MovieChat Forums > Saturday Night Fever (1977) Discussion > Tony and Stephanie at the bridge

Tony and Stephanie at the bridge


I really feel for tony during this scene. It really hits the spot because we really see this side of Tony that we haven't seen before...
One thing I've always asked myself though, when he tells Stephanie that he comes there a lot because he gets "ideas" or daydreams a lot by looking at the bridge, does this mean he often contemplates suicide?
I always think this because he tears up just after he says it and Stephanie kisses him in way of saying not to worry. Daydreaming about his life and getting ideas (to me) suggests thinking about jumping off the bridge...

Thoughts?

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It's a very powerful scene. At the time John Travolta was going out with Diana Hyland, the mother on Eight Is Enough, who was dying of cancer and you could see his pain and sorrow.

I never got the suicide vibe from the "ideas and daydreams" line while looking at the Varrazano Bridge. His life was pretty sad at that point. He lived at home, he worked in a paint store, he never thought about going to college, his friends were losers and his one escape from reality was the weekend when he danced at 2001 Odyssey where he was worshiped for his dance skills.

Until he met Stephanie all his aspiration where just that "ideas and daydreams." He had accepted his life. She motivated him to look at his life and rather than accepted failure to go do something and make the necessary changes.

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In this very tender scene-which comes right after another very significant scene in which Stephanie is humiliated by an older guy/affair -the portraits of the two characters are reversed.Stephanie is no longer the intellectual manipulator who looks down on people in terms of education and residence.She can be vulnerable and exposed,too.And Tony may very well not be concerned with just women and dancing but he can also be an expert on a part of his homeland,which is the bridge.In other words,these two persons are not that far apart from each other as they thought they were.
Now about the ''daydreams by looking at the bridge''-his tone,in my opinion,indicates more like he'd like to use it as a passage to another way of life.Badham's commentary in fact points out that the bridge is a link between two worlds in NY.Maybe the idea of jumping once existed into a 20 year old frustrated kid,as the idea of suicide in general(remember where he imitates hanging himself with his brother's gift to him?).
But eventually there was another person who had the fatal obsession about the bridge with the fatal ending.Another story for another thread.

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All of this is pretty good analysis. I read somewhere that a "bridge" in any film, often, is a sign that a character is contemplating suicide. Did Tony ever do that, we don't really know. But Bobby certainly did.

"You can just stand there and let him kick your ass!" Karate Kid III

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OMG, I think you might be right. What a very sad and emotional scene... :(

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No, I believe it was a bonding moment for them. She clearly had aspirations to make her life better, but in this scene he showed that he did as well.

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It's such a lovely scene,

She is basically the same as Tony but has somewhat 'gotten out' but you learn throughout that she really just has a basic secretary job but is surrounded by big shots and meets famous people but she is still struggling and it's implied she did a Weinstein and sold her self to get ahead.

But like she say's 'what the hell am i supposed to do' all these people are kind of hopeless with everything against them so she played the only hand she could and is ashamed when Tony finds out.

She is a bit like Rita in Educating Rita wanting to escape her low status but we see that Rich bloke make bit of a cruel comment about the books when shes trying to impress him. She realises that no matter how hard she try she will never truly be a part of the class she aspires to but she doesn't want to be like the Tony's either even though thats what she really is

Tony and her are kindred though as he may not be educated but he is somewhat intelligent and thoughtful and in the park scene her delusions are smashed and they are both so vulnerable she finally sees him as an equal rather than enjoy him looking up to her

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