Thatcher, Ballet and Mines - in other words, Billy Elliot

[novin_ha]

Dear f-list.

Particularly the British part.

I am supposed to be prepared to discussing the social reality in which the action of "Billy Elliot" takes place. Is there any insight you could provide for me? Interesting data or an online essay on the subject you would recommend? I don't want to search blindly, and thought some of you might have a much better knowledge on the subject... I am particularly interested in the strikes, violence used by the government, some such.

Thank you from the mountain in advance,
Novinha

And as to my opinion on the film?

1. It's the second time I'm watching it and it still makes me go emo. That's what I call good.
2. I am completely insensitive to the beauty that ballet probably is, but the boy's performence made it somewhat more real for me.
3. The music - oh my, it was amazing. Especially the 'rebel' themes, rock songs.
4. My group are wimps because they did not want to stay half an hour to see the ending. Wimps. Wimps.
5. I could relate to both Billy and his father, and the actors' performance was outstanding.
6. The accent - um, at times I could hardly understand anything. Especially when Billy was angry and so on. But it sounded interesting. Seemed to me almost all those dyphthongs were reduced and some vowels were replaced by others... Is that the Northern England accent? *Adores*
7. Because of the geographical setting - in connection to ballet - I was of course thinking about junediamanti while watching it. What did you think about the film, June?
8. And you, the rest of my fabulous flist - what was your opinion? Favourite moment?

Mine was when Billy's father chopped the piano and was then sitting and crying on Christmas. Also when Billy asked if he can come back if he doesn't like it in London and father asked if the boy was joking, the room was already taken. And when father saw Billy dance for the first time.

Yes, I know. It's just that I loved the character. Not as in, would like to meet. As in, he was so realistic, believable and good while human and violent and just...

I love this film.

Comments

Part 1

[zoepaleologa.livejournal.com]

Liked the film. loathed the trivialisation of the 1984-1985 Miners' Strike.

In 1974 industrial action by the National Union of Mineworkers brought down the Conservative Government led by Edward Heath. No bad thing, really. From where I sit in the North East of England, in my working class house, any removal of a Conservative Administration is ipso facto, a good thing. One person did not forget it though and intended revenge. She was Minister for Education back then, Margaret Thatcher. Yes, Thatcher intended to curb the overpowerful trade unions, who believed and boasted they could bring down governments.

Successive labour administrations had increasing trouble with strikes and therefore in 1979 when Thatcher stood on an electoral platform of restraining Union power, she was elected. Generally, a lot of people supported her views.

She was in her second term of office in 1984 when she brought in American industrial specialists to review the Coal Mining industry in the UK. Pits were threatened with closure all around the country, and the NUM (National Union of Mineworkers) took action. A strike started.

Thatcher was not going to cave in like her predecessors had. At first, the striking, and picketing (standing by strikers at the entrance to a workplace and trying to prevent people entering) was peacable - usually police attendance was local boys who sympathised with the striking men, who were, after all, neighbours. So instead, non-local police were used to enforce new rules about demonstrations and picketing. Police from, say, London, would be brought in to maintain order in say, Northumberland. The police were paid astronomical rates of overtime, and, having no local loyalty, were highly provocative towards local strikers - showing bundles of cash, was a common thing.

As the strikes went on, there were scenes of dreadful rioting, and such - usually between those who were striking and those who had not gone on strike. Strikers traditionally call such men "Scabs". To complicate matters, the Unions themselves became schismatic, with certain areas split 50-50 between striking miners and those who "scabbed". Against this was set some disgraceful police brutality in suppressing demonstrations.

Thatcher won. She got what she wanted, and the industry was largely finished in 1992. That's a very potted version, btw.