English (Standard) - Billy Elliot
Individuals venturing into new experiences may encounter obstacles but
may also gain significant rewards.
Discuss this statement. In your response refer to your prescribed text and
at least ONE other related text of your choosing.
Barriers often obstruct the achievement of goals which bring about growth
and change. However, with courage and determination these barriers can
be overcome and new horizons and possibilities realised.
For an individual to move along a new pathway in life, the support and
guidance of others is needed to help overcome obstacles they may come
across. This transition through new experiences impacts on one’s
understanding of ‘self’ as they are growing up with new perspectives of a
broader world. This transition is seen in Stephen Daldry’s film Billy Elliot
(2000) and the short film Marry Me directed by Michelle Lehman, as both
texts show the similarity in experiences of individuals moving into a new
world and how it is through their determination that enables each
character to begin this transition.
Billy Elliot is a sensitive, bittersweet film with engaging characters and
extraordinary images. The British coming of age film is set in a fictional
town of Everington during the 1984 miners’ strike. This film shows the
great struggles that individuals go through when moving into a new world
of unexpected experiences. Daldry has portrayed how the eponymous
protagonist of the film dances to save himself and his family from a
challenging life. Billy challenges society’s expectations based on gender
during this era, as he rebels against male stereotypes and follows his
passion for dance. Billy’s transition is represented through a series of
visual and dialogue driven scenes. The family is opposed to the idea of
Billy moving into a world of dance, as they are bounded by traditional
belief that “lads do boxing, ballet is for girls”.
Daldry’s combination of form, structure and ideas depict the changes
which occur to Billy, and neighbouring characters in the film. The main
ideas in the film are shown throughout the transition of a boy with
ambitious dreams highlighting the theme of passion and understanding.
This strong connection between a boy and dance becomes the catalyst
behind him growing up and venturing into a new world. The determination
is the key ingredient for Billy’s success in the world of dance.
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The opening sequence of the film shows Billy in his room jumping
continuously on his bed in utter happiness. However it is not until he
ventures out of his room and is captured running and dancing up the
steep hill of his street that we come to realise he is searching for a new
world, one filled with dance. This hill is used as a motif throughout the film
and is symbolic of how steep the struggle of the transition into dance really
is. Throughout the course of the film, his determination is what helps him
reach the top of the hill and metaphorically enter a new life. Billy defeats
the odds by progressively entering a world which is not socially acceptable
for males. Whilst Billy dances in his room, the non-diegetic sounds of
Cosmic Dancer by T.Rex sing “I danced myself right out of this room”.
These lyrics are foreshadowing of Billy’s aspirations however it is his
family that is inflicting on him reaching his dream of becoming a dancer.
Marry Me is based around two worlds of Chloe and Jason. Chloe wishes
to enter Jason’s world by marrying him; however he is disinterested in her
and is focused on bike riding. Jason prefers to socialise with his older
brother who is an experienced bike rider. His age becomes a clear divide
for Jason entering this new world of riding due to a different level in
experience. This transition becomes a struggle for Jason; nevertheless
his determination assists in entering this new world. Billy Elliot’s opening
scene is similar to what is shown in the first few frame shots of the short
film. Jason is seen jumping on a sand castle and ruining it with every jump
he makes. This action is similar to Billy jumping on his mattress to the
non-diegetic sounds in the background; it is symbolic of entering a new
pathway. As the short film progresses Jason is seen building a bike ramp.
This bike ramp is a symbol throughout the short film and represents the
steep struggle ahead. There is a clear parallel between the bike ramp and
the steep hill in Billy’s street. Despite not articulating it, Billy, after major
setbacks, has an epiphany and shows through his dancing how determined
he is to move into the world of dance. Both characters must continue dance
and bike riding in order to overcome the barriers and succeed.
Billy’s ballet lesson shows his first encounter with the real world of ballet
and the beginning of his transition for individualism. The technique of
juxtaposition is used to show Billy’s world of boxing and the ballet world
he moves into illustrated best in a scene featuring a ballet lesson. The
medium shot shows his lack of interest in boxing, although when the calm
diegetic ballet music begins to play he sways to it in the boxing ring. Billy
enters the ballet class and is positioned behind the line of female dancers.
This diminishes his size and shows his insecurities, accentuating that he
initially does not belong in the world of dance. Billy’s dominance in ballet
converses as the use of a low angle shot is shown in a frame. This shot
establishes his newfound power. Billy continues to overcome obstacles
with his dance teacher, Mrs Wilkinson by his side. She knows he has the
strength to defeat impediments and continues to encourage him in times
of doubt.
Marry Me begins to show the contrast between the two worlds of Chloe
and Jason through the costume used. Costume is a large technique
integrated into the short film as the colours worn are based on gender
stereotypes. Jason is seen wearing blue clothes including a t-shirt
displaying the text BMX combined with his blue bike. This creates the
idea that Jason is only focused on bike riding and is oblivious to Chloe’s
ambitions. The divide in clothing arises in this same scene where Chloe
is seen across the road in a matching pink outfit sitting on her girly pink
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bike. Chloe becomes interested in all of Jason’s likes as she begins to
learn how to ride a bike, integrating bike riding into her world in the hope
of Jason entering her world too. There is a correlation between the two
worlds in Billy Elliot and the two worlds in Marry Me. In this instance Billy
and Chloe’s desires are alike as Billy is shown leaving boxing and entering
ballet and Chloe begins to integrate bike riding in her life in order to move
into a new world with Jason. Stepping outside both characters security
blanket becomes an obstacle that they are willing to take, knowing that
there is a reward waiting for them; for Billy dance and for Chloe it is a
relationship with Jason.
The most significant aspect of the film is the final scene. It is important as
Billy’s pathway comes to an end. Previously in other frame shots of the
film, Billy has been in line with the camera, however as Billy prepares to
enter the stage a low angle shot is used. The effect of using this shot is to
show that Billy now has dominance and power in his world of dance; he
has made it. As Billy enters the stage the lighting becomes stronger as he
is situated under multiple spotlights. The lighting is symbolic of showing
that he has successfully entered the world of ballet and is viewed as a
star. Billy is asked why he likes to dance, he says “I forget everything…
like I feel a change in my whole body. Flyin’ like a bird. Like
electricity”. It wasn’t until he began dancing that he felt this way, free.
This transition has altered him into a new person as he has grown up.
As Lehman’s short film comes to a close, the dialogue of Chloe saying “I
do” is used, to inform the audience that Chloe has won Jason over as
they enter the world together. Both Jason and Chloe are positioned side
by side as the frame closes. Chloe has a large grin on her face, showing
that she is pleased with the outcome. Despite changing herself; it was
worth it knowing that being with Jason is the reward. Jason, however
was unsuccessful in becoming one of the older bike riding boys as his
age became too much of a battle to overcome.
It is through believing and determination that Billy was able to overcome
the barriers which stood in his way when entering the new world of ballet.
Daldry’s film portrays how the support and guidance of others assists
them overcome these barriers giving the individual a new perspective of
the broader world. Billy Elliot and Marry Me challenge societies
expectations as both show individuals venturing into new experiences
encountering various struggles and when others are against them they
continue to stay strong, knowing that there is a significant reward which
awaits.
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