An Indictment Of Machismo and Urban Tribalism....

Rating: 10/10 (4 September 2001)

Anyone who read Nik Cohn's original New York Magazine piece ("Tribal Rights Of The New Saturday Night") would know that the article, and the subsequent film, are meant to CRITICIZE urban tribalism ("neighborhoodism"), machismo, racism, sexism, etc.....not glorify these ideas! Although the real-life Tony Manero (a fellow named Eugene Robinson) and his friends were a multi-ethnic group, other aspects of their behavior were dissected in the piece. The film chose to change their ethnic background to Italian, and take potshots at urban Italian culture circa 1977. The disco/dancing leitmotif was meant to be exactly that, a leitmotif. I never realized how many people missed the entire point of the film until I went to see the God-awful play here in NY....these people were APPLAUDING the stereotypes portrayed! The Faces are supposed to be ignorant, sexist, violent near-thugs, not role-models.....that is why Manero leaves them at the end of the film. It amazes me when people emulate and glorify negative stereotypes (like the Italian-Americans who emulate "The Sopranos"!) Part of the problem is that many people see the censored versions of the film, where the negative behavior is censored. The R-rated film is the only legitimate version. The PG/PG13 versions are inane (hey, guys, let's put out a PG, dumbed-down version of A CLOCKWORK ORANGE.....so the kids can hear all the GREAT MUSIC!).SNF wasn't the only film at the time to attack ethnic tribalism, NUNZIO and BLOOBROTHERS are other films that examine similar themes.