Saturday Night Fever (1977) starring John Travolta, Karen Lynn Gorney, Barry Miller, Joseph Cali directed by John Badham Movie Review

Saturday Night Fever (1977)   3/53/53/53/53/5


John Travolta in Saturday Night Fever (1977)

70s Cool

Tony Manero (John Travolta) has big dreams, one day he is going to make something of himself and get out of Brooklyn. The trouble is that whilst living with his demanding parents who treat him like a kid drives him on he is obviously swayed when the evening comes and he hits the club where he loves to strut his funky stuff as the "king of the dance floor". But Tony's dream's, his inability to act and the irresponsible behaviour of his slacker friends begins to become a road block especially when he meets a woman he really likes forcing him to do some growing up.

I was born in 1972 and my love of movies only real came about during the 80s. Why do I mention that? Well it's because whilst some of my favourite movies actually come from the 70s the 70s as a rule are my cinematic nemesis as so many popular movies from the era don't do much for me and "Saturday Night Fever" is one of those movies. Yes I enjoy the music and I also like the eternal theme of a young man's desire to escape from life and get some thing better but the rest of it just doesn't do it for me.

For that reason I will keep this short as the underlying theme of Tony's desire to escape from Brooklyn and his family with the bridge being the symbol of escape is good as is how we watch Tony come to realise that saying it won't make it happen and he will need to make a change if he is to really do something about it. But the whole 70s cultural aspect of the movie now leaves me amused from the way Tony walks down the street like he owns the place to the way when he struts on the dance floor a whole dance troupe form behind him it to me is extremely comical. Maybe for teens in the 70s it presented the fantasy, to be the guy who is so cool that anything can happen especially on the dance floor where girls swoon over you but it is simply cheesy to me.

What this all boils down to is that whilst I can understand why "Saturday Night Fever" is popular with those who saw it back in the 70s it just didn't float my boat. It is a shame as the theme of escape and making something of yourself is still a good one it is just the expected 70s cool stuff is now comical.


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