Tommy

‘I am so scared of England’ Gabrielle on Letterboxd

Ken Russell, one of Nachtblende's favourite directors, adapted The Who's concept album ‘Tommy’ for the cinema in 1975, despite it being considered unfilmable. The result: a psychedelic pop musical with no dialogue, but no scene without music, and a colourful array of fantastic set pieces. And what's more, it's the opening film of the 13th Nachtblende season: Welcome to THROW BACK 1975!

‘It's a boy, it's a son,’ sing the midwives euphorically, while outside the flags of the Allies hang from the windows. The Second World War is over, Tommy is born and his missing father is declared dead. Until one night he shows up and is murdered in front of his son by his mother's new partner. Tommy (Roger Daltrey) is implored by the two (Ann-Margret & Oliver Reed) to forget everything and, above all, never to say a word about it. And so it happens that he suddenly becomes deaf, dumb and blind. Efforts are made to restore little Tommy's senses. But neither the pop mass, in the form of a Marilyn Monroe tribute, nor the LSD dialysis administered by Tina Turner, who looks as if she's flirting with your carotid arteries as well as the acid drops, help. The situation is accepted, for better or worse. Until the blind and deaf-mute boy defeats Elton John, who is wearing shoes that are far too big, at the pinball machine and becomes a superstar...