Forever Fever, A Critical Analysis

Arjun Kumar, A0184303M, Group 42

‘Forever Fever’, the instant hit Singapore movie is centred around the life of Ah

Hock, a grocery store worker who belongs to a typical conservative Chinese family of

that age. The film is set during 1977, put forth in the film universe by the release of

the Hollywood film 'Saturday Night Fever' renamed as 'Forever Fever'. 'Saturday

Night Fever' was well acclaimed worldwide and it swept through Singapore as the

biggest hit of the period. The lasting impact of this Hollywood movie is not only

shown by its pivotal role in 'Forever Fever' but in fact, 'Forever Fever' itself can be

described as a renamed version of it. It hugely draws from the movie in terms of the

storyline, the main difference that sets the movies apart is that the Singaporean

counterpart ends in a rather positive note. This is also supported by the fact that the

film was released under a different name 'I like it like that' in the United States. The

theme of the story is based on the protagonist's desire for his dream motorbike, the

dance competition that he comes across by fate, and the movie that acts as an

initiatory bridge between the dance competition and his dream. This main plot is

sprinkled with drama, romance, and battle.

Now that the theme of the film is set, let's look at it from the perspective of the

society. Singapore had only just become independent in terms of the timeframe that

the film is based on. Following independence was heavy modernization not just

infrastructurally but of the very psyche of the population. This was foreshadowed by

the gradual decline of the local film industry. The golden era of Singapore was from

the late 1940s until the early 1970s. This was taken over by imported Hollywood

films.[1]

[1] - "The Golden Era Of Singapore Cinema" 2018

And Hollywood films were a vital part of the modernization that was characteristic of

this period. And modernization was heavily associated with westernization. This is

portrayed in various instances across the movie. The family's effort to maintain

conservative values and the children's opposition to it. Ah Beng, Hock's brother, who

changes his name to Leslie and opts for a gender transformation is a stark or rather

extreme example of this. This conflict is not only within families but also within the

protagonist as well, but here it takes a different turn where a superiority value is

ascribed towards western values and notions. When the girl in the dance class that

Hock is attracted to, asks him his name he thinks over it and replies as Tony, not

revealing his real name, and is subsequently embarrassed when his friend calls out

his actual name. He also idolises the ‘Saturday Night Fever’s star Trever Noah who

appears to him like a vision from the cinema screen to offer him life advice.

Paradoxically this is contrasted by showing the hero's idolization of Bruce Lee and

Kung Fu on the other side, but when looked closely, this was a period when Kung Fu

itself entered into the western, and specifically American pop culture. A very popular

song worldwide and inherently in Singapore, called 'Everybody is kung-fu fighting'

by Carl Douglas, was a sensation in Singapore during the 70s. So what appears as an

embracing of Asian identity itself stems as a reflection of Hollywood's changing face

with the popularity of Bruce Lee and Kung Fu. And hence the reinforcement of the

superior attitude that Hollywood and the west held for the people. But at the same

time, the popularity of Kung Fu and Bruce Lee slowly paved the way for more

inclusiveness of Asians in American culture.

Singapore at this time also wanted to curb discos and foreign influence as this was

the period following widespread hippie revolution. And Singapore government were

strict in enforcing rules for the apparent general interest of the Singapore society.
Though a famous disco was shut down because of the alleged drug trade, disco

culture flourished during this period just like it did in the west. [2] This is seen in the

general attitudes of the friends and the portrayal of its popularity. Many other

instances of the western influence seeping in shown in the friends going for regular

bowling and also on the costume that the hero chooses for the dance competition

that mimics the star of the Hollywood hit 'Saturday Night Fever'.

We thus constantly see throughout the film, the heavy influx of western notions into

the society that is carried on by the characters and revolted by the elderly in some

notable instances. Thus more than an emphasis on creating nostalgia, the film puts

focus on showing the actual happening of that time through the characters, that I

would consider even an embracing of westernization and its association with

modernity. This was indeed the situation as can be pointed to by the increase in the

viewership of Hollywood films and music and the decline of local cinema and

music.[3]

The film mostly garnered positive reviews locally and also worldwide among critical

reviews as well. It was indeed the first successful international Singapore film. Kevin

Thomas of the Los Angeles Times called it "a tale that's sweet-natured, funny and

surprisingly touching". He also describes the film's use of American music as

empowering to Singaporean citizens rather than a form of imperialism. I do agree

with this because the movie by using American music captures the fervour of that

age, which was a crucial period towards the formation of Singapore's present culture

that's not strictly Western nor Asian, but a working blend of both.

[2] “Golden Age Of Singapore Disco", Brian, 2018

[3] "Music Of Western Popular Culture In Singapore", 2018

Bibliography

[1] "The Golden Era Of Singapore Cinema". 2018. www.roots.sg.

https://roots.sg/learn/stories/golden-era-of-singapore-cinema/story.

[2] “Golden Age Of Singapore Disco". eresources.nlb.gov.sg.

https://eresources.nlb.gov.sg/music/Media/PDFs/Article/05471d83-9fe7-4165-8eb6-

9c653271c509.pdf.

[3] "Music Of Western Popular Culture In Singapore". 2018. eresources.nlb.gov.sg.

https://eresources.nlb.gov.sg/music/Media/PDFs/Article/ab0efebf-230b-4a58-b58f-fff3934f446e.pdf.