STAYING ALIVE

US, 1983, 93 minutes, Colour.
John Travolta, Cynthia Rhodes, Finola Hughes, Steve Inwood, Julie Bovasso.
Directed by Sylvester Stallone.

Staying Alive is a sequel to Saturday Night Fever. It is set five years after the original. Once again, John Travolta plays Tony Manero. This time he has moved from Brooklyn to Manhattan, is auditioning for musicals and is unsuccessful. However, throughout this film he achieves great success.

The story is a musical parallel to writer-director Sylvester Stallone's Rocky series. In fact, Travolta seems a surrogate dancer and younger athletic type for Stallone. He is the loner, hurts others, becomes
infatuated with a British dancer, flaunts his macho image and his isolation - but returns to his mother, breaks with the English dancer, tries to make up with his girlfriend, tries to find the gentleman within him. It is conventional material - and critics tended to be unanimously against the treatment. However, it was very popular at the box office.

John Travolta is very fit for his athletic, aerobic style modern ballet. Cynthia Rhodes is very good as his girlfriend - actress, singer. dancer. Finola Hughes (from London's Cats and the film Nutcracker) is the English dancer.

There is a lot of Bee Gees music - but more from Stallone's brother Frank who appears as Carl. Popular early 80s material.

1. The impact of the film in itself, as a musical, picture of Tony Manero? As a sequel to Saturday Night Fever? How many echoes of the original? Pallid echoes and memories? Not the gritty toughness of the original - the transition to Manhattan, music, success? A film of the '80s?

2. The work of Sylvester Stallone and the parallels with Rocky? Tony as a Rocky character? ordinary, down and out, making a comeback, challenges and fights, winning by knockout? Travolta as vicarious dancer for Stallone?

3. The music: the Bee Gees music, the theme and its use in the final credits? Frank Stallone's music? The dancing and choreography - the presentation of Satan's Alley - staging, choreography, lighting and special effects, the modern aerobic style ballet?

4. The conventional plot material - how well treated? Sympathy, insight? Corresponding to young audiences of the '80s?

5. New York, Manhattan, the contrast with Brooklyn, apartments, dance studios, nightclubs, the theatre, Broadway? The streets of New York?

6. John Travolta's presence as Tony? The film's focus on him - close-ups, his brooding, moods, dancing? The finale with his walking the streets alone contemplating his success? The opening credits and his dancing, the auditions and his failure? Relationship with Jackie, love? His envy of her having a role in the chorus? His taking the people for dancing and exercise? His attitude towards relationships and commitments? Boorish? Macho image and standards? His apartment and its dinginess? waiting for messages - the porter reading the paper, the old people not sharing his joy when he got the part? The infatuation with Laura, following her, talking in her dressing-room, shutting the door in his face? The brief affair? His expectations? outing with her, the night with her, her asking him to leave? Following her? Her presence at the audition? The party and his white suit? His going? Her treating him as he treated Jackie? The audition, his decision to take over the central role. Jackie's training him, the offer to the director, people laughing at him and his walking out, the director's challenge, his return and success? His visiting Jackie at the nightclubs, standing her up? His visit to his mother, his feeling guilty, talking about success boorishness, gentleman? Her going to the musical and applauding him? Success? The clash with Laura during rehearsals, during performance and her scratching him, his solo and asking her to jump for the finale? His final walking the streets? Portrait of an '80s loner wanting to make good - and succeeding?

7. John Travolta's credibility, character, charm? Audiences relating to his experience? Admiring his dancing ability?

8. The emphasis on dancing, auditions, credits, rehearsals, performance? Modern dance styles and their sweaty stylising? Themes - hell and seduction, salvation?

9. Tony's mother and her welcoming him, not understanding him, the importance of their heart-to-heart talk? His realisation that he hadn't changed - but wanted to?

10. The portrait of Jackie: pleasant, patient, a good dancer, her talent, singing in the nightclubs, friendship with Carl? Love for Tony? Stood up by him, hurt? Watching him with Laura? Helping him rehearse for the central part? Sharing his happiness? The heart to-heart talk at the end?

11. The contrast with Laura: the British star., her skills, ego, self-confidence, reaction to Tony in the dressing-room, the night with him, on and off, the rehearsals. the audition, her boyfriends and the party, limousines, snubbing him? The fight at the audition, the fight during the performance, his equivalently K.O-ing her, her losing, part of his success, her wise nod as she left at the end?

12. Sylvester Stallone's writing and staging the confrontation between Laura and Tony as a knockout battle?

13. The director and his relationship with Laura, interest in talent, interest in Tony, challenging him, success? Butler and his skill at dancing, mechanical, being replaced? Carl and his friendship with Jackie? Tony's hostile reaction?

14. Eighties entertainment? Critics not in favour? Audiences in favour? An exploration of conventional values in contemporary setting?