As Billy continues to undergo ballet training, the subject is one day initiated at home. Mr. Elliot is furious with Billy for being interested in something so inappropriate and feminine. There is, however, an explanation for a genetic inheritance of Billy’s superior stamina and dancing skills, as his grandmother regularly tells him that she “could have been a professional dancer!” This link is maintained continuously throughout ‘Billy Elliot’.
The sole example, in this particular portrayal, of the police appearing more like everyday citizens is the wide-angle camera shot that Daldry takes of the force enjoying a game of cricket. As Billy passes by, the officers and constables are not dressed in full riot clothing, but are hitting the cricket ball back and forth to each other. Instead of a cricket bat, a police baton is being substituted. The truncheon is also a recurring theme in the film, as the audience is reminded of Debbie’s stick earlier on. It reminds us also, of course, of the violence for which the baton is used; and that the police are simply having a break – they are always ready to get back into action. The combined effect of the image and the camera shot convey a possibility that behind this brutal working force live ordinary people battling through another ordinary day. Billy goes unnoticed as he passes by the site – again, both parties are so accustomed to the presence of each other, but have no point of connection.
Considerably later on in the film, the strikers’ determination to block all means of strike-breakers obtaining access to the mines causes a riot. The police seem prepared for the situation, but nevertheless they use what appears to the audience as unnecessary violence. Billy’s brothers Tony is being chased; and in their bid to control a single man the police force seem excessively brutal. Daldry’s camera shot is a low-angle, emphasizing the size of the police boots as the policemen clamber combatively out of the police van.
The use of aggressive, turbulent punk rock music (“London Calling” by The Clash) in this scene emphasizes the intensity of the chase, as do the camera shots - the majority of which are high-angle shots. The police are depicted here as a barrier of savagery, as their officers surround the streets and even the houses.
Billy is shown as a spectator, desperately attempting to warn his brother, but to no avail. Billy’s cries are lost in the cacophony of the riot. As Tony frantically bolts through the houses of the village, the audience is shown that the residents are pro-miner (therefore pro-Tony) and anti-police – probably because of the regularity of such events. They open doors for Tony to dash through but are not as willing to leave their houses available for police intrusion, as the police knock over a man in his own home, and another young male washing a car. Tony stops only to gulp a sip of tea from a citizen’s kitchen and to spit on the bonnet of a police van in the street, again proving his point, albeit insignificantly. Here, the chase of Tony is being used to give a prototypical and very negative view of the police in this film.
Once out in the open again, Daldry deliberately portrays Tony as the innocent party. He is a victim of violence, as hundreds of officers form an impermeable wall and therefore produce an unbalanced conflict against Tony. When the members of the force assemble themselves into lines, it seems as though to attempt to cross them would be analogous to entering a labyrinth – there would be no way out.
Outside a villager’s home, Tony makes the mistake of running headlong into a washing line, on which are hung several white sheets. The audience is aware that this will shortly lead to a sombre conclusion, as the white sheets are redolent of a shroud. The lines of washing bedecked with sheets are indeed similar to a maze. The police are gaining on Tony, oblivious to everything else, concentrating on their pursuit. Tony attempts to free himself from the enveloping white object but the police succeed in knocking him down as they are on horseback, very unnecessarily. The officers on horses give a very dominant image of the force. Tony is trapped, but still the police insist upon continuing to beat him until he is bleeding as the bloody sheet indicates – do they enjoy their authority and the licence it appears to give them to be immorally vicious?
Throwing Tony into the police van, the police fling the door closed. On the rear of the van the word “POLICE” is printed, as with all constabulary vehicles. The last image of this scene witnessed by the audience is this word, frightening and dominating, as the van drives away – the large close up camera shot showing that the police have won.
At a contrast to The Clash, other music is used in the film. Such pieces as a movement from “Swan Lake” by Tchaikovsky, and references to Fred Astaire are included. This is why such a musical contrast is provided during the chase of Tony. The juxtaposition between classical music and punk rock indicates that chasing Tony is a severe and aggressive activity. It is intended to portray the determination of the police force to catch Tony Elliot, whom they consider a ringleader of the strike.
From this you will have concluded that the police force in ‘Billy Elliot’ are represented as an anonymous, ruthless barrier. The amount of unnecessary violence in the film suggests that Daldry is insinuating that establishing a picket line is hardly a criminal offence. Quite dissimilarly, the members of the police force in ‘The Blue Lamp’ are friendly, approachable people, known to the entire local area as kind human beings who in their bid to stop crime help and support the local habitants.
‘The Blue Lamp’, made in 1950 and directed by Basil Dearden is a dedication to the Metropolitan Police force. It is without a doubt a recruitment film, post-World War Two. This propaganda film is notably biased, and has been made to show the police in the best possible light. The Police Constable Dixon, played by Jack Warner, became such a popular character that a weekly series called “Dixon of Dock Green” was created, and was sustained until the mid nineteen-seventies.
The first example of violence in the film – a car chase, although nothing to do with the narrative thread, is an example of the crime that the police are needed to combat. It introduces us to new recruit, P.C. Mitchell. A passer-by asks for directions to Paddington Station; the response of P.C. Dixon shows the police as amiable and receptive. A local boy named Monty Green is pretending to be lost, this time to the new recruit, in order to be taken to the police station, where he expects he will be presented with a jam bun as usual. He has done this a considerable number of times previously, however, and P.C. Dixon is aware of the prank. He bends to the boy’s level so as not to appear intimidating, and reprimands him gently. Here Dearden uses a two-shot favouring Monty, which is also a close-up. It emphasises the similarity in heights of the two since Dixon has stooped to the boy’s level. The fact that Monty would have liked to be taken to the police station presents it as a sanctuary for the children, and somewhere where they can always be sure of a warm welcome. A jam bun being given to Monty depicts the close relationship that is maintained between the police and their neighbourhood.
The next significant scene in the film is shot in the police canteen. A balanced mid camera shot is used to film the force’s new recruit Andy Mitchell and the CID officer – again making the two men, who are placed completely differently in the police hierarchy, seem equal and commensurate. Andy has made a mistake and is clearly nervous, but he is invited to sit down. The CID officer gives a slight admonishment, and then the reprimand is forgotten as he makes a joke - one of the many examples of humour in the film. The members of the force demonstrably work together as a team, willing and eager to help one another.
The police force have formed a choir, nicknamed “The Canaries”, giving an onomatopoeic insight into their harmonic singing. The film shows us one example of their practising – on this occasion “Nymphs and Shepherds” is being sing. The contrast between the harmonic old-fashioned folk ballads in this film and the deliberately offensive punk rock music used in “Billy Elliot” should be noted. Here, as with many points during “The Blue Lamp”, a voice-over is used. This is an old-fashioned, straightforward sound effect, emphasising the fact that this is a film designed to recruit new officers. Unlike “Billy Elliot”, “The Blue Lamp” maintains a straightforward, relatively slow pace.
When filming this scene, Dearden appropriately uses a long shot to portray all of the officers as being united and together, since all of them are positioned inside the frame of the camera. As the force begin singing, their voices are all in harmony as the song is sung in parts. Here the audience is provoked to think of the connection with the harmony of the singing and the harmony that the police strive to keep throughout their community. A sense of harmony, of course, has already been reached within the police force itself. The aspect of humour in the film is presented again as one officer appears to be singing in a tuneless manner. He apologises, claiming to have a “frog in his throat”. The conductor, also a member of the force, jokes that perhaps the frog should be allowed to sing instead of the officer – it seems laughter is a common occurrence in the film.
It should be noted that normal service returns instantaneously as the Sergeant comes in and calls the force back to duty. The officers hand in their sheets of music, and are instructed by the conductor to meet again at the same time tomorrow night.
The next point of focus in the film is when Andy Mitchell is interviewing Mrs Lewis, whose daughter has disappeared with her boyfriend. A two-shot is used, again for the reasons stated previously, and the photographical action ‘cutting’ is used to keep switching from shots of mother, to daughter, to boyfriend. The cup of tea featured is a key aspect in some of the other scenes; its role being to convey a sociable ambience. Shortly afterwards, two officers are shown patrolling the streets. One of the pair is P.C. Dixon, and here the director uses the lighting feature to make the faces of the two men white and prominent. Dearden clearly intends to focus upon the officers, with Dixon advising the new recruit, Mitchell, on how to cope with night shifts.
The Dixon home, which we see shortly, is obviously very domesticated, cosy and homely. This shows the individuality and sensitivity of each officer as a person. Thus, a sharp focus is put upon the home itself. Most camera shots used here are mid-shots of Dixon himself, as he talks about such domestic matters as his potted plants and evening meal. Dixon and his wife have recently lost a son, whom that year would have been a similar age to Andy Mitchell. Here we become aware of Dixon’s humanity and genuine feelings towards his wife and his late son. When the camera switches to the police station, the same unpretentious impression is continued.
When called to a local jeweller’s home, the police treat the citizen, Mr. Jordan, extremely courteously. Jordan is determined that the fact he has been with his mistress is kept a secret from his wife. The police kindly assure him that the publicity will be kept low-key. The effect of humour is again portrayed in the scene as Mr. Jordan’s mistress discovers that her beloved pearl necklace is in fact an imitation and not genuine. None of this humour, as noticed, is present in “Billy Elliot”. The police seem to involuntarily be included in the everyday happenings and business of the entire community. This, however, is what the film intends to insinuate.
As stated, “Billy Elliot” and “The Blue Lamp” are two very different films made for very different reasons. There are some things that the two have in common, and I’m sure there are aspects of the police that could be taken from both films and applied to the present day. In a sense, both are propaganda films, although “The Blue Lamp” is more positive. “Billy Elliot” presents the officers very negatively, as they seem to use nonessential savagery for more petty crime prevention. Despite this, “Billy Elliot” depicts the police as intent upon keeping order, which of course is the job of such a force. The police forces in the two films show very different ways of keeping conduct in the community.
