Billy Elliot the Musical and Father
Into the World Essay
An individual must overcome obstacles and challenges in order to grow up and enter a new phase in life. The challenges a person may encounter could be anything from moving schools to a change of authority in the family home. In the movie Billy Elliot (2000) by Stephen Daldry, the audience sees the many challenges a young boy names Billy faces. Also, in the poem ‘If’ by Rudyard Kipling, the audience reads about what a young boy must go through to ultimately grow up and become a man. Some obstacles the characters face are self-belief, a father’s expectations and being an individual. This essay will discuss these challenges and how a person overcomes them to journey into the world with the use of quotes, film and language techniques.
Self-belief is a factor that makes a person stronger. Without it they may not reach their goals. In the scene of Billy Elliot where Billy dances in front of his father, the audience sees that this is the first time that Billy genuinely believes in himself. The non-diegetic music is loud and energetic. This represents the fact that Billy has built enough self-confidence to stand up for himself. A close-up is used on Billy’s face when he starts to dance. This technique is used to emphasise the expression of confidence and self-belief on his face. It shows his emotion and how he isn’t afraid to do what he wants. There is also a close up on the father’s face that seems to be stunned while watching Billy. After Billy finishes dancing, his father runs to Mrs Wilkinson’s house because that is when he realised that his son really has talent. In the quote “If you can trust yourself when all men doubt you,” from the poem ‘If’ the father is telling his son to have faith in himself when others don’t. In the movie, if Billy had not stood up for himself, his father wouldn’t have thought to let him go to the ballet school. The self-belief Billy had led him to success in the future.
Expectations can put a lot of pressure on
An individual must overcome obstacles and challenges in order to grow up and enter a new phase in life. The challenges a person may encounter could be anything from moving schools to a change of authority in the family home. In the movie Billy Elliot (2000) by Stephen Daldry, the audience sees the many challenges a young boy names Billy faces. Also, in the poem ‘If’ by Rudyard Kipling, the audience reads about what a young boy must go through to ultimately grow up and become a man. Some obstacles the characters face are self-belief, a father’s expectations and being an individual. This essay will discuss these challenges and how a person overcomes them to journey into the world with the use of quotes, film and language techniques.
Self-belief is a factor that makes a person stronger. Without it they may not reach their goals. In the scene of Billy Elliot where Billy dances in front of his father, the audience sees that this is the first time that Billy genuinely believes in himself. The non-diegetic music is loud and energetic. This represents the fact that Billy has built enough self-confidence to stand up for himself. A close-up is used on Billy’s face when he starts to dance. This technique is used to emphasise the expression of confidence and self-belief on his face. It shows his emotion and how he isn’t afraid to do what he wants. There is also a close up on the father’s face that seems to be stunned while watching Billy. After Billy finishes dancing, his father runs to Mrs Wilkinson’s house because that is when he realised that his son really has talent. In the quote “If you can trust yourself when all men doubt you,” from the poem ‘If’ the father is telling his son to have faith in himself when others don’t. In the movie, if Billy had not stood up for himself, his father wouldn’t have thought to let him go to the ballet school. The self-belief Billy had led him to success in the future.
Expectations can put a lot of pressure on