Adrian Lyne’s 1983 hit follows the trials and tribulations of a Pittsburgh steelworker/exotic dancer. Alex Owens’ (Jennifer Beals) life is modest and in need of a change. As she works toward her dream career, ballet dancer, she finds that many obstacles will stand in her way.
The story, as a whole, has the ability to appeal to both men and women. While Alex and her friends are exotic dancers (a profession that many might consider demeaning), each woman possesses a strong will, allowing female viewers the ability to admire the journey Alex goes on. For men, their admiration for this film is quite simple, it gets up close and personal with the female body. Beyond the fact that the majority of the film follows exotic dancers around the city of Pittsburgh, not much appeals to the men who were forced to watch this film with their significant others. The only saving grace of the film was the fact that music director Giorgio Moroder managed to throw together a rather compelling soundtrack. These were the only attractive aspects of the film, and nearly everything else left much to be desired.
Lyne struggled to put together a structured story. Little of what took place made sense and, as a whole, very little even took place. Moreover, it seemed that nearly every time Owens appeared in a scene, she was either throwing something at someone or cursing at them. Her inability to appreciate anything the others did for her was abominable, making her one of the least appealing characters in film history. What the film provided in nudity and music, Owens took away. Flashdance was simply a flash in the pan and lacked depth, making it a colossal disappointment.
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