If you're unfamiliar with the plot of Billy Elliot, here's a quick run-through: Jamie Bell's Billy is an angry eleven-year-old watching his world fall apart. His mother's died, his nan (Jean Heywood) has dementia, plus his father (Gary Lewis) & brother (Jamie Draven) are out of work. Billy joins a boxing club because it's what's expected of him but, as everyone is quick to point out, isn't very good at it. One day, he finds himself in the middle of the ballet class that meets downstairs and realises he has a taste for it.
Julie Walters's Mrs. Wilkinson is the teacher that won't give up on Billy, even when he's given up on himself. She believes he's destined for The Royal Ballet School and won't stop until he's made it. They have to fight his father, brother, and societal expectations to get him there, though.
There's no denying that Julie Walters is a master of her craft and adds a touch of magic to every movie she's part of. I loved her in Billy Elliot because of her no-nonsense attitude. The real star of the show, though, is Gary Lewis as Billy's father.
Billy's father is appalled to learn that his son has any interest in dance and does everything in his power to stop the boy -- until he sees him in action. When he sees Billy dance for the first time, his father becomes Billy's greatest champion, willing to do anything to get him to an audition at The Royal Ballet School.
I really want to talk about Billy's father more but there are a few things you need to understand about the film first, so let's get to that.
Billy Elliot is a British film -- and, by that, I mean it is so British. British cinema is awkward, clumsy, gritty, and wholly unapologetic. It's what makes films like Billy Elliot and The Full Monty the modern-day classics they are. You feel the Britishness in this one especially because it's set against the backdrop of the miners' strike of '84/'85, a time of tremendous political and social turmoil.
Set in a mining town, when most of the town struggle to make ends meet because of the strike, Billy Elliot captures the bleak, hopeless feel prevalent at the time. (This is second-hand information, of course. I didn't live through it; Jay did. Sadly, he hasn't seen this one so he can't give me his opinion on it.) It becomes even bleaker, even more hopeless every time Billy and his father face off over his love of dance because, every time but one, Billy backs down.
I'll be honest, I wasn't a huge fan of Billy's character. I thought he was a snotty-nosed little brat with an attitude problem -- but, hey. We've all been that, right? 😉
One of the most fascinating characters of the film is Billy's friend, Michael (Stuart Wells), who struggles with being gay in a place and time when it isn't just frowned upon, but is likely to earn you a beating. The relationship between Michael and Billy is beautifully complex but ultimately unfulfilled.
Billy's sexuality is a major theme of the film. Is Billy gay? Everyone around him seems to think so. Hey, I understand that. My father was convinced I was a lesbian through most of high school. (Hah. Only half right, Dad.) The issue of Billy's sexuality is never resolved, though.
There's a tense moment on his friend Debbie's (Nicola Blackwell) bed where you think they might kiss but the moment passes. Later, she offers to "show him her fanny", which he declines. Billy constantly tells people, "Just because I like ballet doesn't mean I'm a poof, you know," but never denies being gay, either. When Michael comes on to him, he gently dissuades the other boy, but with a smile. Later, as he leaves, he kisses Michael's cheek.
It's pretty obvious at the end of the film that Michael has ended up with someone else but who has Billy ended up with? That was my major problem with Billy Elliot. I thought his character just sort of... stopped. It was almost like he stopped being one person and became someone else, without the growth to explain it. Really, at the end of the film, you're left not knowing who Billy is at all. Does he like his life? Has ballet given him what life in a mining town couldn't? We just don't know.
(And, while we're at it, why isn't Mrs. Wilkinson in the audience on his big day?)
Billy Elliot doesn't talk down to the audience, which is one of the things that I did like about it. The adults talk to the children as if they're smaller adults. I don't know if this is particular to the area, but it strikes me as the right way to do it. It's really not that important to the plot, I just wanted to point out that a kid and his ballet teacher telling each other to "piss off" amused me.
The concept of sexuality and toxic masculinity are inseparable in Billy Elliot. All the way through, you're told what "lads do." Billy lives in a world where roles ares clearly defined by perceived masculinity -- or lack thereof. This is why I think Billy's father is the real hero of the story.
When his masculinity is challenged, Billy basically just stands there and takes it in the nuts. His father, while Billy's greatest opponent to begin with, is the one who is forced to explore the dangerous nature of gender roles. He's the one who hangs his head in shame as he crosses the picket line to give his son a chance. He's the one who breaks down, falls to his knees, and cries in front of his oldest son and co-workers. He's the one who encourages the town to support Billy's dream of attending The Royal Ballet School. And, at the end, he's the one who openly cries in public when he sees Billy on stage -- something a "real man" would surely never do... right?
Although I didn't enjoy Billy Elliot as much as I thought I would, I can appreciate it for what it is: a masterpiece of British cinema.
I'm not sure what to tackle next, so have a look at my list of 100 Classic Must-See Movies (That I've Somehow Never Seen) and let me know what you recommend. Thanks for reading.
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