Collective human experiences

LEARNING INTENTIONS

To understand how texts texts represent collective human experiences.

Focus question:

How do texts represent collective human experiences?

Significant collective human experiences in the film

dealing with adversity

grief

experiences of success and failure

search for identity

TASK

Independently, or through group work and/or class discussion, decide which character from the film best represents each experience.

Then justify your choices (in writing or through discussion) using examples from the film.

Adversity in Billy Elliot

Despite it being a universal human experience, adversity is multi-faceted, and individuals deal with it in many different ways. In the film, Billy and Jackie highlight the different types of adversity faced by individuals, and both have different ways of dealing with that adversity.

TASKS

1 - Define ‘adversity’.

2 - “Hardships often prepare ordinary people for an extraordinary destiny” (C.S Lewis). Do you agree with the words of C.S Lewis? Explain your answer.

3 - View the images that deal with adversity. What are the commonalities in these images?

4 - Recall a time that you had to deal with adversity. Describe, in writing, the challenge you faced and how you overcame it. What did you learn about yourself from this experience? Do you think that someone else would respond to the same challenge differently? Why do we react to adversity differently than others?

Scene analysis: Dad Finds Out (23:20- 24:40)

TASK

Complete the following questions/activities:

Identify and describe the adversity that Billy experiences throughout this scene? How does the long shot of the ballet class help highlight this?
In this scene, we learn that Jackie is also dealing with adversity. Describe the difficult situation that Jackie finds himself in.
How does the aerial shot of the picket line help establish Jackie’s situation?
Evaluate the similarities and differences between what is happening on the picket line and what is happening in the ballet studio. How does the use of editing help to create this juxtaposition?
In this scene, both Jackie and Billy deal with adversity in different ways. Describe the adversity faced by these characters and identify how they both attempt to deal with it.
Throughout the film, Jackie regularly deals with adversity through aggression and conflict. Can you think of any other instances where this occurs? What impact does this have on his character?
At one stage in the film, when Billy is being pressured by Mrs. Wilkinson, Billy also deals with adversity through aggression. How does this impact his character

Evidence table for adversity in Billy Elliott

Evidence table for Adversity

Sample PEEL paragraph example

Feelings of disapproval can create adversities and hardships. We see this in the film Billy Elliott through the relationship of Jackie - Billy's father and Billy. Billy struggles with his Dad's objection to boys learning ballet and in the 'Dad Finds Out' scene, Jackie's disapproval and anger is shown by the close-up shot of his face, and the short, sharp dialogue, 'You. Out. Now!'. The fact that Jackie misunderstands his son's passion for dancing is symbolised by the gate that represents the barrier between Jackie and Billy and their strained father-son relationship. When Billy and Jackie are arguing at the kitchen table, the quick edits between their two faces raises the tension in the scene. Jackie expects Billy to follow masculine pursuits, such as boxing and football and Billy's facial expression represents his courage to face disapproval and desire to convince his father of his dream to do ballet.

Grief in Billy Elliot

Grief is a powerful human emotion that is embedded into the collective human experience. In the film, both Jackie and Billy represent this experience, though they deal with their grief in different ways.

A shadow hanging over Billy's life from the start of the film is the loss of his mother. After his mother died, he has been left in the charge of his confused and overwhelmed father, who struggles to provide the nurturance that Billy's mother no longer can. As we also discover early on, Billy was encouraged by his mother to pursue his artistic interests, but Jackie does not approve of Billy's dreamier sensibilities. Thus, Billy's pursuit of ballet becomes a way for him to keep his mother's memory alive. The film includes a few references to grief and loss. In one scene, Billy goes into the fridge at night and meets a vision of his mother, a memory of how she would have gently reminded him to clean up after himself. He wishfully imagines that his mother is still there, telling him what to do.

Task

Define ‘grief’ in your own words. When are we, as humans, most likely to experience grief?

View these images that deal with grief. What are the commonalities in these images?

Scene analysis: Main Titles (5:10- 6:27)

Re-watch and deconstruct the scene Main Titles.

During the Main Titles, Jackie clearly disapproves of Billy playing the piano. Billy responds by saying “mum would have let us”.

As Jackie is in the foreground, the viewer sees his pained expression at the mention of his wife.

Jackie storms out of the room, symbolically slamming the piano lid down.

This is followed by a camera tilt to a photo of Billy's mother sitting on top of the piano.

This scene establishes that Billy’s mother has passed away, and that she was the one who fostered creativity in Billy.

Write

1. What words would you use to describe the relationship between Billy and Jackie in this scene?

2. Think about the quote “mum would have let us”. What does this tell the viewer about Billy’s mother?

3. Which character best represents grief in this scene? Justify your response with evidence from the scene.

4. What techniques are used in this scene to highlight the grief that Jackie is experiencing?

5. Why does Jackie get upset and storm out of the room towards the end of the scene?

6. What does this scene suggest about the impact of grief as a human experience?

7. Describe the impact that Jackie’s grief, and how he attempts to deal with it, has on his character.

Scene analysis: Grave Scene (13:45-14:28)

Billy is dealing with the same grief as his father after the loss of his mother approximately one year before the events of the film. Despite this, Billy deals with his feelings differently to how his father does.

Re-watch the Grave Scene and deconstruct for key techniques.

Scene analysis: Milk Scene (51:30-52:15)

Re-watch the Milk Scene and deconstruct for key techniques.

Use the Collective Human Experiences table to describe the impact of Billy’s grief. How has his attempt to deal with it, impacted his character.

Write

1. How does Billy deal with his grief in these scenes?

2. Are there any recurring motifs in these scenes? If so, what are their purpose?

3. Describe the impact of Billy’s grief. How has his attempt to deal with it, impacted his character.

4. Describe the differences between how Jackie and Billy deal with their grief? What does this tell us about the collective human experience?

Evidence table for grief in Billy Elliott

Evidence table for grief

Success and failure in Billy Elliot

The human experiences of success and failure are explored throughout the film. There is the failure experienced by the supporting characters in the film, such as those experienced by both Grandma and Mrs. Wilkinson, who both did not ‘make it’ in their chosen careers. Billy is also faced with failure, however he uses it to fuel his ultimate success.

Write

Recall a time where you have experienced success. Describe, in as much detail as possible, the event that caused the success (or failure) and the feelings associated with the experience. Ensure you’re using figurative language and sensory imagery to ‘explode’ the moment.

Scene analysis: Pirouette Scene (19:00- 22:30)

Watch the pirouette scene and answer the questions below

Write

Where in the scene does Billy experience failure? Where in the scene does Billy experience success?

Are there any other characters that experience success or failure in the film? Give examples to support your response.

How does the viewer know that Billy is determined to succeed?

What is the significance of the wink that Mrs. Wilkinson gives Billy at the end of the scene?

What does this text suggest about the impact of success and failure on an individual?

Scene analysis: Pirouette Scene (continued)

Re-watch the pirouette scene and deconstruct key film techniques.

Use the Evidence table below to describe the impact Billy’s successes and failures have on him as an individual.

Evidence table for success and failure in Billy Elliott

Evidence table for success and failure

Consolidate your learning

1 - Create a visual representation / sketch note which showcases your understanding of each of the above collective human experiences (adversity, grief & success and failure). Use visual language and symbols to portray the experiences explored in the film.

2 - Construct a PEEL paragraph in response to the focus question for this phase. ‘How do texts represent collective human experiences?’

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