On S List of Movie Reviews
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Saturday Night Fever (1977)
Rate:
10
Viewed:
6/04, 4/06, 11/07, 2/13, 3/22
4/06:
One reviewer described John Travolta: he "gives a sensual and intelligent performance as the
troubled Tony Manero—Brooklyn paint store clerk by day and undisputed king of the dance floor by night."
It's his most famous, iconic movie role. When I think of a film that captures a lost period, it's the disco
movement of the 70's for Saturday Night Fever.
All in all, John Travolta is very special in Saturday Night Fever.
11/07:
Saturday Night Fever is a one-of-a-kind picture that captures a lost period.
There's no doubt John Travolta gives the finest performance of his career. He's electrifying and oozes sensuality,
taking the film to another level.
Tony Manero is secretly thrilled by his fame as the disco king of Brooklyn which gives him power and status. When
he walks into the dance club, women send him ooh's and ahh's and give him kisses. One of them offers to wipe the sweat from his
forehead. It's the most fascinating part because Tony is revered as God on the basis of what he does on the dance floor.
All in all, John Travolta is out of the world in Saturday Night Fever.
2/13:
Saturday Night Fever is an iconic film that captures a period of time and the disillusionment that goes along with it.
All in all, there's nothing like Saturday Night Fever.
3/22:
Brooklyn paint store clerk by day and undisputed king of the dance floor by night, Tony Manero is one of the most iconic
characters in movie history.
Featuring lots of songs from the Bee Gees and others, the soundtrack is amazing, and it was the biggest seller ever until Michael
Jackson's album "Thriller" came along. Instead of somebody breaking out to sing a song, it's a revolutionary musical as the
music and film become interwoven as one. There aren't many pictures that usher in a cultural phenomenon and serve as a time
capsule at the same time, but Saturday Night Fever did that, creating a disco revolution with endless imitations.
Shot on location in Brooklyn, the opening scene is one of the most famous, setting the tone for the rest of the way. Almost
not making in the final cut is John Travolta's solo dance sequence as originally envisioned. Having rehearsed the
dance moves for months, he saw the original, hated it because of the extreme close-ups, had a final say, and re-edited
the whole thing to his liking to achieve more cinematic power by showing him in full body view. Today, it's absolutely timeless.
The scene of Manero's family slapping each other is funny. When John Travolta was hit in the head, he ad-libbed the line,
"Will you just watch the hair?" and then "You know, I work on my hair a long time and you hit it." There are other amusing parts
as well.
How the project got started is the June 1976 fictional New York magazine article "Tribal Rites of the New
Saturday Night" that was penned by music writer Nik Cohn who mostly fabricated everything and didn't understand what he was witnessing. At that
time, disco was strictly underground, but when the movie came out, the subculture just blew up and John Travolta, who was
already famous because of the TV show Welcome Back, Kotter, became an instant international superstar.
It's easy to put the film down by looking at the rough edges, but I have to disagree because it's an
accurate representation of who the characters are, coming from a working-class background. Tony Manero has losers for friends
(who cares about the guy killing himself at the end?) and will freely admit he's only good in two things: selling paint and
dancing. He makes for an endearing character despite his flaws. All of the young adult characters are confused while they
search for their identity, and it's what makes the film so good. When they put each other down, it's only a front in the form of
their fake Brooklynese attitude.
All in all, Saturday Night Fever is magical.