TOMMY

UK, 1975, 108 minutes, Colour.
Ann Margret, Oliver Reed, Roger Daltrey, Elton John, Eric Clapton, Robert Powell, Jack Nicholson, Paul Nicholas, Keith Moon, Tina Turner.
Directed by Ken Russell.

Tommy was a 60s rock opera by Pete Townshend and The Who. Rock operas are fairly specifically geared to younger sensibilities. Tommy is loud in volume and style. Perhaps Ken Russell (Music Lovers, Devils) was just the writer-director to visualise creatively and subjectively the elements of the songs, music, plot and themes. It is excellent Russell: Marilyn Monroe worship, Tommy's mother wallowing in TV products, Tommy's fantasies amongst many sequences. Good performances by Ann Margret and Roger Daltrey enhance The Who's music and lyrics. There is also plenty of theme: war, death, family, fear, cruelty, psychological freedom, religion, Christ-figures, search for God. It is linked by actors, themes and style to Russell's next film - Lisztomania.

1. An enjoyable experience? Overall impact as entertainment. rock opera, fable? The advertising's "assault on the senses"?

2. The reputation of the music? The music by The Who, the significance of the lyrics, indication of themes? Reflecting the musical styles and social preoccupations of the 60s? Heroes, heroism, messianism, the re-emergence of religion? In the English context? Universal appeal?

3. The cinema work and television work of Ken Russell? His reputation for energy and exuberance. exaggeration and flamboyance? His visual style and his screenplay meeting the music and lyrics of the rock opera? The combination of visuals and sound?

4. The choice of the stars - Ann Margret for a rock opera, the choice of Oliver Reed and established actors? The singers and the musicians?

5. Comment on the quality and impact of the visuals: colour photography, the decor and costumes - the blend of realism and fantasy? Ken Russell's visual imagination, the use of special effects, editing?

6. The structure of the screenplay: the use of the music, the placement of the songs? Their basic plot line, the episodes, the interconnection of the episodes? The counterbalancing of music and lyrics? The build-up to various climaxes in terms of Tommy's condition, need for healing, cure, messianism, rejection? The culmination in the climbing of the mountain and the return to the sun?

7. The significance of the prologue and its visual presentation? The title plainly given and the focus on the sun, the silhouette and Tommy's father coming down to Earth? Tommy's father and mother and their relationship, love, swimming in the waterfall, lovemaking and Tommy's conception? The incarnation of the Walkers as symbolising England? the atmosphere of the 40s, World War Two? The significance of the World War Two background for the fable? Tommy as conceived in love and entering into the world in the atmosphere of death, pain, world victory and a new world beginning?

8. The influence of Tommy's father on his son? The importance of his going to war. his farewells and the final dance, his flying the plane and his death and the repetition of this visual throughout the film? The contrast with his mother and her work in the factory - and the ball bearings and the use of this visual throughout the film especially culminating in the pinballs and the hill of giant balls? His mother's collapse? The hospital sequence and his birth and the irony of the victory of World War Two? The grief and the joy in his birth? The song, 'It's A Boy'?

9. The funeral sequence and the memorial, the flowers and the crosses and their later use during Tommy's acid trip? His growing up as an ordinary young boy? His father's continued presence and the effect of his death? His father living in Tommy's imagination?

10. The transition of tone to the camp? The satiric song, the satiric presentation of the holidaymakers and their exercises? Uncle Frank and the conman's song inviting everybody in? Frank and his flirting with Nora, teaching her how to swim, Tommy's joy? The competition and Nora winning with beautiful legs? The visual styles of this kind of 40s British holiday comedy? The leaving of the camp, the return home? Frank and his presence in the household and Tommy's acceptance of this? The bond between Frank and Nora and their mutual needs, love, sensuality? Tommy in bed and the vision of his father - how much of his imagined self in this vision? His father's disapproval and Nora and Frank destroying him violently? The confrontation with Tommy and their song telling him that he did not see or hear and his consequent isolation, deafness, blindness and his being dumb?

11. Tommy's condition being illustrated by the Christmas party sequence: his isolation, the attitude of Frank and his mother, the cruelty of the guests, his feeling, smashing the Nativity scene? His inner plea for being heard and being healed and touched? The vigorous lyrics of the song and their indication of what Tommy was missing especially in the religious context of not knowing Jesus and the Christmas background? Frank and the indications of his callous attitudes e.g. with the Santa Claus mask?

12. The transition to Tommy being grown up, still isolated, his mother into middle age? Their presence at the healing service? The irony of the Marilyn Monroe statue and the echoes of the film The Seven Year Itch? Eric Clapton and his singing from the pulpit? The atmosphere of revivalism, healing services blended with tradition Catholic ritual? The incense, the mock-Marilyn Monroes looking like mock-angels and department store decorations? The ritual procession? The crowds of people in the church and their need for healing, their reaching out to the modern goddess (and the irony of Marilyn Monroe's being a sex symbol and her suicide), the seeming blasphemous Communion with pills and alcohol? The effect of this parody - the critique of aspects of superstition, religion, Christianity? The use of traditional religious themes?

13. The contrast with Frank and his sleazy job at the strip joint? The neglect of Tommy? The hiring of the Acid Queen to change him? The songs of neglect and his being left alone ? especially with Cousin Kevin and the visual and feeling effects of his cruelty and games, Uncle Ernie and his drinking and what he was doing in the dark? The return home and the seeming innocence of the two members of the family? The effect on Tommy as victim, his creating an inner self whom he sees? The double coloured image of himself blending to the white image?

14. The importance of the experience of the Acid Queen? The quality of Tina Turner's performance, the presentation of the drug culture and the critique of it? The visuals and imagination of the machine into which Tommy was put? The opening of the machine and his appearing as the Christ on the cross, the crown of flowers, his father appearing in his place? Tommy being one with the father? The effect on him and the use of the camera in presenting the witch and demonic aspects of the Acid Queen? The finale with Tommy left on the floor and the Acid Queen tapping the syringe? The film's attitude towards drugs?

15. Tommy and his mother's trying to reach him? The interior vision of three coloured images of himself blending into the one, his coming alive and responding to his inner self, his being led to the used car lot and being abandoned there, the discovery of the pinball and the feel of it? The police and the buying of the pinball machine?

16. The transition to his success, the visuals of Elton John as the Pinball King, the fans and the fanaticism? The King conceding his crown to Tommy? The visualising of Tommy and his success, the close-ups of the pinball machines and their workings?

17. The repercussions of wealth on his family, Frank and his arrogance, his mother and her wealthy home, her drinking? The significance of the television episode? Her trying to move Tommy from the screen and his singing of 'Hear Me and Heal W? The satire in the presentation of the baked beans ads, the chocolate ads, the detergents? The deluge and Mrs. Walker wallowing in it? The later realism of the sequence and this happening in her psyche? The critique of the world of commercials and their effect on the viewer? The critique of the standards of modern living?

18. The visit to the specialist? His inability to do anything except take the cheque? The tests on Tommy and his subjection to them? Mrs. Walker's desperation, her provocative dance at the mirrors, her taunting of Tommy, smashing him through the mirror and his falling into the saving water, his cure, exhilarating swimming, the song 'I Am Free'?

19. His mother's search for him and discovery of him on the rocks, her appreciation of his being healed? The shock of his throwing away her jewellery? The symbolic baptism in the water?

20. The transferring to his messianic mission? What led him to this mission? Its being a mixture of sincerity and hypocrisy? Frank and his utilising it? The uniforms that Frank and his mother wore? The television sessions? The growing number of followers? The holiday camp and the hopes for success? Tommy and his disciples? The purpose of the holiday camp?

21. The insertion of the Sally story - its tone, lyrics, jaunty music? The background of her father as the minister, her mother letting her go, her experience at the concert and the parody of the success of pop stars? Her being injured, her memories of Tommy? The Frankenstein pop monster and the marriage, her presence at the concert with the baby, her perpetual scar on her face? The significance of the story and its comment on cult personalities and their following?

22. The followers, Tommy's song and its messianic tones -especially the calling of fishermen on the beach? The rituals at the camp and the blocking out of the senses? To what purpose - to live an interior life as Tommy did? The decision to rebel, the cruelty to Frank and Nora, to Tommy? The overtones of Christ in the followers and their rejection?

23. The character of Tommy - as an attractive little boy, the disadvantage of his father's death, his mother's love? The memories of his father, his being shocked by his mother's behaviour? His isolation and withdrawal? The inner cry for healing? The victim of cruelty? The growth of the inner self and his being healed? His becoming a champion, hero, Messiah? The impact of his cure? His disciples? His joy? The importance after his rejection of his return to his father's place ? he then in the image of his father? (And the burning down of the holiday camp?)

24. The character of Mrs. Walker and Ann Margret's interpretation? The earth mother, the overtones of Virgin Mary, of Mary Magdalene? Rejection, love, discipleship? Her needs with Frank? Her decline as especially with the drinking and the TV deluge? The specialist and the flirtation? The desperation and the taunting of him? Her conversion, her death?

25. The ambiguity of Uncle Frank - the benign stepfather, his exploiting the situation, his cruelty to Tommy at the Christmas party, sending the Acid Queen, abandoning him to Uncle Ernie and Cousin Kevin and everything would be alright? His hustling during Tommy's success, his death and being a martyr with Nora for Tommy?

26. The Devil-figures of the Acid Queen and the relations - and Keith Moon and Paul Nicholas in their interpretations, and Keith moon's later presence on the beach at Tommy's camp?

27. The choice of Jack Nicholson to play the specialist and his venal attitude towards his job, towards Mrs. Walker?

28. Themes of success? Inner life, healing, salvation? The initial song at the Christmas party when Tommy needed salvation? The fact that he would be a Saviour-figure?

29. The significance of the lyrics of the final song, his going back to where he was conceived, climbing the mountain and returning to the place of his father? The overtones of resurrection and ascension?

30. How Christian and religious was the film? How anti-Christian or anti-Christianity and its trappings? The values of true religion? The trappings of superstition, cult, the corruption of religion? The specific references to the Christ story - conception, God the Father, the hidden life, the emergence into a public life, discipleship, healing, heroism, rejection, resurrection and return to the Father? A satisfying religious fable for a secular audience?