The Last Days of Disco – A Shifting Scene

Whit Stillman is a rare find – a man that actually enjoys disco.  Stillman’s love for the much loathed genre runs deep, going as far as being the impetus for 1998′s, The Last Days of Disco.  Following a group of friends as they spend their nights at the club, the film takes a look at the untold side of disco, those people, that like Stillman, not only enjoyed the music but lived for it.  For these friends in the early 80′s they aren’t only watching their favorite music fade away, but they’re watching the death of their current social life.  For Stillman, and for preps in general in this era, their world was changing.  Their lifestyle was evolving and losing favor, forcing those that held fast to it to make a decision.  As contrast collars and checked suits contrast with tee shirts and washed denim, The Last Days of Disco recognizes a shift in the American prep scene, leaving the old guard behind, and beginning to move toward a more casual aesthetic.  Stillman recognizes this change as the characters seem to not only mourn the death of disco, but the death of their very style as well.