Tommy

There are some movies that you should see at two certain ages, one when you would only watch and enjoy the scenes, music, colours etc, two when you would understand the hidden symbols inside the movie. That is exactly what I did with Tommy; I had seen it first when I was 9 or 10, can not seem to remember now, and I was amazed by the music and the glamorous visualization; years later, a few months ago I had the chance to unlock the symbolism of the movie and a whole new phase of admiration began.

Tommy is the 1975 movie version, by Ken Russell, of the famous rock opera of 1969 by The Who. It is almost a hall of fame, starring the group's members, with the lead singer Roger Daltrey as Tommy, Ann-Margret, Oliver Reed, and notable appearances by Eric Clapton, Elton John, Tina Turner and Jack Nicholson. It was nominated for two oscars and Ann-Margret received a Golden Globe Award for her performance.

The film is about a young man, Tommy, who, since his childhood, is deaf, blind and dumb, because of a trauma. His mother, Nora Walker, who gives birth to him when his father, Captain Walker, is away during World War II. She waits for the Captain for six years, but then gives up finally believing that he is dead, and starts a relationship with Frank Hobbs; however, one night the Captain comes back home all of a sudden only to find Nora and Frank in bed. Panicked, Frank kills Walker with a lamp, and little Tommy, who has followed his father to his mother's bedroom, sees it all. Both Nora and Frank tell Tommy that "he didn't hear it, didn't see it, and won't say nothing to noone", and as a result of this Tommy becomes deaf, blind and dumb.

For the following years, Nora and Frank take Tommy to numerous doctors, cults and even prostitutes in order to find a cure for him, however he responds to none. In a strange occasion, it is revealed that he plays pinball perfectly, and this leads to a national prominence and fame when he defeats the local champ - Elton John. When one of the doctors say that Tommy's problem is totally psychosomatic, Nora feels guilty and in a state of delirium, she pushes Tommy out of the window, causing yet another trauma, however this time, a trauma that cures him. This new awareness helps Tommy to try to enlighten people; however this whole new religious icon is again to be torn apart by ever-consuming people.

Without a doubt, musically and visually, Tommy passes all the tests with honors, however, this psychedelic ambience has more to it than just a joy for your eyes and ears; it sends stimulating signals to all over your brain with the iconic figures of pop cultures, in a mixture of sex, violence, war and religion. It is filled with questions of our lives, our powers and identities. While the mother figure who wants to help her son but is not able to do anything and in the meantime who wants to enjoy money shows a perfect struggle, Tommy being an icon both as a pinball wizard and later a cult figure is the symbol of power and focus, with masses of people drawn to anything unusual in order to be lead and to believe. And yet, they are extremely and quite easily destructive.

I would recommend you to watch Tommy with the volume full up, it is truly a grand feast with pure quality music and sounds. Be ready to be shaken through your nerves though, you are yet about to experiment something truly staggering - in the most positive sense.