“Billy Elliot” – Defying Generational Patterns [review]
Title: “Billy Elliot”
Release Date: 2000
Director: Stephen Daldry
Cast: Jamie Bell, Julie Walters, Gary Lewis, Jamie Draven
Stephen Daldry received his first Oscar nomination for this movie. “Billy Eliot” is the story of a boy from a small mining town in England who has to make the most important decision of his life as a teenager: whether to continue the family tradition or follow his dreams of dancing, which are considered eccentric in his community. In the background, painful social changes are taking place in Margaret Thatcher’s Britain, and with them, the definition of masculinity is being redefined. The only thing that remains constant are family ties, which, as always, can either give a young person wings or trap them in generational patterns forever.
“Billy Elliot” – a story with a retro feel
“Billy Elliot” is a movie that was made in 2000, but it is set in the 1980s. It was during this time that the UK experienced difficult economic processes related to the policies of Margaret Thatcher’s government. The fight against inflation by raising interest rates and taxes, the widespread privatization of nationalized companies and the mass closure of mines led to the outbreak of the country’s largest mining strikes since World War II. Eleven-year-old Billy Elliot (Jamie Bell) lives in one of these mining villages in the county of Durham with his father, older brother and grandmother. The whole family’s life revolves around the dramatic situation at the mine. Billy’s father (Gary Lewis) and brother (Jamie Draven) join the strike, which severely reduces the household budget and exposes them to police repression.
Wanting to raise an adolescent boy to be a brave man, the father enrolls him in boxing lessons. However, instead of the boxing ring, Billy starts to secretly attend a dance hall where Mrs. Wilkinson (Julie Walters) teaches ballet to girls. Fascinated by this unknown world, the hero is captivated by dance and devotes every free moment to mastering new figures. Soon, the teacher realizes that Billy has an extraordinary talent and suggests that he prepare for the Royal Academy of Dance exam, which, of course, is completely different from what his father had planned for him.
“Billy Elliot” – an Oscar-worthy movie
“Billy Elliot” is already a classic of British cinema. The beautiful film, which won three BAFTA awards, also received three Oscar nominations. Stephen Daldry, who later directed films such as “The Hours” (2002) and “The Reader” (2008), was rightly recognized for his 2000 work. He captured the reality and atmosphere of the 1980s in British towns gripped by strikes with remarkable accuracy. The film’s set design depicts a typical mining settlement with narrow streets and brick houses. Individual shots of the protagonist between gloomy, high walls reflect his life situation. In order to realize his dreams, the protagonist has to overcome many obstacles and walls: not only financial limitations, but above all the mental beliefs of his environment.
Therefore, the only way out of this clinch seems to be to rise above the mundane dimension. And it is in such scenes that we most often see Billy dancing. The protagonist, training in the streets and backyards, seems to be flying over the whole town. To the rhythm of energetic music, he jumps on walls and roofs, rising above everyday life and mediocrity.
“Billy Elliot” – a story about overcoming a transgenerational legacy
I have seen “Billy Elliot” several times and each of these screenings revealed different meanings. In the past, it was primarily a story about the power of childhood dreams and persistence in pursuing a goal, as well as a story about the courage to be different. When I last saw the movie, however, I was struck above all by the character of Billy’s father, because in fact he is the one who shows the greatest courage in this story. Without his decision, the boy’s career would probably never have been able to develop.
Out of love for his son, Jackie Elliot not only takes a financial risk, but also breaks with his deepest ideological convictions and frees his son from the intergenerational script. A symbolic expression of this genealogical crossing is the pawning of the family jewelry. In the end, contrary to the community’s opinion, Jackie offers her child unconditional support, allowing him to be who he is. And this decision comes at the cost of a separation: Billy sets off on his life’s journey alone and remains, to a certain extent, alone in his great success. In the final scene, Billy’s father watches him from afar – he sits in the audience. He lets his son become bigger than him and follow his own unique path.