Billy Elliot Transition
Exploring Transitions emphasises the importance of finding the balance between the needs of individuals and the needs of a wider community.
As an individual explores transitions and looks to venture into new experiences there can be an upheaval of the equilibrium. A wider community can be impacted upon when a member of that group chooses to explore their options, for whatever purpose. In Billy Elliot, a film directed by Stephen Daldry in 2000, Billy’s challenging and exciting foray into the world of ballet has consequences for him, his family, and the wider community of Everington. This transition not only leads to a deepened understanding of himself, it also sees a shift in attitudes and beliefs in his family and town. Similarly, in the poem …show more content…
‘We Are Going’ (1964) by Oodgeroo Noonuccal, the confronting and challenging transformation of their homeland leads to a shift in attitudes and beliefs, which further recognises a range of consequences as a result. Both composers employ a range of literary techniques to convey the meaning and process of exploring transitions and the importance of uncovering stability between the needs of individuals and the needs of a wider community.
Billy is an unconventional character whom is displayed to the audience in the context of the fictional town of Everington during the 1984 Miner’s Strike against the Thatcher government and the closure of 20 British coalmines.
Everington is a place divided; families struggle to make ends meet, police rule by force, men are out of work. Billy’s family is representative of this conflict, however Billy seeks to challenge this role he has been prescribed to by pursuing a career in ballet. It is established in the opening sequence that Billy is an energetic and alternative protagonist whose interest and demeanour distinguish him from the stereotypical men in his family and neighbourhood. It is during the opening sequence that we first notice Billy’s passion for dance, which is exhibited through a series of slow motion mid-shots, revealing different parts of Billy’s body including his feet hands and face as he jumps on a bed to T-Rex Cosmic Dancer with the lyrics “I was dancing when I was 12…” Billy’s facial expressions confirm the sense of elation and physical freedom he feels when moving to music. Daldry implies that billy needs to venture into the world of dance if he wants to transition into a new phase of life potentially resulting in growth, change and a range of consequences for not only Billy but also his family and the
community.
Billy’s passion for dance and in particular ballet differentiates him from the men in his community and family. “Lads do football… or boxing… or wrestling. Not friggin’ Ballet,” his father says, however Billy is dissimilar to the majority of boys. We are first cognisant of Billy’s ability to break down this stereotype through his gift for dance, when after a disastrous boxing training session; the camera draws us to Billy, through the use of a mid-shot swinging in time with the punching bag and the music from Mrs Wilkinson’s ballet class. Here we can see Billy’s real self-emerging. His initial step into ballet is far from perfect, but it is reflective of the beginning of him discovering his talents, and we, as responders, wondering how it will impact the community.
Similarly, in the Aboriginal-Australian poets Oodgeroo Noonuccal’s poem “We Are Going” supports the idea that it is important to find stability between the competing demands of individuals and the needs of a wider community. The use of alliteration in the first stanza of “…subdued and silent” accentuates the melancholy mood of the Aboriginal people and their reluctance for the inevitable transition of their traditional ways into the challenging and confronting nature of white society. It is through this transformative transition of Australia that growth and change will occur for the greater community but in doing so offers a range of consequences for that of the Aboriginal people, hence emphasising the importance of finding a balance between the needs of the wider community and that of the individuals.
It is Billy’s supportive and eccentric ballet teacher Mrs Wilkinson who is the catalyst for Billy’s transition into the challenging and exciting world of ballet as it is she who encourages him to audition for the Royal Ballet School in London. Jackie, Billy’s father decides to “give the boy a chance” after witnessing Billy’s undeniable aptitude and fervor for dancing. It is through Jackie’s realisation that it causes him to transition and grow in compassion, care and understanding. Jackie’s acceptance of Billy’s individuality is expressed through the use of a close up shot that reveals Billy lying on his father’s chest on the grass as they laugh. The intensity of this shot emphasises the new closeness between them that is a result of Jackie's newfound tolerance. This intrinsic transition for Billy results in a shift in attitudes for not only his father but also the community of Everington as they also express support for Billy’s dreams and respects his differences, asking him after the auditions “have you heard anything yet?... Fingers crossed”. Billy’s admittance into the Royal Ballet School is embraced with enthusiasm and support from the town and his entire family, with his dad boasting to fellow miners, “he did it, he fucken did it”. The use of triumphant non-diegetic sound building to a crescendo during the final scene, when Billy’s father and brother get off the train in London to come and see him perform, highlight their immense pride and once again confirms that the ramifications of Billy’s transition into the world of ballet have lead the community and Billy’s family into a new phase of life and to a deepened understanding of them selves and others, thus further emphasising the importance of maintaining equilibrium between the needs of individuals and the needs of a wider community.
Through the further use of the use of literary techniques, Oodgeroo Noonuccal is able to put forward the ramifications of the white people and their need for a transition into a new phase of life and social context. “We are the old sacred ceremonies, the law of the elders. /We are the wonder tales of Dream Time, the tribal legends told”. The repetition of “We are…” throughout this extended metaphor emphasises that all the objects listed, create the identity for the Aborigines. This is juxtaposed to the repetition of the word “…gone” in the last five lines of the poem as it highlights that the Aborigines identity has been taken away as all the metaphors previously stated are now “gone” as result of the communities transition into a new phase of life and social context. It is through this transition that the needs of the individuals have been ignored therefore resulting in an upheaval of the equilibrium. This poem demonstrates the inherent importance of being able to find and preserve the balance between the demands of a community and the needs of individuals.
The film Billy Elliot by Stephen Daldry and Oodgeroo Noonuccal’s poem “We Are Going”. Effectively explore the ways that transitions can allow audiences to understand the importance of maintaining a balance between the contrasting needs of individuals and society. It is through this collaboration that both parties can effectively grow and develop.
As an individual explores transitions and looks to venture into new experiences there can be an upheaval of the equilibrium. A wider community can be impacted upon when a member of that group chooses to explore their options, for whatever purpose. In Billy Elliot, a film directed by Stephen Daldry in 2000, Billy’s challenging and exciting foray into the world of ballet has consequences for him, his family, and the wider community of Everington. This transition not only leads to a deepened understanding of himself, it also sees a shift in attitudes and beliefs in his family and town. Similarly, in the poem …show more content…
‘We Are Going’ (1964) by Oodgeroo Noonuccal, the confronting and challenging transformation of their homeland leads to a shift in attitudes and beliefs, which further recognises a range of consequences as a result. Both composers employ a range of literary techniques to convey the meaning and process of exploring transitions and the importance of uncovering stability between the needs of individuals and the needs of a wider community.
Billy is an unconventional character whom is displayed to the audience in the context of the fictional town of Everington during the 1984 Miner’s Strike against the Thatcher government and the closure of 20 British coalmines.
Everington is a place divided; families struggle to make ends meet, police rule by force, men are out of work. Billy’s family is representative of this conflict, however Billy seeks to challenge this role he has been prescribed to by pursuing a career in ballet. It is established in the opening sequence that Billy is an energetic and alternative protagonist whose interest and demeanour distinguish him from the stereotypical men in his family and neighbourhood. It is during the opening sequence that we first notice Billy’s passion for dance, which is exhibited through a series of slow motion mid-shots, revealing different parts of Billy’s body including his feet hands and face as he jumps on a bed to T-Rex Cosmic Dancer with the lyrics “I was dancing when I was 12…” Billy’s facial expressions confirm the sense of elation and physical freedom he feels when moving to music. Daldry implies that billy needs to venture into the world of dance if he wants to transition into a new phase of life potentially resulting in growth, change and a range of consequences for not only Billy but also his family and the
community.
Billy’s passion for dance and in particular ballet differentiates him from the men in his community and family. “Lads do football… or boxing… or wrestling. Not friggin’ Ballet,” his father says, however Billy is dissimilar to the majority of boys. We are first cognisant of Billy’s ability to break down this stereotype through his gift for dance, when after a disastrous boxing training session; the camera draws us to Billy, through the use of a mid-shot swinging in time with the punching bag and the music from Mrs Wilkinson’s ballet class. Here we can see Billy’s real self-emerging. His initial step into ballet is far from perfect, but it is reflective of the beginning of him discovering his talents, and we, as responders, wondering how it will impact the community.
Similarly, in the Aboriginal-Australian poets Oodgeroo Noonuccal’s poem “We Are Going” supports the idea that it is important to find stability between the competing demands of individuals and the needs of a wider community. The use of alliteration in the first stanza of “…subdued and silent” accentuates the melancholy mood of the Aboriginal people and their reluctance for the inevitable transition of their traditional ways into the challenging and confronting nature of white society. It is through this transformative transition of Australia that growth and change will occur for the greater community but in doing so offers a range of consequences for that of the Aboriginal people, hence emphasising the importance of finding a balance between the needs of the wider community and that of the individuals.
It is Billy’s supportive and eccentric ballet teacher Mrs Wilkinson who is the catalyst for Billy’s transition into the challenging and exciting world of ballet as it is she who encourages him to audition for the Royal Ballet School in London. Jackie, Billy’s father decides to “give the boy a chance” after witnessing Billy’s undeniable aptitude and fervor for dancing. It is through Jackie’s realisation that it causes him to transition and grow in compassion, care and understanding. Jackie’s acceptance of Billy’s individuality is expressed through the use of a close up shot that reveals Billy lying on his father’s chest on the grass as they laugh. The intensity of this shot emphasises the new closeness between them that is a result of Jackie's newfound tolerance. This intrinsic transition for Billy results in a shift in attitudes for not only his father but also the community of Everington as they also express support for Billy’s dreams and respects his differences, asking him after the auditions “have you heard anything yet?... Fingers crossed”. Billy’s admittance into the Royal Ballet School is embraced with enthusiasm and support from the town and his entire family, with his dad boasting to fellow miners, “he did it, he fucken did it”. The use of triumphant non-diegetic sound building to a crescendo during the final scene, when Billy’s father and brother get off the train in London to come and see him perform, highlight their immense pride and once again confirms that the ramifications of Billy’s transition into the world of ballet have lead the community and Billy’s family into a new phase of life and to a deepened understanding of them selves and others, thus further emphasising the importance of maintaining equilibrium between the needs of individuals and the needs of a wider community.
Through the further use of the use of literary techniques, Oodgeroo Noonuccal is able to put forward the ramifications of the white people and their need for a transition into a new phase of life and social context. “We are the old sacred ceremonies, the law of the elders. /We are the wonder tales of Dream Time, the tribal legends told”. The repetition of “We are…” throughout this extended metaphor emphasises that all the objects listed, create the identity for the Aborigines. This is juxtaposed to the repetition of the word “…gone” in the last five lines of the poem as it highlights that the Aborigines identity has been taken away as all the metaphors previously stated are now “gone” as result of the communities transition into a new phase of life and social context. It is through this transition that the needs of the individuals have been ignored therefore resulting in an upheaval of the equilibrium. This poem demonstrates the inherent importance of being able to find and preserve the balance between the demands of a community and the needs of individuals.
The film Billy Elliot by Stephen Daldry and Oodgeroo Noonuccal’s poem “We Are Going”. Effectively explore the ways that transitions can allow audiences to understand the importance of maintaining a balance between the contrasting needs of individuals and society. It is through this collaboration that both parties can effectively grow and develop.