To help someone overcome any obstacles in their life, they need the support of others. This is a time when one learns more about themselves and the world around them. This transition/change can be seen in Stephen Daldry’s film Billy Elliot(2000), and Michelle Lehman’s short movie Marry Me (2000). Both texts highlight the similarities in the characters’ experiences and show how they adapt to new environments.
Billy Elliot, a moving and bittersweet film, has touching scenes and memorable moments. This film illustrates the struggles individuals face when moving to a new place with unknown and unfamiliar experiences. Daldry has depicted how the protagonist dances to save himself, his family, and their lives from hardship. This is the era when society was dominated by gender. Billy rebels against this and pursues his passion to dance. A series of scenes that are both visual and verbally driven depict Billy’s journey. The family doesn’t like Billy going into dance. They are held back by the old belief that girls should do boxing and ballet is for women. Daldry’s mix of form, structure, ideas and forms depicts the changes occurring to Billy and to his neighbors. The film’s main themes are illustrated throughout the boy’s journey to his ambitious goals, highlighting passion and understanding. The strong bond between dance and a boy is what drives him to grow up and explore new worlds. Billy’s success is dependent on his determination.
The film opens with Billy, who is in total happiness jumping around on his bed. We see him in his bedroom jumping on his bed and then running up the steep hill to find a new world. He is able to climb the hill metaphorically and enter a new world through his determination. By progressively entering a world that isn’t socially acceptable for men, Billy overcomes all odds. Billy is seen dancing in his bedroom while T.Rex and Cosmic Dancer make non-diegetic noises. These lyrics hint at Billy’s ambitions, but his family is preventing him from realizing his dream to become a dancer. Marry Me focuses on two worlds: Chloe, Jason and Chloe. Chloe wants Jason to marry her, but Jason doesn’t care about her. Jason would rather socialise with his brother, an experienced rider. Jason’s age is a barrier to his ability to ride in the new world. Jason’s transition is difficult but he perseveres and succeeds in his new endeavor. Billy Elliot opens the film with a scene similar to what you see in the first few frames. Jason can be seen jumping on a sandcastle and ruining it every time he does. This is similar action to Billy jumping to non-diegetic music in the background. It’s symbolic of starting a new journey. Jason builds a bike ramp as the film progresses. The bike ramp is a symbol of the long film’s struggle ahead and serves as a symbol. The bike ramp is clearly paralleled to the steep hill on Billy’s street. Despite having difficulty articulating his thoughts, Billy realizes that he has a big dream and is determined to dance. Both characters have to continue dancing and biking in order for them to succeed.
The ballet lesson Billy takes shows his first contact with ballet, and his transition to individualism. A scene with a ballet lesson is a great example of the technique of juxtaposition. It shows Billy’s world of both boxing and ballet. He is not interested in boxing in this medium shot, but he dances to the calm ballet music when it starts playing in the boxing rings. Billy is placed behind the female dancers in the ballet class. This decreases his height and highlights his insecurities. A frame is used to show Billy’s ballet dominance. This image demonstrates his newfound strength. With Mrs Wilkinson, his dance teacher, Billy keeps him going despite all obstacles. She is confident that he can overcome any obstacles and will continue to support him when he fails.
Marry Me shows how the costumes used show the difference between Chloe’s world and Jason’s. Costume is a significant technique as the colour choices are based upon gender stereotypes. Jason is seen wearing a combination of blue clothes and a tshirt with the text BMX. This makes it appear that Jason is solely focused on riding his bike and not caring about Chloe. In this scene, Chloe appears on the other side of the road wearing a matching pink suit and sitting on her pinky pink bicycle.
bike. Chloe starts to be interested in Jason’s hobbies, and she learns to ride bikes. Jason hopes to eventually enter her world. There is a link between the worlds depicted in Billy Elliot’s book and Marry Me. In this case, Billy and Chloe have similar desires. Billy leaves boxing to enter ballet while Chloe starts to incorporate bike riding into her life to make it possible to join Jason in a new world. Each character is willing to accept challenges that are beyond their security nets, knowing there is a reward. Chloe is going to be with Jason and Billy will dance.
The film’s last scene is its most important aspect. This is because it marks the end of Billy’s journey. In the previous frame shots, Billy was aligned with camera. However as Billy prepares for entering the stage, a low angle is taken. This shot has the effect of showing that Billy has achieved dominance in his dance world. The lighting is stronger when Billy steps onto the stage. He is now under multiple spotlights. This lighting symbolizes that he is now a star in ballet. When Billy is asked his reasons for dancing, he answers that he can forget everything. It’s like he feels a physical change. Flyin’ like an angel. Like electricity”. He felt free and happy only after he started dancing. He has changed as he grows up.
Lehman’s short film is coming to an end. Chloe says “I do” to inform the audience about Chloe winning Jason as they enter the real world together. As the frame ends, Jason and Chloe stand side-by side. Chloe is smiling big and happy about the outcome. Although she had to change, it was worth the effort because Jason was there for her. Jason, however, was not able to ride with the older boys because it was too hard for him to do so.
Billy was able get past the hurdles that stood in the way of his new career as a ballet dancer because he believed strongly and had determination. The film by Daldry shows how support and guidance from others can help overcome these obstacles, giving them a fresh perspective on the wider world. Marry Me and Billy Elliot are challenging society’s expectations. Both depict individuals who venture into new experiences and face many challenges. But they remain strong and positive despite being discouraged by others.