"James Leggott's study of Billy Elliot (2000), a coming-of-age drama set against the bitter backdrop of the 1984-5 miners' strike, examines the film's peculiarities of tone, depiction of tensions over class and gender roles, and its portrayal of family dynamics. In doing so, he challenges the film's categorisation as an example of 'feel good' northern realism. Instead, through close readings of key scenes, Leggott argues that the film's bold, often transgressive humour, aligns it more with contemporaneous developments in American independent cinema and British 'dark' television comedy than a more obvious alignment with an British social realist tradition"--
A study of Stephen Daldry's coming-of-age dance drama,
Billy Elliot (2000), in the BFI Film Classics series.
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.
