Funny, sad, and bitingly authentic, Kes resonates with Loach's anger at the way so many kids grow up into narrow, option-free lives. ... But Loach's underdogs are never sad passive victims. There's a defiant spirit about Billy, and a fierce joy in the scenes where he trains his kestrel. Kes, as Loach has commented, sets up a contrast between "the bird that flies free and the boy who is trapped", but at the same time there's an unmistakable identification between them. ... The film's ending is desolate, but we sense Billy will survive. [17] But his film career wasn't over: he appeared in All Quiet on the Western Front and 1978's Absolution.

Kes DVD - Zavvi UK Kes DVD - Zavvi UK

The film has been much praised, especially for the performance of the teenage David Bradley, who had never acted before, in the lead role, and for Loach's compassionate treatment of his working-class subject; it remains a biting indictment of the British education system of the time as well as of the limited career options then available to lower-class, unskilled workers in regional Britain. It was ranked seventh in the British Film Institute's Top Ten (British) Films. [3] This was Loach's second feature film for cinema release. She appeared as a support act for the Beatles, and also shared the spotlight with Rod Stewart, the Rolling Stones and Shirley Bassey. The production company was set up with the name "Kestrel Films". Ken Loach and Tony Garnett used this for some of their later collaborations such as Family Life and The Save the Children Fund Film.Not the only Liverpudlian in the cast, Colin played Mr Farthing and for his role, earned himself a BAFTA. The Sheffield native went on to join the comedy classic Porridge playing the slightly slow Cyril Heslop.

Kes (1969) - IMDb Kes (1969) - IMDb

Hines, Richard (2016). No Way But Gentlenesse: A Memoir of How Kes, My Kestrel, Changed My Life. Bloomsbury Publishing. ISBN 9781408868034. Kieślowski's cup of tea (Sight & Sound Top ten poll) - Movie List". MUBI . Retrieved 9 August 2016.

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Set in and around Barnsley, the film was one of the first of several collaborations between Ken Loach and Barry Hines that used authentic Yorkshire dialect. The extras were all hired from in and around Barnsley. The DVD version of the film has certain scenes dubbed over with fewer dialect terms than in the original. In a 2013 interview, director Ken Loach said that, upon its release, United Artists organised a screening of the film for some American executives and they said that they could understand Hungarian better than the dialect in the film. [6] a b Golding, Simon W. (2006). Life After Kes: The Making of the British Film Classic, the People, the Story and Its Legacy. Shropshire, UK: GET Publishing. ISBN 0-9548793-3-3. OCLC 962416178.

Kes (film) - Wikipedia

Garforth, Richard (18 October 2009). " Kes 40 years on". Archived from the original on 9 November 2009. Interview with David Bradley. a b Walker, Alexander (1974). Hollywood UK: The British Film Industry in the Sixties (1sted.). Stein And Day. p.378. ISBN 978-0812815498. A lad from the West Riding of Yorkshire, he once said the only acting he'd ever done was in the headmaster's office. In Ken Loach: The Politics of Film and Television, John Hill noted how the film's producers were against the bleak depiction of educational prospects for children in the film, writing, "Garnett [the film's producer] recalls how, in raising finance for the film, they encountered pressures to make the film's ending more positive, such as having Billy - with the help of his teacher - obtain a job at a zoo. As Garnett observes, however, this would have been to betray the film's point of view, which was concerned to raise questions about 'the system' rather than individuals." [9] The film has also been noted for its themes around familial bonds during childhood and the effect their absence can have on children. Actor Andrew Garfield, who played Billy in a stage adaptation of Kes early in his career, commented that, "Billy needs to be loved by both his mother and brother. Like any child, he instinctively loves them both. He may resent his mother for not seeming to care about him, but he cannot help but love her. This causes Billy a lot of emotional pain when his mother rejects him. With Jud the rejection is even more blatant; he goes out of his way to hurt Billy, both physically and emotionally. Billy desires approval, comfort, support, guidance and attention from his family, but he receives nothing from them. A hug from his mum would make his day. I believe that love does exist within his family but expressing it is considered to be embarrassing and inappropriate. ... I think that Kes represents to Billy the ideal relationship that he finds so difficult to have with the people around him. Billy trusts, protects and is supported by Kes. He spends all of his time thinking of Kes and day dreaming about her. Billy looks up to Kes and feels privileged to be her friend. Kes has everything that Billy desires: freedom, pride, respect and independence." [10] Release [ edit ] Certification [ edit ]

This article possibly contains original research. Please improve it by verifying the claims made and adding inline citations. Statements consisting only of original research should be removed. ( May 2021) ( Learn how and when to remove this template message) He later won the Academy Award for Best Original Screenplay for 1981's Chariots of Fire and later wrote the screenplay for 1994's War of the Buttons. While his role in Kes was only the fish and chip shop man, Bill went on to perform in lots of soaps, dramas and even more films. British filmmaking showed much of its potential in this marvellous production chronicling the boyhood experiences of Billy, whose expectations lead no further than following his father into the pits when he reaches manhood.