Billy Elliot : Phoenix senior English textual study

Stanners, Barbara2018

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Summary

‘Billy Elliot’, directed by Stephen Daldry, is contextually in the midst of the industrial unrest of the 1984 ‘Miner’s Strike’, viewed by screenwriter Lee Hall as being ‘one of the defining moments in British History, a time of enormous personal and social struggle against political oppression. Daldry wanted to celebrate ‘the human spirit’ and used the ‘despair and courage of that sort of situation’ to portray ‘a community at war with its own government.’ The struggle of a Durham mining community to achieve social justice is effectively combined with a young boy’s personal struggle to achieve his artistic ambitions and become a ballet dancer. Cinema is a powerful storytelling medium because images are universally powerful and intuitively understood. The film validates both individual and communal determination and perseverance. The interwoven storylines are given emotional resonance via the film’s gritty script and masterful editing and cinematography. Human resolve and resilience in response to adversity is enhanced by the incorporation of some of the best protest music of the era including ‘Town Called Malice’ by ‘The Jam’. The film’s depiction of the Miner’s Strike retains relevance because of its enduring legacy of injustice and human suffering.