The film Billy Elliot, directed by Stephen Daldry, explores the challenges of adversity, the search for identity and the pursuit of dreams as a collective human experience . Say no to plagiarism. Get a tailor-made essay on 'Why violent video games should not be banned'? Get the original essay The film is set in a small town in County Durham, northern England, during the Miners' Strike. 1984. The protagonist, Billy Elliot, grew up in a family of low socio-economic status and the threat of mining closures strained his father, Jackie and older brother Tony, who relied heavily on mining for their livelihood. support the family's low income. It is through Daldry's clever use of camera angles, mise-en-scène and symbolism in the film that he invites the audience to follow Billy's difficult but inspiring journey as he defies expectations traditions and societal paradigms of his society, in order to pursue his love for ballet. An individual who challenges social paradigms and gender role expectations will encounter adversity within their community. This is evident in the film Billy Elliot, as Daldry's use of the characterization between Billy and his father reveals to the audience the struggles both characters experienced due to societal and personal issues. First, Billy had to follow the traditional path followed by his father and grandfather, which was to maintain the family tradition of boxing. In the scene "You're a Disgrace to Gloves", Billy was criticized by his father and trainer for his inability to box and his tendency to swing and dance instead of engaging in physical combat. In this moment, Daldry highlights Billy's struggle to conform to gender roles and expectations, as he fails to exemplify the physical masculinity of his traditional, patriarchal mining community. Additionally, in the film, Jackie is depicted as a staunch activist for the miners' strike, contributing to his masculinity and predefined judgments about what boys should do. In the "kitchen table argument" scene, the conversation between Jackie and Billy reveals their opposing perspectives as Jackie firmly warns Billy that he wants him not to get involved in ballet at all: " Boys do boxing or football or wrestling, not fucking ballet. ". Daldry's use of the reverse field between father and son highlights the hostility, creating an empathetic response from the viewers, as Billy has a melancholy relationship with his father. The search for identity is fueled by a place in a society where an individual feels a sense of belonging. feeling of belonging. In the film, when Billy discovers the art of ballet, he begins a new identity despite condemnation from his family and the Everington community. In the scene “Why don’t you participate?” » Billy enters the female world of ballet and is challenged by ballet instructor, Mrs. Wilkinson, to wear ballet slippers. The use of Dolly photographed at this time depicts the graceful movements of the ballerinas in their white slippers juxtaposing Billy dancing in blue boxing shoes. The juxtaposition of Daldry's shoes highlights that Billy is breaking social and gender expectations by removing the blue masculine boots and replacing them with white feminine slippers. The close-up of the ballet shoes symbolizes the beginning of Billy's search for identity and the start of a new life. Additionally, through Billy's search for identity, Billy's best friend Michael experiences the.