“Summer Loving”
The song “Summer Loving” is used as imagery to situate the essential dramatic tension of the film: Danny isn’t the sweet boy Sandy fell in love with other the summer because he too easily falls victim to the expectations of peer pressure. Sandy’s story of what occurred over the same may be a glossy portrait of the reality as well, but it seems to be confirmed as characters unfold. Danny’s version, on the other hand, seems at best an equal mixture of truth and fiction.
Emasculation
As part of his fictional take on what took place over the summer with Sandy, Danny sings about making out. He punctuates his exact meaning of the term “making out” with the crudest of imagery: first making an hourglass figure with his hands and then suggestively thrusting his pelvis. The reality of the nature of their sexual relationship is then portrayed with a more subtle bit of imagery at the drive-in when Sandy symbolically emasculates Danny by slamming the car door on his crotch.
“Danger Ahead”
The future of Danny and Sandy seems assured with their reconciliation toward the end and the flight toward heavenly-after-ever as the snuggle up together in the front seat of the car. The dance of reconciliation, however, includes quite specific imagery that suggests this road is going to be anything but smooth. Inside the funhouse is a sign prominently displayed reading “Danger Ahead.” Even more troubling are a series of shots inside the funhouse positioning Danny and Sandy from the shoulders up against a background that unmistakably resembles the bars of a jail cell.
Danny's High Hurdles
Danny is intent on becoming an athlete to impress Sandy. After failing at various other sports because he doesn’t play well with others, he finally clicks with track. He’s working out one day on the hurdles and suddenly notices Sandy watching him and his attempt to impress her with his skills fails miserably as he awkwardly trips over it. This imagery is Danny in a nutshell. He must settle for individual sports because his “gang” conditioning makes him unnecessarily quick to be offended and turn to violence. Allowing his focus to turn from working out to impressing Sandy throws off his rhythm and reveals the extent to which he is subject to the effects of peer pressure. The hurdles themselves are imagery of the lengths to which Danny is willing to go—or, conversely, the lengths to which Sandy submits him to go—in order to be worthy of winning back her love and respect.
