Amazon.com essential video: Saturday Night Fever is one of those movies that comes along and seems to change the cultural temperature in a flash. After the movie's release in 1977, disco ruled the dance floors, and a blow-dried member of a TV-sitcom ensemble became the hottest star in the country. For all that, the story is conventional: a 19-year-old Italian-American from Brooklyn, Tony Manero (John Travolta), works in a humble paint store and lives with his family. After dark, he becomes the polyester-clad stallion of the local nightclub; Tony's brother, a priest, observes that when Tony hits the dance floor, the crowd parts like the Red Sea before Moses. Director John Badham captures the electric connection between music and dance, and also the desperation that lies beneath Tony's ambitions to break out of his limited world. The soundtrack, which spawned a massively successful album, is dominated by the disco classics of the Bee Gees, including "Staying Alive" (Travolta's theme during the strutting opening) and "Night Fever." The Oscar-nominated Travolta, plucked from the cast of Welcome Back, Kotter, for his first starring role, is incandescent and unbelievably confident, and his dancing is terrific. Oh, and the white suit rules. (Note: Saturday Night Fever was cut from its original R-rated version after its initial release in order to obtain a PG rating. The PG version is 11 minutes shorter and is missing parts of scenes and some street talk. Both versions are available on video.) --Robert Horton
Customer Reviews
Average Rating:
Rating: - the 1970's disco era
one of my favorites. great movie & music. missing a lot of features. the features shown are good. j. travolta is not seen in interviews. still missing a lot of deleted scenes. my VHS copy taken off from TV have lots of important scenes. i hope they'll release another special edition featuring more material. an enjoyable movie & love it. ****
Rating: - Enjoyable but not great
Travolta is a great actor, no dout and his acting is the best part of the movie. He absorbs the role perfectly.
I enjoyed Staying Alive more.
Seeing the cultural decadance of the era in both movies is not fun but both were enjoyable.
Rating: - Modern
While the movie is more apt to be recalled for its impact on American pop culture, few who watch the movie will ever see beyond the admittedly fantastic dance sequences. As a result, many people might never recognize Saturday Night Fever as perhaps one of the best movies ever made about class struggles among white ethnics. While his quick study under Denny Terrio for those dance sequences showed a great deal of determination, Travolta's Tony Manero shines in so many other way. The looks of embarrassment and exasperation that his character expresses when confronted with the possibility of working ... Read More
Rating: - Perennial Favorite
I must've seen this moved at least 20 times before I decided to buy it. Travolta at his very best. Plus the music and dancing are spectacular. All with a believable coming-of-age story. Worth every penny. I'll show it to my grandkids when they're old enough. One, at 3, is already into music big time.
Rating: - Nice Music, Lousy Story
I am a Bee Gees fan, and I loved the music! The dancing was good but not great. The story and acting were terribe! The foul language was unnecessary.
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