Saturday Night Fever (1977)

Nominated for 1 Academy Award:

Best Actor: John Travolta

I was never seriously tempted to see this film, because I was expecting light entertainment, where it’s all about dancing and some guy who rises from poverty to become some kind of dancing star. And that’s not the case. This film is a romantic drama, with lots of dancing and disco music, but it touches on some serious themes that I didn’t expect to find. At times, it had the mood of Taxi Driver and Rocky and other 70s dramas.

The film is dated, since we’re out of the disco era, but it ends up less cheesy than I imagined. I mean, I think Stayin Alive and How Deep is Your Love are classics, and if you don’t hate the Bee Gees type of music, you’ll be inclined to love the dance scenes, which I did. You can tell the work Travolta (just 22-23 yo when he did the film) put into it, and his performance is not just about the dancing, there are also emotional scenes that he acts authentically and convincing. It’s a good performance because he can take a character that’s immature, misogynistic, homophobic and often an asshole and make him seem slightly likeable and a captivating lead.

What I didn’t enjoy that much: the actress playing the romantic lead, who didn’t show enough personality, in my opinion, and the fact that the film doesn’t build up to a jollier last chapter.

I really hope How Deep is Your Love was not eligible for Best Song, because otherwise it would be so annoying and I couldn’t explain how come it didn’t get a nomination.

I give it: 7.5/10

IMDB LINK