townshend’s first choice for the role, that Stevie Wonder was the original preference for the Pinball Wizard, and that Ken Russell had never heard of any of these rock stars before agreeing to helm the movie. There’s also a feature on the original sound mix and its restoration for DVD. All in all, a satisfying package for fans of one of the daftest chapters in the annals of rock music. –Mark Walker
Tommy (the film) had several audiences to potentially annoy. Die hard fans of The Who album may have cringed at some of the vocal performances (Oliver Reed, springs to mind for so many reasons). Fan’s of Ken Russell’s earlier, ‘not so odd’ movies blame Tommy for his so-called downward spiral into films like Whore and Lair of the White Worm. It’s true that the film has dated and that it’s themes are laddled in with a very heavy hand. But … !
ZOUNDS! It just goes to show how daft people are.
This film has it all brilliant music, perfectly performed, (it’s far more electrifying than the original album, I don’t care what anyone says). The imagery has that uneasy hotness that one gets from flicking through the wrong type of tabloid paper, (after an evening of accessive absinth abuse). Ken Russell is a unique artist ‘who’ though uniquely British, ironically would be venerated if he had emerged on the continent. This film cuts through one’s brain like a white hot wire through lard and so what if it’s dated? The Mona Lisa isn’t?
It’s got Oliver Reed in it ! Reed, another victim of the British habit for ignoring genius in their midst, is perfect in his role. So what if he can’t sing, he’s in character as a common teddy boy he isn’t meant to sing properly. The Who are on top form, Tina Turner is brilliant beyond belief. And Miss Magrite is a sensation — even Paul Nicholas is perfect!
I defy anyone who watches this film not to wish you could cartwheel like Roger Daltry, (he can’t be a member of the same species as I…can he?)
Watch this film over and over again. I emplore you!
Rating: 5 / 5
I first became aquainted with Tommy through such films as Yellow Submarine-films that use music to create a story and keep audiences hooked from beginning to end. Although Yellow Submarine is more of a film based on the music, Tommy is a film OF music. The Who had created an amazingly original and beautiful story when they released the album Tommy; about a boy struck deaf, dumb and blind following a childhood trauma who went on to become a pinball wizard and a cult figure. The film not only takes the music one step further by adding colour and drama but it captures the spirit and imagination of the 1970s.
What astounded me was the emotion and power of the music, clearly striking a chord within my music lovin’ soul and keeping me entertained. The cast are irriplacable; Tina Turner is fabulous as the acid queen, Paul Nicholas leaves a lasting mark as the sadistic cousin Kevin and there is no other person on earth who could have played the main man himself- Roger Daltrey IS Tommy.
So finally, I would recommend this film to those who enjoy the finer things in life- music, champagne, colour…and pinball!
Rating: 5 / 5
The film version of “Tommy” is sheer audiovisual overload. It’s probably impossible to sit all the way though this extravaganza without popping out the room to make a cuppa or putting the player on hold overnight It’s probably unfashionable to admit to liking it, though calling it a Cult Classic goes someway to sparing one’s blushes. But thanks to DVD, we can now treat Ken Russell’s rendering of Pete Townsend’s rock opera like a box of rich chocolates: dip into your favourite scenes, or digest the whole lot at one sitting. Everyone knows by now the rather slender storyline of how young Tommy becomes deaf, dumb and blind after witnessing his war-hero father (Robert Powell), supposedly long-lost, return, only to be killed by his wife’s thuggish lover (the joys of having Oliver Reed to cast in those days). The mother (Ann-Margaret) and lover take Tommy around a bunch of “specialists” in the course of the film, looking for a cure, including visits to Tina Turner’s Acid Queen, and Jack Nicholson’s psychiatrist, but all to no avail. Tommy, played as an adult by the Who’s singer Roger Daltrey, complete with famous bubble perm, goes onto become the Pinball Champion and a cult hero… and then on to become something much, much bigger.
The Devil is in the details, and what riches this film has for a fan of the 1970s! The music of the original late 60s rock opera is here revisted as a highly synthesized score; very prog in places. Its actually at ite most dazzling in the Overture, where we see Captain Walker and his young bride rock-climbing in the Lake District. For a film in which a mirror plays a significant and symbolic role, “Tommy” stands as an especially rich mirror of 70s infamous rock excess. Who can forget Ann-Margaret getting half-drowned in a torrent of baked beans, champagne and chocolate spewed out by the TV set? (Famously, she insisted on wearing her own jewellery on the shoot and lost a diamond earring in the melee: stagehands had to sort through all the choccy-beans mess on set to find it). Who can forget a seriously high Eric Clapton almost literally sleepwalking though his role as a cult leader in a white church filled with Marilyn Monroes? He looked so soporiphic on film that they had to get Arthur Brown in as his priest-cum-court jester to prance about and liven up the screen. There’s Ollie Reed’s Teddy Boy lover, all sideburns and brothel creepers: no singing voice whatsoever, but always a joy to see that famous mug on film. There’s the creepy seediness of the late, great Keith Moon’s Uncle Ernie, a paedophile on Ollie’s side of the family (“down with the bedsheets/up with the nightshirt/fiddle about”), cracking a raw egg into his beer and gulping it down. And it would be a sin not to mention Elton John as the Pinball Wizard in probably Tommy’s most famous song, towering over everyone on his enormous sequinned bovver boots. By the end of the film, the attention wanders a bit, and it all gets a bit anti-climatic: the best set-pieces are over and done with. But “Tommy” stands as a pretty entertaining mix of 70s Glam style and features some of the decade’s biggest stars, from both sides of the Atlantic. “Tommy” actually looks a bit tame compared to some of the things Ken Russell went on to do (I’m thinking of the impaled nuns in “Lair of the White Worm” now). Ken’s glory days may be behind him, but he is great fun to listen to, as his appearance on Celebrity Big Brother proved, and his audio commentary on the DVD is well worth checking out.
Rating: 3 / 5
The music is brilliant, even if some of it makes no sense. Much of it is very cliched, and was when it came out. My teenage daughters described the film as “a bit trippy”, which is an understatement. Ken Russell’s direction is ideosyncratic as ever. But hey, what the heck? Pour yourself a glass or two of wine and have fun watching it. Just don’t take it too seriously! Men – AnnMargret, and those beans… And for the women, obviously- Roger Daltrey, bare chested and absolutely gorgeous, running, swimming, turning cartwheels on the beach – that excerpt alone is worth the price and first class postage!
Rating: 5 / 5
This film is fun! Ken Russell or no, it would be hard for any director to make a coherent one and a half hours (or whatever) out of it. But does it matter? Hardly, in my opinion. Its a great film, with some interesting performances and cameos, ace soundtrack, the famous baked bean bath scene of course and lots more – in fact, probably too much. Lets not be too hasty in slating the technical performance of Jack Nicholson and Oliver Reed: surely its more entertaining the fact that they are in a musical at all – ?? It all adds to the wierdness of the whole thing. Its one of those films, for one of those days. Essential.
Rating: 4 / 5