In "Quadrophenia," Sting (who at that time was little known) plays the leader of the mods, who is the hero to our young mod protagonist, Jimmy.
Near the climax of the movie, as Sting seems ever more larger than life, Jimmy accidentally spots him at his day job, working at a hotel in Brighton as a bellboy, running at the heel of fat wealthy British tourists.
Seeing him in this servile role, Jimmy's illusion of Sting is crushed, and with it the sense of community the Mod lifestyle has brought. He realizes that Mod (like Punk) is no substitute for an adequate sense of self. Despondent, he runs off to Brighton's pebbled beaches, and eventually drives his scooter over a cliff.