Stayin’ Alive: ‘Saturday Night Fever’ remains a classic 45 years later
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If there was any picture that encapsulated the teenage insecurities of the late 1970s, it was none other than John Badham’s offbeat and disco-filled epic “Saturday Night Fever.” A grimy and almost saturated look into the lives of those searching for identity, the picture is celebrating its 45th anniversary next week.
In all honesty, “Saturday Night Fever” has become an overlooked gem due to a somewhat cultural insignificance towards contemporary American culture. Though an instant hit upon its release on Dec. 14, 1977, it is now almost entirely misunderstood.
Maybe it’s the clothes. Maybe it’s the characters or “lack thereof.” Maybe you’re only familiar with the film’s soundtrack, containing the classic pop tracks like “Stayin’ Alive” by the Bee Gees, “Disco Inferno” by The Trammps, and “More Than a Woman” by Tavares.
While most certainly a product of its time, “Saturday Night Fever” is a dated yet incredible picture that deserves at least a bit of attention. With assistance from titles like “Star Wars” and “Annie Hall,” “Saturday Night Fever” helped to make 1977 one of the greatest years in American film history.
The film follows 19-year-old Tony Manero, an Italian-American residing in Bay Ridge, Brooklyn. His days consist of working a low-end job at a local paint store, making two dollars an hour, leaving him unhappy with his overall employment.
Tony’s homelife isn’t perfect either — he verbally clashes with his parents, sister and grandmother, unable to connect to those that are closest to him. But, when the weekend comes around, as a means of escape, Tony and his gang of Brooklynite companions head to 2001 Odyssey, a local nightclub.
There, Tony is able to claim the appreciation he thinks he deserves. It’s every Saturday night where Tony is the king on the dance floor, with enough arrogance and charm to persuade everyone around him. With the film’s campy reputation, the term “stayin’ alive” couldn’t be more exact. It’s the ultimate test in Tony’s overall progression as a character, seeing if he could survive this concrete jungle.
“Saturday Night Fever” is a message on the short-lived pleasures in a crummy world. The inner city backdrop of Bay Ridge is as gross as it is beautiful, making the picture one of the greatest New York City films of all time. The city exteriors are a character in their own right, as they work as the land of opportunity that Tony’s unable to take advantage of.
The story and its characters were inspired by a New York Magazine piece titled “Tribal Rites of the New Saturday Night,” written by music journalist Nik Cohn. The piece, credited as nonfiction in June 1976, was confirmed to be fictitious twenty years later.
In terms of its actors, the real extraordinaire is none other than John Travolta, whose incredible portrayal of Tony Manero is filled with such openness that you’re truly unable to look away from him. He’s unguarded by his emotions and unable to navigate his career once he becomes an adult. There’s vulnerability in this performance, and physically speaking, Travolta’s dance moves are some of the most impressive you’ll ever see on screen.
Music aside, “Saturday Night Fever” gets a whole lot deeper than your traditional dance picture, bringing you into a dark character study that explores being young, poor, sexually frustrated and uncertain about what lies ahead. It’s an experience that showcases the getaway from the daily, mundane lifestyles one may lead. We’ve all had melancholic phases of self-discovery, and I’d say this is an immensely unique approach to the coming-of-age tale.
