Billy Elliot
ISBN: 9781839027802
Author : James Leggott
Published: 2025
Publisher: British Film Institute
Number of pages: 104
Language: English
Format: Paperback / softback
Format: 190×135
Author : James Leggott
Published: 2025
Publisher: British Film Institute
Number of pages: 104
Language: English
Format: Paperback / softback
Format: 190×135
Description
Set against the turbulent backdrop of the UK miners’ strike (1984–5), Billy Elliot (2000) follows eleven-year-old Billy as he pursues his dream of becoming a ballet dancer. Hailed for its heartfelt portrayal of working class life and its powerful challenge to gender stereotypes, Stephen Daldry’s film is recognised today as a significant contribution to the tradition of British social-realist cinema.James Leggott’s insightful study explores the creative forces behind Billy Elliot’s development, drawing from interviews with many of the core production team, such as the screenwriter Lee Hall, the choreographer Peter Darling and the composer Stephen Warbeck. Leggott identifies influences from the worlds of theatre, dance, photography and music, including inspirations specific to the North East of England, and calls attention to the film’s innate musicality in its bold and playful combinations of soundtrack and action, with songs by Marc Bolan and T. Rex, The Clash and The Jam among others. Tracing Billy Elliot’s global impact and its remarkable afterlife as a hit stage production, Leggott makes a case for the film’s enduring significance in British cinema history.
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