Worn by the prodigious Jamie Bell, “Billy Elliot” tells the story of a young English boy who develops a passion for dance despite his family’s disapproval. A striking character, whose career resembles that of his interpreter, but also that of two renowned British artists.
Billy Elliot : dance, against all odds
Stephen Daldry’s first feature film released in 2000, Billy Elliot takes the viewer to the England of 1984. In a small mining town in crisis in County Durham, young Billy (Jamie Bell) lives with his father Jackie (Gary Lewis), his older brother Tony (Jamie Draven) and his older brother -mother (Jean Heywood).
Enrolled in boxing, the eleven-year-old boy is far from being thrilled by the noble art, while his father already sees in him a future great athlete capable of lifting his family out of the financial abyss. When he attends a dance class, Billy is intrigued and develops very quickly an interest in this discipline.
The teenager starts to take lessons secretly, urged by Professor Mrs. Wilkinson (Julie Walters). But when they discover the vocation of Billy, who dreams of joining a prestigious London dance school, Jackie and Tony let their anger explode. Despite the disapproval of those around him, the young prodigy does not intend to give up his passion.
An almost autobiographical film for Jamie Bell
History of emancipation against a backdrop of social drama, Billy Elliot reveals Jamie Bell to the public. Before King Kong, The Adventures of Tintin: The Secret of the Unicorn or Snowpiercer: Le Transperceneige, the actor finds one of the roles of his life (THE role of his life?) with his first film. He notably won the BAFTA for Best Actor for his performance.
If Jamie Bell manages to deliver such a strong interpretation, it is partly because his life resembles that of his character in many ways. Like Billy Elliot, the actor is from the North East of England. Like him, he has a real attachment to dance since it is has been practicing since the age of six, and also suffers the contempt of others, including the mockery of his classmates.
During’an interview granted to journalist Jake Hamilton in April 2021 for the promotion of Without any remorse, the actor remembers his reaction to reading the script:
It sounded so much like my experience. Hiding the fact that you dance from your friends at school, the stigma of dancing boys were things that were part of my life. (…) When I read the script, I said to myself: ‘Someone has followed me’.
Two artists as sources of inspiration
When writing his play Dancing, which will serve as the basis for his Billy Elliot, Lee Hall is inspired by his life experience as he grew up in a mining region in the UK. The book Under the gaze of the stars AJ Cronin and his film adaptation by Carol Reed help develop the framework for his narrative.
Regarding his main character, the author looks at the journey of two artists. The first is English baritone Sir Thomas Allen, ennobled by Elizabeth II in 1989. He too grew up in a mining town in County Durham in the 1950s. During his childhood, music became his source of development. Supported by his family, he was encouraged by his teachers to embrace a career as an opera singer. He joined the Royal College of Music and performed in the most prestigious halls of the world. Regarding Stephen Daldry’s feature film, he told the BBC :
I recognized with great emotion these characters in the streets that I knew very well. Everything was very realistic for me. And it’s true that I don’t know anyone in my area who did what I did. I was preparing the way, it was still uncharted territory at the time!
As recounted in Guardian in 2000, the exhilarating sequence where Billy dances in the street otherwise resembles an episode lived by Philip Mosley. Lee Hall spoke to this dancer from the Royal Ballet to write his piece. Unlike the young hero, the artist from the town of Barnsley was supported by his father Albert, but had to overcome the reluctance of his mother Margaret. And unlike the teenager played by Jamie Bell, he never had to hide his passion.
