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In Praise of “Billy Elliot”: Part I
A master lesson in film craft
When I first saw the film Billy Elliot (2000) many years ago, I found myself seamlessly engaged in the story: a working-class boy in an English coal-mining town struggles to follow an unlikely dream — becoming a ballet dancer. From the opening scene of Billy jumping on his bed to its climactic ending, I thought the film was flawless. Watching it again more recently, I wanted to try and deconstruct what made it so well crafted.
Below are reflections on my six favorite scenes of the movie, each with its own case study in cinematic storytelling.
Allowing the Audience to Discover: Debbie Walking with a Stick
Billy lives in a working-class neighborhood during a coal miners’ strike. As he’s walking home from school with his dance teacher’s daughter, Debbie, she is absentmindedly dragging a stick along a brick wall. The wall is covered with large black and white posters proclaiming, “MINERS! Your Union Needs YOU! Strike NOW” As they continue to walk and chat, the brick wall abruptly ends, and in its place is a phalanx of riot police holding up full-length plexiglass shields. As the police stand stoically, unmoving, her stick continues to bounce uninterrupted over their wall of shields.
