Into_the_World

Standard English- ‘Into the World’ By Matthew ‘Into the world’ is about how individuals, who show determination, who are given the opportunity and receive support, can excel beyond their original status and location as well as their narrow and naïve view of the world. If an individual has the desire to follow their dream and move into a new world they require personal traits such as; determination, passion and commitment. Moving into a new phase of life is usually not one simple transition. It takes time, support, money and also resources. Moving into a new world is not just physically challenging because a change in environment can challenge someone’s values and beliefs like it has with Billy and Jackie. Often the change is due to individuals following their passion or longing for change physically, socially or financially. However, moving into a new world is not always by choice. Many people are forced on this endeavour for reasons such as poverty, work or family obligations. The concept of ‘into the world’ is explored and examined through the texts ‘Billy Elliot’, ‘Luke’s Way of Looking’ and ‘Lose Yourself.’ In the film ‘Billy Elliot’ Stephen Daldry portrays a young boy called Billy Elliot, who is at a pivotal point in his life where he must make the critical decision about who and what he is. His character has a strong drive and determination which enables him to move from the norm and into the unknown. Daldry positions the audience to see the difficult path Billy must take to make his transition successful. He sets the film in the dull and cramped mining town of Everington; to show the audience how difficult it will be for Billy to leave this small town which has narrow minded and limited views on gender stereotypes. He uses filmic techniques which displays Billy on a threshold (doorway into a new life). The opening sequence of the film establishes Billy’s life and context. The song that is playing in this scene Cosmic Dancer by T-Rex tells the audience that Billy’s love of dancing is innate ‘I danced myself right out of the womb’. The camera editing of Billy jumping in and out of the frame becomes a visual metaphor for him jumping over life’s barriers. When Billy goes to retrieve his Grandmother from her wandering we see the police closing in on Everington, as the miners fight for their rights. This opening scene is a snapshot into Billy’s world and prepares the audience to appreciate his desire to leave the familiar behind and move into a new world. During Billy’s boxing lesson, he discovers that he has a talent for ballet dancing. In this scene there are two examples: 1) When Billy dances inside the ring when sparring with another boy. 2) Contrast is also used by the camera panning past many pairs of dainty ballet slippered feet before stopping on Billy’s boxing boots. This shot reinforces the idea that Billy is unique, and highlights his courage to step into the unknown and take a risk The two worlds Billy is torn between are clearly seen in the film when Billy is said to be a ‘disgrace to those gloves’. The gender division is clearly juxtaposed in this scene as the boxing class is down one end of the hall and the ballet down the other. Billy is caught between the traditional male worlds both physically and mentally. The mirror that is positioned between the ballet room and the boxing room is used to represent visually the two worlds that Billy is torn between. His facial expression portrays his deep fascination with the performing arts of the ballet world. Billy is represented as an outsider as he initially watches on. Mrs. Wilkinson appeals to Billy as she challenges and motivates him to break the barriers of gender perception ‘Go on, I dare you’. This is the first experience of Billy’s new world. The use of doors is a reoccurring motif representing the barriers between new worlds and is used throughout the film. Realising that his father would not allow him to pursue ballet, he attends lessons in secret and practises extensively in his bedroom, bathroom, streets and where ever else is possible. The door motif is once again prominent with Billy having to close the door on his current world to practise his new world’s ways. Billy know that the world of dance is an escape route from the poverty, violence, dull and cramped town of Everington. When Billy is forced to dance by his brother Tony we clearly see his frustration and the confinement and claustrophobia of his world are portrayed in Billy’s emotive thoughts. The breaking down of the doors is representative of him breaking down the door into the new world. Billy’s first interaction with the new world occurs when he leaves Everington to attend the audition. The Royal Ballet School is spacious and bright with a clean and lively environment contrasting to Billy’s world of Everington. In this scene, the body language of both Jackie (Billy’s father) and Billy is fascinated yet they are still at unease with this new world. As they walk up the stairs of the Royal Ballet School the camera rotates the room while maintaining focus on Jackie and Billy. It is a long shot camera angle and emphasises to the audience how airy this new surrounding is in contrast to the kitchen of their home which is cluttered with pots, pans, chairs and tables everywhere. The loud click of Jackie’s mining boots represents that Jackie brings his familiar morals and values with him to the new world. The transition is not an easy one for Billy as we can see when he strikes the boy and yells at him ‘you bent bastard’. This displays to the audience another barrier faced by Billy which is the barrier between the wealthy people and himself, the poor. The unnamed boy insists to billy ‘there’s always next year’ but in fact Billy knows this is his only chance so he resorts to the next thing he knows after dancing, violence. We can see his family’s anger and violence has impacted on him. In contrast to Billy’s dull and dreary life in Everington, we see his successful transition into the new world clearly depicted in the final scene. Billy’s self-fulfilment and pride are seen through his flamboyant costuming and awe-inspiring figure. The spotlight on Billy is showing the audience his achievement and how he is recognised for all his hard work, and is rewarded with professional acclaim. This scene not only highlights his achievements, but the progression that his family has made also. The physical and metaphorical leap of Billy is showing his achievement and self expression. This celebration shows that this young 11 year old boy has succeeded in his battle with social stereotypes and impoverished life to transition as an elegant successful swan, into the theatrical world of performance. Marshall Mathers III, better known as Eminem, the famous white rapper whose hardships to move into the new world are portrayed in his academy winning best original song (2003) titled ‘Lose Yourself.’ ‘Billy Elliot’ and the song ‘Lose Yourself’ are both similar as they both explore the everyday experience of making it to ‘the big time.’ Both Billy and Eminem ‘only have one shot, on opportunity, to seize everything they ever wanted.’ Over time Eminem has been in and out of the spotlight for both the good and the bad but today can arguably be recognised as one of the top rappers ever in a heavily ‘black’ dominated genre. ‘one shot’ is repeated throughout the song in the chorus to emphasis to the audience that there was only ever one chance for him to progress out of the ‘slums’ and into the new world. Eminem raps that he ‘kept rhyming and stepped right into the next cypher’ showing his continuous efforts, persistence and determination to move forward and into a new life. If he didn’t show these personal qualities he knew that he would ‘end up in jail or shot.’ The tone of Eminem throughout most the song is passionate and pumped through adrenaline while also being serious. He sings ‘success is my only motherf…. Option, failure is not’ as he knows that there is no chance that he wants to go back to his everyday life. He contrasts success and failure. The first part of the sentence it long compared to the second part ‘failure is not.’ This represents that to get success it takes time, but failure can impose itself anytime and very quickly before success can be saved. Like Billy in the film, Eminem displays the true attributes of a successful person with determination and persistence to grasp his one and only opportunity and achieve his goal of respect and acceptance from a world that previously alienated and despised him because of his uniqueness. (Billy was a dancer in a town of boxers and miners while Eminem was a white rapper in a business of black rappers.) After close study of the texts I have realised that to leave the familiar world behind and embrace the new world whether it is physical or mental is not an easy task and is often painful, gruelling but extremely rewarding when the predicted outcome is achieved. I have personally found that it is important to be aware that not all transitions are as possible or as easy and surreal like Billy and Eminem’s experience. Moving into the new world can be as simple as entering a new stage in one’s life and within that transition growth and change often result for the better.