The Rocky of dance movies

Rating: 7/10 (14 March 2014)

Saturday Night Fever, the huge musical hit and film that launched John Travolta into A-list stardom, is kind of like the ROCKY of dance movies. Made at around the same time as the Stallone flick, its emphasis is on capturing a street vibe and depicting the grittiness of life for young people living in late '70s New York. Like ROCKY, it features a central character attempting to better himself in order to lift himself out of his humdrum surroundings.
The movie belongs to Travolta and Travolta alone, because he electrifies the screen like no other. In many ways he plays a variant on his 'jerk' character in CARRIE, except that this guy just so happens to be a brilliant disco dancer. Wait until you see some of those dance sequences - they're amazing to behold, and it helps that the Bee Gees soundtrack is excellent into the bargain.
Elsewhere, the story isn't afraid to shy away from downbeat realism, but at the same time it's oddly uplifting. John Badham's assured and confident direction helps to bring both story and era to life, making this a time capsule of its age.