Why does Debbie (the little girl) in Billy Elliot vanish behind a passing vehicle?
In a scene at the 15 minute mark in Billy Elliot where Debbie and Billy are saying goodbye, Debbie vanishes behind a passing vehicle.
I've seen this technique applied in movies where the whole atmosphere is supposed to be surreal or we're supposed to question a character's psyche, but I don't get that sense from this otherwise quite grim and realistic movie.
Any ideas?
Edit: I'm not sure it's related, but for what it's worth -- later in the movie we see a tired Billy imagine his recently deceased mother in the kitchen, then when he and the camera look back she's similarly vanished. That instance is a bit more logical/traditional.
Best Answer
Debbie doesn't really vanish - that is, this doesn't seem to be a special effect or an editing trick, and there is a realistic explanation to it in the film itself. Though they're hard to spot (especially with captions on), you can just make out Debbie's feet moving under the police van. Debbie simply decided to run alongside it as it passed her; we just can't see her from this particular POV:
Of course, this choice of perspective and action still seems deliberate. And while we can delve into Debbie's role in the film, a simpler explanation would be that it's a continuation of a theme displayed earlier in this scene. Remember the first half of this short scene contains one of the more memorable images in the film: Debbie drags her stick across the wall and then across a row of police shields that the wall seamlessly blends into, without even acknowledging them:
So I think it's just fitting to bookend the scene with a police van then 'swallowing' her whole. Police presence (due to the ongoing miners strike) has become such an inseparable part of these children's lives that it's literally part of the scenery - and threatens to engulf them at any given moment.
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Is the film Billy Elliot a true story?
The film was nominated for three Academy Awards, and Jamie Bell, who played Billy, was widely praised for his performance. The character of Billy was actually inspired by a real man who faced similar struggles in his pursuit of becoming an opera singer in the 60s.What happens at the end of Billy Elliot?
The scene ends with Billy and his dad walking away, when another judge says \u201cMr Elliot, good luck with the strike.\u201d Daldry laughs and says the end \u201cwas a joke about the liberal, arty, vaguely left, but not really.\u201dWhat is the ballet in Billy Elliot?
In the final scene, the ballet in which Billy performs is Matthew Bourne's version of "Swan Lake" where all the Swans are played by men. Billy plays the part of the Swan, the same part he discusses with Mrs. Wilkinson (Dame Julie Walters) earlier in this movie.What is the purpose of Billy Elliot?
Billy Elliot is about a young boy who finds his passion for dance. The film is set in Northern England in the mid-80s and explores gender stereotypes, different social classes, the 1984 miner's strike and the use of police violence. This is a British social realism film due to its realistic depiction of British people.Billy Elliot - trailer ita HD
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