Where I Watched it: Paramount Plus

English Audio Description?: Yes

Admittedly, this is my first time feeling like a maniac on the dance floor. I suppose in the grand scheme, had I known my blindness was coming, I might have tried to knock some of these “classics” out. I say classics, because I think this is remembered for something other than being a great cinematic work of art.

I just am not the right age to have been able to see this theatrically, and the culture in the film just flew over my head. I literally had to take to my social media to ask why people loved this enough to keep it around all these years as a de facto classic.

Because, ultimately, standing the test of time is what makes a true classic. Many films have been praised critically upon release and seemingly disappeared as the years moved on. Films that were never on a trajectory to become a classic, suddenly develop cult followings. The system often doesn’t start to show you what the possibility will be for at least ten years.

Flashdance just isn’t a good film. An exotic dancer who also moonlights as a steel worker dreams of one day being a real true trained professional dancer. Aside from that weird thing where she’s working with blow torches, that logline works just fine, and similar films have used that to drive their story. The rest of this film, the rest of the cast, any side plots they have, all of that is pretty awful. A super cut of Jennifer Beals seemingly in a film all by herself would be amazing.

But, as my people on the socials let me know, no one really remembered this for being an Oscar caliber work. It’s the soundtrack mixed with the timing. The constant stream of radio friendly hits in an MTV era. This was, after all, right when MTV and music videos really started to become a prominent force, and the music attached to films often became a great marketing tool. You could cut a music video with scenes from your movie, and MTV basically gave you free advertising.

So while I didn’t like it, it’s not my period, and it’s not my dance film. one day, someone younger than me might ask me to explain Save The Last Dance, and I might sympathize with the Flashdance lovers. I mean, for me, the latter is a much better film. Julia Stiles has a clearer narrative that makes more sense and her cast can act. but, hey Flashdance has fans, and it has audio description.

That’s really the most important thing, because in a movie where honestly the dialogue is pointless, the dancing is such a huge focal point. the narration does a strong job of trying to bring the dances set to the random pop hits to life. Also, if I’m being honest, the audio description also reveals how awful the audio for the film has been preserved over the years. I know technology was different back then, but it really sounds like people in this film aren’t properly miked. Whoever was holding that boom is very suspect. On top of that, is the preservation aspect, and whether or not anyone has bothered to attempt any restoration. Based on what I listened to, they have not.

So while the audio description might be the third best thing about this film after Jennifer Beals and the pop songs, Flashdance just is something that feels like a classic I will just have to agree to disagree. Believe me, I have more shocking classics I’m not a fan of than Flashdance.

Final Grade: C-