Oh, what a feeling it must be for fans of Flashdance who get to celebrate the film’s 40th anniversary in 4K fashion. Yes, the iconic dance film has received the Dolby Vision treatment that allows it to keep its filmic feel, while also allowing the visuals to pop in ways they haven’t been able to in prior releases. The materials of the outfits are fantastically detailed, the up-close shots of the characters from head to toe during the dance sequences, from beads of sweat to goosebumps, are well-defined and incredibly clear, and the darker club scenes have a less distracting visual with richer blacks here. Yes, there’s a lot to love here for fans of the film, but what about for those who may not have seen this movie yet?
There are a number of iconic movies that have slipped through the cracks over the years – especially from back in the ‘80s and prior – that I know all about but just haven’t ever watched, and Flashdance was one of them. I knew about body doubles during dance scenes, I knew about the lead character pulling on a rope and having a bucket of water splash down on her, and I was sure there was a dance scene in a warehouse, but that just ended up being where the film’s lead, Alexandra Owens (Jennifer Beals), lived. Well, she lived in a place that was a warehouse prior, I clearly just had my mind thinking Flashdance had a similar scene to Footloose, where a frustrated Kevin Bacon lets loose and dances in a warehouse, which just isn’t the case.
I’d say the most iconic moment is the bucket of water splashing down on Alex’s arched body sitting in a chair, and low and behold that’s one of the first scenes in the film. I thought for sure that’d be a more climactic moment towards the end, but here we were. It’s a great dance scene, and I’d say the best in the movie from a character standpoint, as it shows how carefree this woman is when she’s dancing, and we don’t even know her yet.
Now, they do call Alex an exotic dancer, but that sounds more like she’s a stripper (which is something she’s intensely against), when aside from the initial dance with the water, where she’s in lingerie and soaked, the remaining dances throughout the film at this club are more interpretive. She’s more of a cabaret dancer, as there aren’t many items of clothing being discarded, nor is there money being slid into any garments. It feels like these women are there to put on a show for the customers in nice outfits, but they’re doing it artistically and telling a story. She later explains it’s a way for her to be free for the few minutes she’s on stage, so she can escape her reality and just be herself.
She explains this to her new boyfriend, Nick (Michael Nouri), who also happens to be her boss. During the day Alex makes a living as a welder at a Pittsburgh steel mill, and at night, that’s where she gets to go to the club with her friends and dance. When does she sleep? Unknown, but the love story in Flashdance is just bizarre, creepy, and lacking complete chemistry. Nick’s age isn’t mentioned, but it’s clear he’s in his mid-30s, he’s already divorced, and he’s her boss, while Alex is an 18-year-old who he becomes infatuated with after watching her dance soaking wet at the start of the film.
In fact, the storyline in Flashdance is the movie’s weakest link. There’s definitely a coherent story that could be told here, and Alex is a great character; however, nothing about anything is really clear as to why it’s happening, and so we’re left with paper-thin characters who often irritatingly interact between fun, upbeat dance numbers. Why is this 18-year-old young woman working as a welder amongst an abundance of middle-aged men? What led her to that specific job with it being such a harsh contrast to what she wants to do, which is to become a ballerina? Where is her family? Why is this thirty-something-year-old guy falling for this young woman when it’s clear they have nothing in common with one another? Why does she want to be with him?
There’s just no real story or depth to be found here, as their relationship is hot and cold. Alex goes to the ballet with her friend and sees Nick getting into a car with another woman. It’s clear this is his wife and Alex reacts accordingly by following them to his home on her bike and throwing a rock through his window. He confronts her at work the next day and she blows up on him saying she saw him with the other woman, and he says that was his ex-wife, who he sees once a year to go to this benefit. She feels silly, he hugs her and then the construction workers on site cheer in celebration that their 18-year-old co-worker and their boss made up and walked off arm-in-arm. Just very odd stuff because there’s no logic to their relationship in the first place. I was hoping that was his wife he was with and that he was just using Alex as a fling, which would cause her to get away from him and press forward to fulfilling her dreams on her own – alas, that was nowhere near the case.
Flashdance was a surprise hit back in 1983 (it was the third highest grossing film of the year!), but it could have been, and should have been, a better movie overall. The character of Alex deserved better, and it’s clear that Beals was more than capable of taking things to a deeper, more emotional level. There are brief glimpses of this throughout, but they’re quickly buried under the relationship subplot between her and Nick, and the movie is worse because of it.
Flashdance has some great dance scenes, and a soundtrack full of songs that will have you moving in your seat while they play out – including Irene Cara’s “What a Feeling,” which won an Academy Award for Best Original Song – but it’s lacking in character and story, so if you’re thinking of checking this out for the first time, be aware of that in advance. For those who are already fans of the movie then this 4K release is a no-brainer pick-up and a must-have in your collection.
4K Blu-ray Video and Audio Review:
The movie looks great in this 2160p/Dolby Vision upgrade, leaving its previous Blu-ray release in the dust and becoming the go-to purchase for fans of the film, or those who look to pick up the movie for one reason or another in the future. As mentioned in the review the natural look of the film comes through cleanly, albeit with the filmic stylings that help keep the feel of the times. The dark scenes are rich, and the colours are nice and full, even though the film is often more neutral in its tones.
On the audio side of things we have the DTS-HD Master Audio 5.1 lossless track from the previous Blu-ray release. There’s plenty of surround sound found here with the city coming alive while Alex is biking around, or working at the steel mill; however, the real selling point is the film’s soundtrack, which blasts through from all angles in wonderfully clear fashion.
Special Features:
The special features are found on the Blu-ray disc in this release (the Blu-ray is also remastered on the video side) and I’ll list the features below:
Filmmaker Focus – This is a featurette that’s just under 6-minutes in length and sees Director Adrian Lyne look back on the film, the casting choices, how it’s held up over the years, the story and its themes, as well as creating the dance at the start of the film with the water.
The Look of Flashdance – This feature is just over 9-minutes in length and focuses on the film’s look, style and outfits.
Releasing the Flashdance Phenomenon – This feature is just under 9-minutes in length and touches on the film’s surprising successful box-office run and how it’s become such an iconic and known film.
Theatrical Trailer
Paramount Pictures Presents Flashdance. Directed by: Adrian Lyne. Written by: Thomas Hedley Jr., Joe Eszterhas. Starring: Jennifer Beals, Michael Nouri, Lilia Skala, Sunny Johnson, Philip Bruns. Running time: 95 Minutes. Rating: 14A. Released on 4K Blu-ray: May 9, 2023.
About Brendan Campbell
