Suzi Quatro managed to leave a remarkable influence on female rockers, and how they operated in a world where men dominated, and women were objectified. Suzi Quatro has left such an indomitable stamp on the rock and music world, and “Suzi Q” offers keen insight not just in to the life of such an edgy musician, but in the oddly common conservative lifestyle of rock musicians.
Directed by Liam Firmager and Tait Brady, “Suzi Q” is the story of the life of Suzi Quatro, a young aspiring rock star who spent much of her youth in and out of various bands. She eventually managed to join the Runaways as a teenager and experienced a tumultuous life of fame, sexism, objectification, and in group fights. Not to mention, she spent a lot of her career brushing with Hollywood, which didn’t quite go over well with her band mates, when all was said and done.
Quatro spent so much of her life running around with fellow female musicians and had to struggle with so many male influencers insisting she tow the line. There’s even an uncomfortable clip for a talk show where she’s introduced and has her behind smacked on air. Even in the clip’s context, it’s an uncomfortable moment that conveys Quatro’s lack of control over much of how she was perceived and handled by others. The material with the Runaways is considerably glossed over, as the film focuses a lot more on the influence she had on her band mates.
There’s even an aside discussing how Joan Jett parroted a lot of Quatro’s on stage moves, prompting their manager to insist on her creating her own presence. “Suzi Q” delves a lot in to the considerably straight laced lifestyle she led including her stint on “Happy Days,” her brush with fame on Broadway, her somewhat adversarial relationship with her sister, and her determination to raise a family which put her at odds with her business oriented husband. “Suzi Q” is an important chronicle of a very influential rock artist. While it doesn’t entirely lend new insight, it’s still a good occasion to celebrate the one and only Suzi Quatro.