The Last Days of Disco - Themes

Themes

Like Stillman's other films, The Last Days of Disco deals with social structure and group dynamics. The relationships that bloom from the disco are often expressed through long dialogue sequences, with Stillman's trademark dry humor and "sharp lines" often blurted out (especially by Charlotte and Josh).

The film also deals with the dynamics of friendships; the relationship between the two main characters, Charlotte and Alice, is an odd one. The two are polar opposites in personality, with Charlotte taking a dominant role as the timid Alice politely questions her constant lines of advice and personal criticism. Charlotte often mentions that she wishes the two had been friends in college, and often points out Alice's lesser sociability; Charlotte is a social butterfly. Their friendship is uncertain: Alice questions whether the two "even like each other". As Kate Beckinsale mentioned in a promotional behind-the-scenes short on the film, the two characters are companions and end up rooming together "by necessity". Charlotte is ultimately a foil of Alice.

The theme of young people "finding themselves" in the world is also major, as each of the characters seems to be looking for something, whether it be romance, a successful career, social life, or simple understanding of the people and world around them. Charlotte often mentions being in control of "one's destiny". Sevigny referred to her character of Alice as "a good girl" who is "starting to come into her own" against the backdrop of the disco scene.

The era itself is also of course a very large part of the film. The characters' dealings with VD, sexuality, labels such as "yuppieism", etc., are very much of the time period.