Analysis
The film Billy Elliot (2000) directed by Stephen Daldry shows the struggle of an eleven-year-old boy from a small working-class community who discovers a passion for ballet.
The film follows a linear and chronological plot structure. The film is structured around the conflict Billy faces between what he is passionate about and what society deems acceptable. The action takes place over the course of a few months, and the final scene shows a time jump of several years.
The main characters include the title character, Billy, his ballet teacher, Mrs. Wilkinson, and Billy’s family, especially his father and older brother. Billy’s best friend Michael is also an important character whose journey mirrors Billy’s.
The physical setting of the film is a small mining town in County Durham, in the north of the United Kingdom. The film takes place during 1984-1985, which is made clear by the coal miners’ strike, which was a real event.
The film includes several significant symbols and motifs such as the piano in the Elliot household which Billy’s mother used to play or Jackie’s boxing gloves. Recurring motifs such as the strike or dancing are also important to the story.
You can read a more detailed analysis in the following pages.
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Symbols and motifs
Symbols
In the movie, the piano in the Elliot house symbolizes a connection to Billy’s mother, who used to play it. The piano represents the memory of her presence and the emotional void her absence has created in the Elliot household.
The piano becomes a symbol of Billy both longing for and remembering his mother. Because of this, it is difficult for Billy when the family has to break the piano into pieces to use as kindling because they do not have enough money for coal. Jackie also seems to be affected when this happens, and it is likely this event that makes him realize he must work harder to support Billy.
Moreover, when Jackie decides he has to support Billy and do whatever it takes so Billy can audition for the Royal Ballet School, he realizes that he must find money f…
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Setting
Time period
The film is set in the mid-1980s. The biggest clue to the time setting is the Coal Miners’ Strike in the United Kingdom, which was a real event that occurred in 1984-1985. The strike and the following conflicts between the miners and the government contribute to the economic hardships faced by families in mining communities like the Elliots.
The setting of the mid-1980s captures a period of significant social and economic upheaval in Britain. The mining communities, reliant on the coal industry, experience job losses, financial struggles, and social tensions due to the strike. This backdrop of economic hardship amplifies the challenges faced by Billy’s family and community, affecting their daily lives and ambitions.
The time setting also reflects the social attitudes at the time, especially in regards to gender and sexuality, particu…
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Structure
The film follows the story of an 11-year-old boy named Billy who discovers a passion for ballet dancing, which the people around him struggle to understand or support. Billy’s story takes place in the midst of financial struggles and the coal miners’ strike.
The film follows a linear and chronological structure, showing Billy’s journey from when he is first introduced to ballet to when he becomes a professional dancer. The film introduces the setting, characters, and the tensions between the members of Billy’s family early on. It presents Billy’s family, his father and brother working as coal miners, and the socioeconomic challenges faced by the community due to the ongoing strike.
The film presents several minor storylines that are parallel to the main storyline of Billy’s evolution. Although the action follows mostly Billy’s perspective, the focus sometimes shifts to other perspectives and storylines. Like this, Billy’s struggle to become a ballet dancer is told in the background of Tony and Jackie’s struggles to support the family and uphold the miners’ strike.
The central conflict of the story is also introduced early on. Bil…
