Billy Elliot Opening Scene Analysis

       

     
Billy Elliot Opening Scene

In the first scene, the audience are introduced to an old fashioned record player. The mise en scene immediately helps to represent the time era, and the 1970's theme effortlessly carries on throughout the rest of the film. The record player is held in a close up shot for a lengthy period of time (30 seconds) in comparison to the following editing pace, suggesting that it holds some significance to the main character. The record player and the music is iconic as it represents the genre and theme of the play, however is a very subtle clue as to what is yet to come, enticing the audience without giving too much away. Billy's shaky hand and deep breath could either represent excitement or nerves, suggesting that music is a relatively new element to his life.

The audience are first introduced to Billy - the main character jumping on his bed in excitement while listening to 'Cosmic Dancer', a notoriously iconic song of the 70's. Dressed in a yellow tank top, his youth and innocence are represented, as well as his working class background which is heavily emphasised throughout the rest of the film. The yellow is effective as it stands out against the bland background suggesting he has hopes for a bright future. The setting and editing helps to suggest the genre of a drama as it is very realistic shown by both the dank lighting and the colours. The distinct lack of Hollywood glamour and the gritty realism, which is conventional to the genre, entices the audience as they are introduced to Billy’s 1970’s lifestyle. His character is shown to be a typical child, jumping around on a bed however his feet and legs move diligently which is unusual for a growing boy. The height of the bounce also represents his childlike ambitions providing a sense of surrealism, producing the idea that dancing is a form of escapism from what is stereotypically expected of him from a working class background.

Juxtaposition is shown as Billy moves from his imagination to reality in his disorganised, cluttered kitchen. The absence of a motherly figure is quickly brought to the audience’s attention by the lack of cleanliness, making them pity him. His fast movements while doing what could seem to be a laborious task to a young child represents his amicable character as well as his innocence suggesting that despite his responsibilities, dance gives him a way out. The audience are left in suspense when Billy realises his Grandma is missing as they are not told who it is, as well as learning he is from the North of England. This gives away further details of the film and about the main character, suggesting his life is heavily evolved around the miner’s strike. His lack of surprise shocks the audience when they discover it was his Grandma, suggesting that it is a regular occurrence, introducing them to the harsh reality of his life. His sincerity, gentleness and respect towards her is heart-warming and evokes emotion from the audience.

An objective camera is used in the opening scene, producing a fly on the wall technique. This is effective as it produces a head on perspective, allowing the audience to fully see the body language and emotions used by Billy, helping to make him an inevitably likeable character. Alternatively, the technique is also effective as it causes the audience to feel slightly guilty. When we learn that Billy is responsible for his Grandma going missing, the fly on the wall technique forces the audience to feel like it is an invasion of his privacy as if it is something they shouldn’t have seen. This helps to make them feel sorry but warm to him at the same time, making the film more enjoyable as enables the audience to get involved.

Overall, Billy Elliot’s opening scene is atypical to what a modern audience would expect. Its dramatic sense of realism immediately evokes emotion from the audience. It is cleverly edited in a way which provides subtle hints to the rest of the film but suggests the social expectations of the era do not meet Billy’s expectations of life. The audience are introduced to the main character, the setting and the genre without giving away the plot and are left on a cliff hanger wanting to know more, successfully making it one of the most memorable opening scenes ever.