Billy Elliot Transition Essay

The process of transitioning into new phases of life is both challenging and rewarding for individuals and their communities, this can be seen in the film “Billy Elliot” directed by Stephen Daldry. He repeatedly uses filmic devices such as various camera angles and numerous tones of dialogue to display Billy’s radical transition into his new life. Just as Billy transitions to reach his goals Michaela DePrince overcomes many obstacles that can be seen in the New York Daily News Article titled “Ballerina Michaela DePrince escaped a tragic childhood in Sierra Leone to dance in ‘Swan Lake’ ” written by Joanna Molloy. Molloy uses many language devices in order to display the depth of the hardships that DePrince faced and to communicate to the reader …show more content…
Although her impact on his transition is not the most recognisable, the responder learns a lot about transition through the struggles that she is forced to face. In the scene “Swan Lake” Mrs Wilkinson retells the story of Swan Lake and foreshadows her life and Billy’s. Just as the prince’s love transforms Odette, Billy forces Mrs Wilkinson to transform by finding her passion for dance once again. Daldry features the transition concept further by later showing it regressing and fading when Billy leaves. This is an emotive scene through which the responder empathises with Mrs Wilkinson. A symbolic representation in this scene is the use of a long shot and camera panning as Mrs Wilkinson and Billy cross the river. Just as you metaphorically cross over obstacles while in transition. Yet again we see the process of evolution through the intertexuality/mise-en-scene of the music of Swan Lake that also foreshadows the success that Billy will find through dance. This leads the responders to see the direct effect that Billy’s surroundings have on his