Tonight I watched Ken Loach’s Kes (1969), a beautiful, moving film that has reminded me what cinema and storytelling should be about. It’s striking in both its humour and its sadness, and at its core is ultimately a very honest and human story. David Bradley’s performance and Billy Casper’s story resonate like few things I have ever seen.
“Kes details the life of Billy Casper (David Bradley), a lonely teen facing a bleak future in a Yorkshire mining town. An outcast at school, Billy’s slight frame and unkempt appearance make him an easy target for teachers and bullies alike. Unfortunately, home provides no respite. Billy’s father is absent, his inattentive mother (Lynne Perrie) offers little guidance or love (referring to Billy as ‘a hopeless case’), and his abusive older brother Jud (Freddie Fletcher) takes out his hostility through punches and insults. However, hope appears in the form of a kestrel, which Billy captures as a fledgling and trains to fly on command. Soon, the bird reveals not only Billy’s untapped potential, but also his desire to escape his toxic environment.”- Senses of Cinema
“Kes is packed with unforgettable moments – Billy finding freedom training his kestrel; the sympathetic teacher (Colin Welland) getting him to address the class about falconry; the bullying sportsmaster (Brian Glover) refereeing the football match; Billy’s brother destroying the bird out of spite. The film established Loach as a master, made the names of Welland and Glover, and launched the career of Chris Menges, one of the great cinematographers.” – Philip French.
You can read a short essay on the film at Senses of Cinema, and an article on Loach at the Museum of Broadcast Communications. A brief summary on Ken Loach can be found at Wikipedia.
Dad
We must see this – excellent article about the film and the director.
I remember showing Kes to a class at Dara in the early 80s – I never taught the novel it is based on, but I think it has been taught in schools.
Dad
Discussion