Who frontman Roger Daltrey, wearing a thousand-yard stare, steps into the shoes of Tommy, a deaf and blind boy whose parents (played with delirious, scene-chewing abandon by Oliver Reed and Ann-Margret), seek out outrageous means by which to cure him. As time passes, Tommy emerges as a messianic figure who inspires deep, popular, devotion in post-war Britain due to his wizard-like pinball skills.

Acclaimed in its day and with modern cult status as a rock opera, the classification of Tommy in 1975 was as an unproblematic AA with the film being passed by the BBFC as suitable for over 14s. But are aspects of the film more contentious now than they were in 1975? The ‘curing’ of Tommy, the exploitation of the child by dubious babysitter Uncle Ernie (Keith Moon) and the tripped out Acid Queen (Tina Turner) offering services to the unworldly boy are all sequences which would perhaps not be included today, or might be handled differently. Tommy is a great example of a film which has grown more not less controversial over time, and reveals how changing attitudes can shape our response to older films.

Restored in sparkling 4K with the epic songs recorded for playback on a Quintaphonic Sound system, Tommy looks and sounds better than ever. Featuring cameos by the rest of The Who, Elton John, Arthur Brown, and a young Jack Nicholson.

The screening will feature a short, filmed introduction by Dr Sian Barber, Film Studies at Queen's.

This event is part of Imagine! Festival of Ideas & Politics, supported by Film Hub NI, part of the BFI Film Audience Network, awarding funds from The National Lottery.

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