If you’re an educator, it’s essential to understand the cultural significance of Saturday Night Fever, a landmark feature film that was released in 1977.
Set in the late 1970s Brooklyn, the movie features Tony Manero (John Travolta), a 19-year-old who works as a paint store employee during the day and becomes a disco king at night. The film follows Tony’s obsession for dance and his quest to win a dance contest as he navigates relationships and societal expectations.
While the movie is a classic example of disco-era style and music, it’s also a reflection of the changing social landscape of the 1970s and provides a lens to examine the societal changes since that time.
Here are some ways that you can use Saturday Night Fever in your curriculum:
1. Understanding cultural impacts
Saturday Night Fever is an excellent example of how pop culture can impact societal values and customs. You can use the movie as a starting point to discuss how disco music and fashion influenced society and how it was perceived by mainstream culture.
For instance, you can talk about how the film portrayed a new generation of young Americans and how it impacted society’s views on gender roles, racial tensions, and sexual liberation.
2. Examining themes in the 1970s
In the 1970s, many critical social issues such as racial equality, the feminist movement, and LGBTQ rights were gaining more significant attention. Saturday Night Fever provides a glimpse into this social landscape and can be used to examine how those issues were portrayed and addressed in popular culture.
You can discuss the portrayal of women in Saturday Night Fever and how disco culture presented new opportunities for female empowerment. You can also discuss the film’s portrayal of racial tensions such as the divide between the Italian-American community and other marginalized groups in Brooklyn.
3. Insight into filmmaking
Saturday Night Fever was a significant film in many ways, including its innovative use of music to enhance the film’s storytelling. You can use the film to teach students about film techniques, such as how the disco music was used to progress scenes and foreshadow plot developments.
You can also discuss the film’s use of color and cinematography, as well as how it helped to create an immersive experience for the viewer.
In conclusion, Saturday Night Fever is an important film that provides a glimpse into the culture of the late 1970s. Its themes and impact are relevant to today’s society, and as an educator, it’s important to use films like this to help students develop critical thinking skills about our culture’s past, present, and future.
