Stephen Daldry
Stephen Daldry is an expert of many grand stage productions. In the movie about Billy Elliot he displays both a visual elegance and a talent to capture human drama. The well-illustrated interaction between characters successfully enables the world of Billy Elliot to come alive. While it would be tempting to have scripted Billy Elliot as a dance film (Dance was the title under which the film was originally to be released), Hall portrays the struggles of nonconformity and the invaluable support of a family unit in any endeavour. Indeed the significance of this film within a sporting sociological context lies within Billy’s gravitation towards dance and ballet. Bell portrays the intense vulnerability of Billy with engaging brilliance, depicting the struggle to reconcile his love of ballet with popular concepts of masculinity. The film is essentially the story of a boy questioning and opposing mainstream societal values and expectations in order of pursuing his dreams. The film, associated with the Thatcherite years of Britain, is set in a coal-mining village of County Durham. The tragic impact of the miners’ strike consequently provides Daldry with a backdrop to the film: the disintegration of traditional concepts of masculinity during the mid-eighties collapse of mining and heavy industry. The industrial revolution served the construction of masculine identity well. Men were exiled from the home and children forced to work in factories and mines, destroying the family units of the agrarian and pre-industrial cottage industry economy. The redundancy of heavy industry additionally signifies the redundancy of their masculinity. Daldry cleverly plays on a history that lies deeply within the British heart: the decline of the industry not only destroyed communities but soul’s as well. It was the exertions of such regions that formed the very foundations of industrial development, yet ultimately experienced the cruel ignorance and betrayal of a country they once believed in. Thatcher once described the miners as ‘the enemy within’. Billy Elliot serves to explore middle England’s guilt, purporting to offer feel-good answers that are criminally deceitful. The constraints placed on Billy by his social position are constantly emphasised. However, by contrast to the miners, whose attempts to struggle against the constraints of the system are depicted as essentially doomed, ballet offers Billy means of an escape. The fortunes of the miners and Billy develop in diametrical directions. Billy’s finest moment his acceptance by the Royal Academy announced by Jackie at the miner’s social club, prior to the announcement of returning to work is declared. Unfortunately, there is no real exploration of the issues involved of the miners, and their struggle to obtain fair income is cast in a negative light in comparison to the action of Billy who is regarded as a source of inspiration amid the chaos. Daldry portrays Billy’s unique love for dance remarkably. Daldry captures Billy’s enthusiasm, adoration and devotion perfectly when the audience witnesses the time and energy he dedicates to his passion. As Billy dances home from class, the enchantment he feels is expressed in the ‘dancing through the street’ scene. The daunting, chillingly plain houses of the miners suddenly become theoretical as Billy dances through the streets. Years later, Jackie and Tony travel to Covent Garden to watch Billy perform in Swan Lake. Dancing is perhaps the most highly complex and codified kinaesthetic practices, and is one of the most important arenas of public physical enactment. The male swan portrayed by Billy implies strength, beauty, and an enormous wingspan of a creature that represents the musculature of a male dancer. Daldry successfully incorporates athletic ability, strength and power, and sexual charge into the final scene. The film closes with Billy’s powerful leap, the ultimately balletic masculine move as the film encourages its viewers to look at adult Billy as the successful embodiment of the sexually innocent dancing boy they identified throughout the film. In conclusion, I would assert the importance of Billy Elliot to sport sociology and cultural studies. Although failing to explore some cultural issues I find of particular importance, it does hold a significant bearing on contemporary society. The relationship between social class, culture and sport that the film explores appeals to a wide audience despite its prevailing British backdrop. The film illustrates how preconceptions and stereotypical views of masculinity can be constructed through groups within society, which may act to maintain the norm and hegemonic masculinity. I would like to think that a boy, aspiring to a career in ballet would have received more support than originally advanced to Billy, not least because of the weight of the women’s support movement was considerable and influential. Disgracefully, this movement was totally absent from the film. Retrospectively, Billy Elliot, boasting a superb cast, was superbly acted, propelling Jamie Bell into stardom. The BBC funded script and subsequent film utilises Bell’s raw talent of acting and remarkable dancing. Billy Elliot has become an international hero for many young boys aspiring to meet his eventual freedom to show his love for ballet overtly, whilst maintaining respect and masculinity rubbishing portrayals of traditional heroes of hegemonic masculinity. However, the film is one of the most outstanding within its genre as it seeks to explore the heart wrenching ambitions of one boy to remain true to himself.
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