Review of Saturday Night Fever (1977) by Rj M — 27 May 2009

The movie that made John Travolta a superstar, and ushered in the heyday of disco. There is probably no movie out there that captures the look and feel of the late 70's. From the outside, it's easy to dismiss this movie as about nothing other than polyester clothes and lighted dance floors.

But it's actually a character study of a guy who is content to go nowhere, until he finds that he doesn't like where he's at. Travolta and his buddies in this movie are actually not likeable guys.

The movie also focuses on heavy subject matters including suicide and rape. But the thread that runs through it all, of course, is the music. It's not the best selling movie soundtrack in history for nothing.

It's hard to imagine what was bigger, the movie or the music by The Bee Gees. The movie is basically a time capsule. The 70's were unlike any time in American history, and for anyone that is too young to know what it was like, here's the chance to find out.