Ludicrous. Alexandra lives in Pittsburgh. By day she works as a welder. By night she is an erotic dancer. But she has aspirations to be a ballet dancer. And her boss at the steel mill fancies her. Plot-wise, that’s about it. This is one of the most extreme examples of “film as extended pop video”. There’s minimal dialogue. One scene combines three different musical segments without any speaking at all.
Being a true 1980s film, it’s full of references to social mobility. Jennifer Beals is OK as the pretty 18-year-old who dreams big and still looks immaculate after a long day of welding. The Giorgio Moroder soundtrack is a perfect window into the time. Irene Cara sings the main theme (“What a Feeling”), further linking this film to Fame, which it partly emulates (Irene Cara sang that theme too).
But there’s something not quite right about Flashdance: the ethics are all over the place and the male lead (Michael Nouri) is merely adequate in an underdeveloped part. The sub-plot about the failed comedian goes nowhere. And the pivotal dance-academy audition scene at the end falls flat because you can tell it’s a body double – and not Beals – doing the dancing. It’s a bit of a turkey, really, and it makes Dirty Dancing look like a masterpiece. It grossed $201 million.
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