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[CHC]

It's not the movie you probably think it is. Saw it for the first time a few days ago and it really stuck with me.... There's a great write-up from WPUR about the Harvard Film Archive's recent screening of this film, which remarks on its cultural importance and just how shocking so much of it was at the time of release (and still is, to this day). It sums up a lot of my feelings better than I probably could so I'll selectively quote here.

The white suit, that lighted dance floor, the strut — so many tropes from “Saturday Night Fever” have been so tirelessly parodied over the years, becoming such part and parcel of our shared pop iconography that I’ve noticed a lot folks tend to just assume they’ve seen the movie at some point or another, if only through cultural osmosis. Here’s a good way to tell for sure: If you’re laughing derisively about it, you probably haven’t watched “Saturday Night Fever” recently.

Travolta’s 19-year-old Tony Manero and his claque of go-nowhere friends live at home with their parents, work dead-end jobs and, every Saturday night, spend all their money trying to score with girls at the tacky 2001 Odyssey disco. They’re thoughtlessly racist and downright horrible to women. The only respite is when Tony hits the dance floor, his boorishness redeemed by grace, and this scummy, druggy scene is elevated briefly to nirvana before Sunday morning’s inevitable hangover kicks in.

Some ending spoilers below:

One of the things that makes “Saturday Night Fever” so bruising is that despite considerable charm and a good heart, Tony Manero consistently fails to rise to the occasion. His yearning for something more is always palpable in Travolta’s impossibly endearing performance, but the character is hamstrung by deeply ingrained, stupid macho codes of behavior. By the final reel that dumb dance contest has become an afterthought, and the film goes on spiraling into one shocking scene after another, complete with a suicide and a gang rape — nothing you’d expect from the kitschy reputation. The movie ends on a note of hesitant uncertainty. We don’t know if these kids are gonna make it through, but you really hope they will.

In short, if you fit into the category of people outlined above (assuming you've seen it fully, but haven't actually) PLEASE give it a shot. It's on US Netflix, and it really is one of the most raw, realistic, gritty, up-close and lifelike films I've seen recently. Watching it really stuck with me, and days later I keep talking about it or remembering these brilliant little scenes or interactions between any number of the film's surprisingly well-developed characters.

Oh and the fucking dance scenes are INSANE. Like, even if you hate everything else, watch it for those.

 

[HStallion]

Just don't watch Staying Alive.

 

[CHC]

Just don't watch Staying Alive.

Guess it speaks to the quality of it that I didn't even know SNF had a sequel.... eesh.

 

[Zeta Oni]

I agree completely OP, watched it randomly thinking it was just a 70's dance flick, came out surprised as hell. Travolta was great, the music is great, the dancing is great. Just a great movie overall, and made it even worse when I immediately watch staying alive expecting more of the same.

On a related note, know what other movie did something similar for me? Taxi Driver.

Going in I thought it was just an action movie about a vigilante with great acting and the "you talking to me" scene, but it turns out it's actually a psychological thriller almost, as you watch a disturbed man decend further and further into his own delusions. One of my favorites now, I was upset I waited as long as I did to see it, but I don't think I would have had the ability to understand the themes and ideas the movie presents if I had scene it earlier in life.

 

[gamz]

Guess it speaks to the quality of it that I didn't even know SNF had a sequel.... eesh.

written and directed by Stallone.

SNF is great movie and gritty as hell. They released a PG version into the theatres to gobble up more money from the kids.

 

[CHC]

On a related note, know what other movie did something similar for me? Taxi Driver.

Going in I thought it was just an action movie about a vigilante with great acting and the "you talking to me" scene, but it turns out it's actually a psychological thriller almost, as you watch a disturbed man decend further and further into his own delusions. One of my favorites now, I was upset I waited as long as I did to see it, but I don't think I would have had the ability to understand the themes and ideas the movie presents if I had scene it earlier in life.

Oh yeah Taxi Driver is incredible. The grittiness and 1970s New York scenery of Saturday Night Fever actually reminded me of Taxi Driver a couple times, they're not completely dissimilar.

 

[milanbaros]

Also, the story of how the journalist whose article it was based made it all up is very interesting as well.

 

[Silver Arrows]

One of my favorite film shows, Welcome to the Basement, did an episode on SNF a while back and had a lengthy discussion on how it was indeed quite an unexpected jolt of a movie.

 

[BokehKing]

First time I watched it, I had just got done watching a bunch of Vinnie Barbarino on Welcome Back Kotter marathons. ".....what? ........where?" And some good old fashion "up your nose with a rubber hose" you know, this stuff

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=df73uwfVVdY&sns=em

But when I finally watched this movie, well besides the "watch the hair!" Part
Well I wasn't expecting what I saw. Great film

 

[kunonabi]

It has always been one of my personal favorite films.

Staying Alive is worth it for the ending alone although I actually dig the whole thing myself.

 

[Discotheque]

Yeah it's a pretty decent film. I think it gets dismissed as just a dumb dancing movie by so many people because of that iconic image/poster.

 

[adamsappel]

Movie's depressing as hell. Suicide, rape, dysfunctional families, etc. John Badham is a good director; very workmanlike (a compliment). Another perfect snapshot of a vanished 1970's NYC. What I think is interesting is how the ballet dancer isn't an out-of-place delicate flower. She's New Yawk all the way. In the inevitable remake, she'll be a shy, demure, possibly-foreign teacup.

 

[bjork]

Movie's depressing as hell. Suicide, rape, dysfunctional families, etc. John Badham is a good director; very workmanlike (a compliment). Another perfect snapshot of a vanished 1970's NYC. What I think is interesting is how the ballet dancer isn't an out-of-place delicate flower. She's New Yawk all the way. In the inevitable remake, she'll be a shy, demure, possibly-foreign teacup.

With a ukelele

 

[Krejlooc]

I watched airplane 2 and feel like i got the gist

 

[Spring-Loaded]

The Graduate has similar circumstances to this movie. And Taxi Driver, to a lesser extent. I only just watched the latter a few weeks ago but I felt I had a pretty accurate idea of what it was going to be, unlike The Graduate.

 

[TAJ]

I watched airplane 2 and feel like i got the gist

That was in the original.

 

[Dai101]

I watched airplane 2 and feel like i got the gist

Airplane 2?

 

[Krejlooc]

That was in the original.

I stand by my comment

 

[cyborgnumberblue]

Just don't watch Staying Alive.

This is the end.