An important idea in the film Bend it Like Beckham, directed by Gurinder Chadha, is the idea of the importance of trust in teenage relationships. The director shows the importance of this idea through camerawork and dialogue.
Trust is a big part of Jess’s relationship with both Tony and Jules. Jess’s bond with Tony, who we later learn is gay, is crucial to her success in the film. Tony sticks up for Jess when the boys tease her, he persuades her father to let her play in the football final and at the end of the film offers to marry her so that her parents will allow her to take up the football scholarship. He also trusts Jess with the knowledge that he is gay, even though he is not able to tell anyone else. Jess trusts Tony with her worries and frustrations about her family, and relies on his encouragement and support. This trusting relationship helps Jess to achieve her goals in the end. In contrast Jess’s relationship with Jules is less trusting. Both feel a romantic attachment to their football coach, Joe. However, Jules is not honest about her feelings, and Jess misunderstands her comment that Joe is “off limits.” This lack of trust causes problems for both girls both within their families and on the soccer pitch.
Director shows how Jess’s trusting relationship with Tony is important to her through camera work. Tony and Jess are often pictured in a two shot, for example when Jess is confiding to Tony in the park about how her parents have forbidden her to play football. Shots such as this show their relationship to be supportive, for example when Tony offers Jess his handkerchief, or when they are seen in close conversation. The two shots show that trust is important because they emphasise that Jess relies on Tony for emotional support. There is also a two shot of Tony and Jess near the end of the film when Tony offers to marry Jess in order that she will be allowed to study in America. Again seeing Jess and Tony pictured together, in contrast to all the rest of the family grouped on the sofa and around the room, we get the idea that they stand together “against the world” and see that the trust in their relationship will affect their future.
The director also uses camera work to show the effects of lack of trust in Jess and Jules’s relationship when they fall out over Joe. The shot of Jules, alone on the field as everyone else rushes to congratulate Jess when she scores, emphasises that the breakdown in trust between her and Jess has made her isolated. A similar effect is achieved by the high angle shot of Jess rushing down the stairs and out of Jules’s front door, after they have fought over Joe. This shot makes Jess seem small, alone and isolated, showing us the importance of trust in maintaining relationships.
Finally, the director uses dialogue to show that trust is important. When Tony tells Jess that he is gay, she says “It’s OK. At least it’s ok with me!” which shows how his trust in her led to support and encouragement which was not available from anyone else in his community. We know this from her response “But you’re Indian!” On the other hand, dialogue shows us the extent of lack of trust that results from Jules and Jess falling out, when Jules says, “you bitch!” and “You knew he was off limits!” to Jess’s bewilderment, as she had entirely misunderstood that Jules did in fact like Joe too. This shows that lack of trust has important consequences as it leads to unpleasantness and distress.
Therefore, in Bend It Like Beckham, Gurinder Chadha uses camera work and dialogue to show us that trust is important.