Sex, Drugs and Dance

Rating: 8/10 (24 January 2009)

"Saturday night fever" is not just a movie about dance or the usual Teenage lust for sex and drugs, in fact it is a well crafted biopic of an ordinary teenager raised in a dysfunctional family and who is struggling to find his true purpose. John Travolta stars as Tony Manero; a 19 year old kid who works at a paint shop in the daytime earning his petty cash to spend it during weekends to go to a disco club with his mates. At the club, Tony is treated as a king, the alpha male (a status he earned through his smooth dancing skills). Everyone notice him and greet him. Women are charmed by his moves and ask him to dance with them. Club goers compliment him by saying "You know something, Tony? You always seem to be in control". This attention and freedom that he receives at the club is far more pleasurable than what he experience at his house; his family life. There is no respect for each other in the family; they fight over the silliest matter when having dinner. His parents are overly proud of their eldest son who is a priest and this make Tony somewhat inferior, and he faces constant pressure over the decisions he has made in his life. It is not surprising that such a youth would hunt for some form of release to breakthrough from this misery. For some, it usually involves drugs and other abusive substances, but for Tony it is Dance, and Dance is what he could always think about.
It is at this dance club where he stumbles upon Stephanie; another good dancer who is more mature in age, beliefs and attitudes than Tony. Even though they possess these contrasting traits, the way that life has dealt with both of them has never been more similar. They both depend on one another to make themselves feel better. This movie explores deeper themes than it appears on the surface. Matters we sometimes resist to tap into, and director John Badham has achieved these immediate goals. The pure film-making used to shoot the dance scenes encompassing funky tunes are another aspect to pay close attention to. One of the best films of the 80's.