An Excellent And Unforgettable Classic With A Brilliant Performance by John Travolta.

Rating: 10/10 (18 March 2015)

Saturday Night Fever is an excellent and unforgettable classic that combines wonderful direction,an amazing star-making performance by John Travolta and a great cast,a classic soundtrack and a memorable score. All of those elements make Saturday Night Fever a classic and one of the best films of the 1970s.
Set in Brooklyn,New York,Saturday Night Fever tells the story of Tony Manero(John Travolta),a young teenager who goes to the local Disco club every Saturday night with his friends to dance where Tony is king of the dance floor but outside of the dance club his life is miserable. When Tony meets and befriends fellow dancer Stephanie(Karen Lynn Gorney),Tony starts to re-examine his life and decides to grow up.
Released in 1977,Saturday Night Fever is a brilliant,unforgettable and iconic film that was not only a critical and Box Office success but also made John Travolta a movie star,helped launch the Disco craze in the late 1970s and gave viewers one of the best and biggest soundtracks of all-time. It's a movie that has become so famous and apart of Pop Culture you know the film by the title name,the white suit that Travolta wears in the movie or by it's many songs on the soundtrack that are played throughout the film and are still played on the radio. Right from the now iconic opening scene,Saturday Night Fever is an instant classic from the very moment you watch an amazing film that is just an experience that glues viewers to the screen with music,intense drama and electricity that just never stops. When you watch Saturday Night Fever it's truly like watching a time capsule that takes viewers back to the 70s and 1977 in New York showing the night and day-to-day life in New York during that decade. While Saturday Night Fever isn't a musical where characters are singing and dancing,the music and dancing play a big part in the film with the music making certain scenes come alive while the dance scenes are amazing,memorable and are done in a visual stunning style that is dream like and beautiful with tons of energy that makes the film. What I also love about SNF is that despite the music and dancing the movie at it's heart is a timeless Coming Of Age story and is one of the best in the genre showing viewers the Coming Of Age of Tony Manero. The character Tony Manero is a classic character of 1970s cinema and the Coming Of Age genre because while he isn't the most likable person and can be a jerk at times we see Tony deal with the hardships of growing up. When Tony is dancing at the night club he is the king on the dance floor but outside of the night club Tony's life is a wreck and is pretty sad,he works a dead end job at the hardware store and his parents think less of him and see Tony going nowhere in life. Despite Tony's miserable life he's very ambitious and wants to succeed in life beyond his neighborhood which makes the character Tony truly complex. What also makes Tony grow is when he meets Stephanie who Tony sees as a prime example making it and being successful which gives Tony more hope for his future. When Tony and Stephanie begin to dance together and start to know one another they both need each other and start to relate to one another more and try to help each other out. Tony Manero is a memorable and interesting character you will never forget and is one of the reasons the movie is a classic. There are also parts in SNF that make the movie dark,bleak and gritty because like Tony the other characters have sad and miserable lives and the movie has a tragic overtone that sticks with you. The movie also deals with themes such as sex and aimless youth who are lost in the haze of trying not to think about about real life. SNF is a much deeper movie than one might think and isn't just a movie about Disco and dancing and that's one of the reasons it's a great film. The ending of Saturday Night Fever is amazing and powerful and truly brings the character Tony full circle and we as the audience feel that there is hope for this character. A terrific ending.
The cast is great. John Travolta is excellent and iconic as Tony Manero,with Travolta bringing charisma and depth to the role. Karen Lynn Gorney is wonderful as Stephanie Tony's love interest and dance partner. Barry Miller(Bobby C.),Joseph Cali(Joey),Paul Pape(Double J.)and Bruce Ornstein(Gus)do fantastic jobs as Tony's friends. Donna Pescow is great as Annette,a neighborhood girl who's in love with Tony. Martin Shakar is sensational as Father Frank Manero Jr.,Tony's older brother who's a priest. Val Bisoglio(Frank Sr.),Julie Bovasso(Flo Manero),Sam J. Coppola(Fusco)give good performances as well. Also,lookout for an early appearance by Fran Drescher in the role as Connie.
The direction by John Badham is terrific and stylish,with Badham always moving the camera and bringing a beautiful and visually stunning look to the film with fine camera angles and use of color and lighting. Great direction,Badham.
The score by David Shire is fantastic,memorable and matches the tone of the film. Wonderful score,Shire. The soundtrack from The Bee Gees one of the best and most iconic soundtracks of all-time with songs by The Bee Gees(Staying Alive,More Than A Woman,How Deep Is Your Love,Night Fever,You Should Be Dancing),Yvonne Elliman(If I Can't Have You),K.C & The Sunshine Band(Boogie Shoes),The Trammps(Disco Inferno),Walter Murphy(A Fifth Of Beethoven). A classic soundtrack.
In final word,if you love 1970s films,cinema in general,John Travolta and Music,I Highly Suggest you see Saturday Night Fever,an excellent and unforgettable classic that you will never forget and watch again and again. Highly Recommended. 10/10.