Tonight at 8:15 p.m. the ultimate dance film will be shown on arte – with a soundtrack that won’t get out of your head any time soon. Our author Monta Alaine tells you why “Saturday Night Fever” is so important and worth seeing.
What would the dazzling 70s be without bell bottoms, lava lamps, drugs and of course disco? The disco wave rolled over the party-loving teens of the 70s almost overnight. And responsible for your parents swinging their hips and arms on glowing dance floors, is a film, is a soundtrack, is a star: “Saturday Night Fever”. The Bee Gees. John Travolta.
Without John Badham’s “Saturday Night Fever”, the 70s would not have been what they were: The film ensured that disco music had finally reached the masses and pretty much everyone wanted to dress up in glittery clothes and groove in the strobe lights. Clever marketing was not least responsible for the huge success: Part of the soundtrack was released before the film’s release and got the hype rolling. Catchy tunes like “Stayin’ Alive”, “Night Fever” and of course the great ballad “How deep is your Love” remain stubbornly present in radio playlists to this day and “Stayin’ Alive” was voted 9th among the best US film songs of all time by the American Film Institute.
If you want the ultimate 70s flair in your living room, can switch on arte this evening at 8:15 p.m., watch “Saturday Night Fever” and practice a few steps with John Travolta. This is worthwhile not only because the cult film is shown without advertising, but also because you can otherwise only stream the cult film on Paramount+ or Amazon’s Paramount Channel and have to pay for it outside of the seven-day trial subscription.
“Saturday Night Fever” auf Paramount+*
Loser On The Dancefloor
The 70s were much more than disco: it was a time of upheaval and a time of great uncertainty, especially among young people. Young Americans in particular were disillusioned by the Vietnam War and did not know what to do with themselves, which is evident in films such as “The Deer Hunter” and “Taxi Driver”. The anti-hero was born.
We have one of those here with Tony Manero, the character played by John Travolta: a charismatic good-for-nothing, the failure of his family, who works for a few dollars an hour in a paint shop and only lives for the weekend. Things get hot in “2001” on Saturdays in particular: He plays with his buddies, picks up girls, cracks jokes and, of course, dances. Because on the dance floor Tony can really let go, he is the hero he can’t be in real life.
Behind the disco ball facade things are crumbling
But everyday life cannot stay outside of his glittering disco world forever, there are the abysses between the dance moves: There is not only the incredibly good dancer Stephanie (Karen Lynn Gorney), in front of whom he first becomes aware of his own inadequacy. There are also his rowdy friends, there is racism and sexism, there are rapes, there are unwanted pregnancies.
“Saturday Night Fever” was supposed to be a study of the milieu in the heart of Brooklyn, based on an article that appeared in New York Magazine. Author and music journalist Nick Cohn later admitted to having made up the article – which doesn’t necessarily mean that things couldn’t have been just as rough in the New York disco scene. On the Blu-ray of the film you will find extensive bonus material with background information on the “real Saturday Night Fever” – and even a dance tutorial with John Cassesse.
“Saturday Night Fever” as Blu-ray on Amazon*
For the cinema release, Paramount had to cut 5 minutes in order to get the film approved for minors: The film contained too many swear words and explicit scenesToday you can easily see the unabridged version, but it is by no means easy – at least not for people who value women. They are constantly devalued and treated like dirt.
You can still watch “Saturday Night Fever” today, if only for the moves, the looks and the 70s feeling. And then, of course, there is John Travolta, who didn’t win an Oscar for his performance, but became an icon. This classic also provided the perfect backdrop for a no less iconic dance scene 16 years later, without any disco, but with Uma Thurman.
By the way: John Travolta turned down a role that earned Denzel Washington an Oscar nomination. You can find out which film it is in the following article:
“She’s not good enough”: John Travolta turned down role that earned Denzel Washington an Oscar nomination
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