In celebration of masculinity and men's emotional range; the final scene of "Billy Elliot"

actingverystrangely · 2015-12-20T07:48:02+00:00

The film explores two struggles; the sub plot is the fight by working men to protect their livelihood and prevent pit closures. In real life, the miners failed. The main plot is about Billy’s determination to realise his ambition to become a dancer. In the film, Billy realises his dream.

The final scene showcases so many positive aspects of masculinity that is hard to know where to begin. The ballet is an all-male production of Swan Lake. This highlights the ability of men to endow artistic expression with emotional intensity.

Billy appears preparing for his performance, and showcases his strength, his power, his physique and the consequence of years of determination, training and perseverance. Most of all, his leap conveys the passion, the power and the personality he brings to his performance. It is an irresistible compound of testosterone and adrenaline which takes the breath away.

The younger dancers watch from the wings, admiring the lead dancer’s performance. This reminds us how we men mentor our sons and share our learning and insights. Billy’s father is in the audience, and while he struggled with his son’s choice, he accepted his son’s decision and supported him when he needed it most. This might have been challenging for the actor who played Billy Elliot, as he is on record as saying he never knew his own father. The scene reminds us of the unconditional love and support fathers give to their sons, and the ability of men to move on from differences, and not harbour petty grudges.

Billy’s father and son were joined in the audience by Billy’s school friend, Michael, who has come out as gay. This reminds us that men are a diverse group, and we are not all the same. Michael’s loyalty to his friend reminds us that loyalty is a key male trait, and the men share in the appreciation of the ballet, even though their heritage involved working in unspeakable hardship in the dark, dangerous heat of an underground mine. This highlights men’s adaptability and versatility; the journey from subterranean darkness to the arc lights of the stage reminds us that men throughout history have overcome adversity to achieve their goals.

“What has this got to do with men’s rights?” The answer is that the film excerpt celebrates masculinity, and men’s connection with their emotions. The next time you are taunted with the usual male shaming about men being emotionally stunted, refer the person to the video. The film pre-dates the emergence of widespread misandry, and celebrates masculinity in the most positive light.

Do you agree?

2015-12-20T17:17:50+00:00

Astaire and Rogers, 1937, men dancing to express their masculinity, women dancing to express their femininity (there's more emotion in a single lean of Ginger's left shoulder than there is in 100 Billy Elliot movies), the whole greater than the sum of the parts.

And not a trace of I LOVE MY DEAD GAY BALLET DANCER SON.

Title	In celebration of masculinity and men's emotional range; the final scene of "Billy Elliot"
Author	actingverystrangely
Upvotes	3
Comments	3
Date	December 20, 2015 7:47 AM UTC (10 years ago)
Subreddit	Posted in /r/MensRights
Original Link	https://old.reddit.com/r/MensRights/comments/3xk3n2/in_celebration_of_masculinity_and_mens_emotional/
Archive Link	https://theredarchive.com/r/MensRights/in-celebration-of-masculinity-and-mens-emotional.964820 https://theredarchive.com/post/964820

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