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When Billy first tells the world of his aspire to be a dancer he is mocked by his family and called gay. At the end of the film Billy is shown as a strong, masculine man who is now very successful and professional.
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Billy is successful as he breaks out of the limited routine of the traditional town and follows his dream to become a dancer. Billy Elliot challenges stereotypical ways as he is the most successful character even though he is breaking the rules.īilly is the only successful character in this film which conflicts with the fact that the masculine characters in the film are the least successful. Billy challenges our ideas about gender by presenting the viewer with a successful alternative to the traditional male stereotype. Using a setting that has a background and symbolist meaning adds to the narrative and helps the viewer understand what context the visual text is in.
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The environment represents the limited role of stereotyping in Billy’s community and that he is breaking free of the rules and restrictions. He slams the rickety door open and bursts out into the world dancing. The setting of when Billy breaks free is a dirty area behind his house sitting in an old wooden out house. The director uses these settings to make a point that Billy is trapped between these two opposite worlds. The Royal Ballet is a very grand, creative, posh, red environment where the old mining town is very dull, grey limited environment. There is a very large contrast between the two settings which adds to the narrative. The two main settings are the Royal Ballet and the small miner’s town in Country Durham. The setting automatically makes viewers think about masculinity as just by looking at the environment you can tell that the people are traditional and have very low tolerance for difference. The director deliberately chose a traditional British town as there is nowhere near as much diversity then there would be in a busy city centre. Men show their masculinity by their environments including workplace and activities. There are limited jobs in this town as expectations to be manly are very high. The traditional mining town Country Durham restricts creativity and freedom as men are forced to comply with their traditional stereotype. The setting of the feature film Billy Elliot is vital because it helps to set up the idea of people being trapped by their environment. With Billy’s caring and non stereotypical nature he is the perfect symbol for change and freedom. He is committed and does not give up which sets a good example for his friends and family. Billy does this by not being afraid to express himself by dancing. In the end Jacky and Tony learn that masculinity is social construction and sports and activities are not equivalent to homosexuality.īy breaking out into the world as a ballet dancer Billy shows the community that stereotypical imagery forces people to hide who they really are when following your dream can make you happy and not powerless. In the beginning of the feature film Billy’s brother and father feel that Billy doing Ballet would disgrace their family and make them seem less masculine. He is successful in a way that Jacky(father) learns that stereotyping is wrong and that people should be free to follow their dreams.
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In the world he lives in, men are trapped and there is no tolerance for diversity and male ballet dancers.īilly brings a sense of change into the film as he leads his family to become more tolerant and respectful. In the visual text, Billy must break free and be who he wants to be. Billy, the main character of the film Billy Elliot is a symbol of change and freedom not only in his family but in the community in which he lives. Topics such as symbolism, setting, characterisation and stereotyping will be discussed in this essay. He does this by following his dreams to be a ballet dancer proving that he could still be masculine and successful. Billy Elliot demonstrates that traditional masculinity is restrictive and makes men feel trapped. Billy must overcome many obstacles in his path including his stereotypical father and brother who are convinced that men cannot do Ballet. The film is about an 11 year old boy (Billy Elliot) who tries to pursue a career in Ballet despite negative stereotyping. The visual text Billy Elliot was created in 2000 and directed by Stephen Daldry. Billy Elliot Traditional ideas about stereotypical gender roles can be challenged or supported with different characters and environments.