The year is 1978 and Grease has just made its way into theaters and its about to be the “biggest grossing movie musical in film history, grossing more than $340 million dollars at box offices around the world” (Swartz). The film tells the typical story of two love struck teenagers who are vastly different from one another. Showing that opposites can attract, greaser Danny Zuko and goody-two shoes Sandy Olsen fall in love over the summer only to be reunited for their senior year of high school. However, when the school year starts up again thats when their trials and tribulations really begin, with peer pressure keeping them apart. Looking through a New Historic and Feminist lens of the 1978 film adaption of the musical, Grease, sex, love, and …show more content…
The main protagonists of the film, Sandy and Danny are two teens of opposite backgrounds that fall in love. In the movie however we see other relationships between the friends of the Pink Ladies and the T-Birds, particularly Pink Ladies leader Rizzo and her partner greaser Kenickie. As a romantic comedy viewers of the film would be anticipating some fun loving romance which is prominent in this movie. As a musical as well a lot of the comedy and heartwarming ideas are brought to viewers through song and dance. The musical numbers help to advance the narrative of the movie and elaborate on what the film’s characters are feeling and thinking. “On its own terms, Grease works very well, as well as any good pop song. It's got rhythm. It's about love” (Zelevinsky). Overall this movie was effective in portraying its genre. Grease revived and created a new emphasis on teenage …show more content…
In the 50s girls were supposed to be well behaved, prim, proper, buoyant, and all things lady-like. However, in the 1970s, “Fashion designers promoted a new sensuality, producing miniskirts, hot pants, halter tops, and formfitting clothes designed to accentuate women's sexuality” (Changing Sexual Morality). In the last scene of the film when Sandy turns into a dare-I-say bad ass, her skin tight leather pants and red pumps made all the eyes in the audience widen. Her change of dress from the frilly poodle “is not a descent into decadence for Sandy; it is a throwing open of the doors of her moral prison” (Scott). From scene also depicts Sandy as being more confident and outgoing then she has been throughout the movie. The reticent sweetheart turned into a woman who knows what she wants…hence the song that the duo Sandy and Danny go on to sing, “You Are the One That I Want”. In the song also Sandy is claiming that to her heart she must be true, this allows for her to take ownership of herself and is ready to move onto this more progressive era. “Sandy isn’t just saved by how she dresses; she’s saved by singing rock and roll. It isn’t until she can achieve the authenticity and sexual frankness of rock and roll, that she can be healed.” While some may argue that this can’t fully be associated with a feminist text since she