I’d never seen Saturday Night Fever until it was offered to me for review. I’d wanted to for quite some time and had caught the first 20 minutes or so of an edited version on TV years prior. The film had always been referred to as a classic, though beyond it having a lot to do with disco, I really didn’t know anything about it. It’s a long movie, maybe too long in some respects, but really the film just tells the story of a few days in its main character’s life. Many of the early subplots don’t affect the later parts of the story, and much of the finale may come as a dramatic surprise to the unsuspecting viewer.
That said, even given the (admittedly tame by today’s standards) extremity of the film’s climax, and the morose denouement that follows, the film remains an experience that should be easy to return to for most viewers. Watching the film is a rather enlightening experience. John Badham’s direction leaves a great deal open for the viewer to fill in, basing their assertions on John Travolta’s incredibly expressive facial contortions and dramatic physicality. Even without the numerous exhilarating dance numbers, the film could work solely on the strength of its writing and performances. The segmented storytelling, while still following a linear timeframe, creates a sense of reality fairly unmatched in mainstream 70s cinema.
While it could be said that a good portion of the dialogue is fairly dated today, the overreaching themes have perhaps never been more relevant. More than that, the character of Tony Manero represents one of the more true to life portrayals of the everyday American teen. He has moments of utter heroism, descents into the depths of depravity and general outbursts of frustration, most of the time with next to no good reason. His character personifies the very conventional unpredictability of human nature. In addition to the film being beautifully shot, it’s a pretty timeless testament to life - its ups, and its downs.
Video
Utterly gorgeous. The 30th Anniversary Blu-ray of Saturday Night Fever absolutely sparkles in the dance sequences, and presents an entirely lifelike color palate when the guys and girls are living their daytime lives away from the discotheque. Lights glow and flare like you were on the dance floor, colors vibrantly pop off the screen and the print is free of almost any scratches or dirt. I really don’t know what I would say from a negative standpoint. In the very beginning and the very end the bold red titles can seem a bit fuzzy, but I’m fairly certain that was true for the original release. This is a truly dynamic visual presentation of a thirty-year-old movie, and I’d definitely use it to demo the color possibilities of high definition, if I didn’t have my handy Blu-ray of Speed Racer.
Audio
The incredible soundtrack of Saturday Night Fever comes through crisp and clear even on less than high-end speakers. The soundscape surrounds you pretty damn beautifully, encouraging vigorous toe tapping, which in turn garners judging looks from the other people in the room, but dammit, if you’re watching Saturday Night Fever without feeling even a little bit physically invigorated, check your damn pulse.
Blu-ray Bonus Features
Sigh… how unfortunate…
The major extra here is a 30th anniversary retrospective, full of dime-a-dozen stories from the set. Skeletal old Hollywood royalty producers and bit players who have put on way too much weight in thirty years just can’t carry a documentary, Paramount. And that goes out to all of the studios, too – After the Odd Couple Centennial Collection release berated me with two hours of unintelligible meandering stories from dried-up Hollywood prunes, I really hoped I wouldn’t have to deal with any more of it. But the book says we may be through with the past, but the past ain’t through with us.
After that, there’s a commentary with director John Badham and an embarrassing series of mini-featurettes. Just insulting. Awful, terrible, terrible bonus features. Terrible.
The movie’s awesome though.
"Saturday Night Fever" is on sale May 5, 2009 and is rated R. Drama, Romance. Directed by John Badham. Written by Norman Wexler. Starring John Travolta, Karen Lynn Gorney.
