Cancel, Tony Manero! Another classic that couldn't be made in today's culture

Rating: 10/10 (7 May 2020)

This feels more like a documentary than a movie. The film touches on so many urban issues including classism, religion, racism, peer-pressure, jealousy, rivalry, rebellion, respect, unprotected sex and rape, in a way that feels honest and not contrived. It's not trying to make a statement about these social issues it's just showing you realistic characters that deal with it. I see a lot of people that like the film hail Tony as a hero and a lot of people that hate it decry him as a shallow idiot. I view him more as a tragic character that sees the path he's going down isn't the right one, but doesn't quite know how to deal with it. He's not happy with the man he is, but doesn't quite know how to change into the man he wants to be. Movies that try to accomplish these things intentionally come off pretentious and ham fisted. This movie was just and honest slice of life story with a great lead performance and its realism lead to its depth. Yes, the amazing soundtrack and dance sequences are the reason why it became a blockbuster and a cultural phenomenon, but even without them this movie would have been a cult classic and time capsule of the late 70s.