Flashdance
The dream is eternal - The film is an image of what the 1980s were, of Pittsburgh in the 1980s, this temple of heavy industry coming to an end and starting to look for a new future, due to its industrial crisis. Yet this film has not lost any charm and meaning. The young Alex, an 18 year old girl, is the symbol of this city, an industrial worker during the day and a dancer at night, with a dream : to join the ballet company of the city. Industry producing art. Industrial work producing the dream of art. Alex is a willful young woman who follows the road of her desire, if not ambition, but keeping her ethics pure all along. Pure by looking for love and not pure pleasure. Pure by refusing any favor in her quest and longing for a victory that can be called her own because it owes nothing to anyone and any help from outside herself. Pure because she salvages her friend from becoming a gogo girl in a shady place where dancing is just some kind of dressing for enticing prostitution. Pure because she finds her energy in an old friendship with an old dancer who is encouraging her in getting started and competing for an audition that could open the door to a new artistic life. Pure because she is not soiled by all those who would like to drag her down into the mud of selling her young beauty and art to the gloating eyes of perverse and lustful males. And she can succeed because she never lets her dream die. In life the dream is the almighty sign on the road to epiphany and Alex will meet with this epiphany of hers, the one she has dreamed of for years and she can find only in the energy that comes from her mind and her body, from her unconquerable soul. This film has not aged in spite of all the changes that have occurred in our societies. The dream is the energizing force that leads the way, too often of some Cross, to transcendency. Dr Jacques COULARDEAU
The Dance Electric - I think I ve seen Flashdance at least 20 times to date, considering I saw it in the theaters dozens of times when it came out in 83. I watched it again recently and I never seem to tire of it. I guess by now it holds a special place in my heart, a sort of sentimental movie that brings me back to my younger years. I can practically recite the whole movie. The music is fantastic of course. My favourite scenes are when Alex and her boss are being romantic and the song Lady is playing, and also when Alex is riding her bike home on a rainy night and the boss is following her home. Talk about romantic. The dancing in the movie is also fabulous. I liked all the numbers they did at the bar, Tina Tech rocked the house!!! I also like the fashion in Flashdance. It started alot of trends, sort of that nu-wave grunge thing. Jennifer Beals did a fantastic job in this film, and so did the rest of the cast. Flashdance still rocks so get out that old cut off sweater, put on a headband and watch the coolest dance movie of all time.
Great movie from the 80s - I ll just say the music helped a lot to make this movie great. If it wasn t the for the music the movie probably would be nothing. I mean great dancing definitly at the end. The end of the movie is probably my favorite part out of the whole movie.
So very 80 s! - I was 15 when this movie came out, and it was the catalyst for a cultural revolution. It completely changed the music and fashions of the times and truly defined the 80 s. During the summer it was released (summer of 83), you couldn t listen to the radio for more than an hour without hearing Maniac or the Flashdance theme song at least four times. All the girls, myself included, emulated Jennifer Beals s style of dress in the movie: cut-up sweatshirt, tight mini skirts, high stiletto heels. This movie cause an absolute furor!You cannot watch this movie and not want to dance! I should also mention that it caused a huge fitness craze, with leg-warmer-clad women flocking to the gyms and the aerobics studios in droves. I suspect it s what encouraged Jane Fonda to churn out all those aerobics videos in the 80 s.As much as I adore this movie, it bothers me in the fact that it holds an ambivalent attitude toward women. On one hand, it empowers women, as evidenced by Alex Owens s (Jennifer Beals) ambition, drive, and independence. But on the other, it exploits them: Many of the men view women as nothing more than sex objects. The saddest part comes when Alex s ice-skater friend Jeannie loses all faith in herself after falling during a crucial competition and resorts to working at the local strip club.Its treatment of men is none too just, either. It sends out the message that wimpy but good-hearted men like Richie Blazik, the cook-cum-stand-up comedian, will always come in last, and sleazeballs like strip-club proprietor Johnny C. always succeed in their evil ways without retribution. To wit: his goon busted Richie in the nose, and it was he, Johnny C., who wheedled Jeannie into stripping at the club. He even ends up as her man! Go figure! (What decent man allows his girlfriend to work as a stripper?). I think the scales were trying to be balanced by the addition of Nick Hurley, the guy who hailed from the rough streets of Pittsburgh to make good. He was truly a knight in shining armor, but he is ineffectual at best.For anyone who wants to take a trip back to the 80 s, this is THE movie for you!
Something missing . . . - Paramount did a fine job upgrading the sound and video for dvd, but made no effort at all in special features. This is something dvd collectors have come to expect, so this disc is a disappointment.