Related links:

Cinemas | Movie Sets | Folk Customs | Theatres

Join in

Send page to a friend

4077 views since 7th Feb 2010

Kes
- favourite film

The 1969 film Kes is a rather late addition to the social realism cannon of British cinema, though director Ken Loach has kept its flame burning long after most abandoned that genre. It creates an authentic and moving snapshot of life in West Yorkshire , thankfully avoiding some of those classic moments where upper-middle-class actors from the Home Counties put on their all-purpose northern accents. David Bradley as Billy is from Barnsley , where the film is set; Brian Glover in his first professional acting role as the ridiculous sports teacher had been brought up there; and Lynne Perrie – Mrs Caspar - was from nearby Rotherham . There was authenticity too in that Glover and Colin Welland (later more famous for scripting Chariots of Fire ) who plays Billy’s English teacher, had both actually been teachers.
Based on Barry Hines ’ novel A Kestrel for a Knave, Kes tells the sad story of the seemingly hopeless Billy briefly emerging from his childhood of neglect and despair through his relationship with a kestrel he finds and trains, only to have that lifeline to an existence with meaning brutally snatched away. In spite of the tragedy of Billy’s life there is humour in the film, not least in the memorable performance director Ken Loach drew from debutant actor Glover.

vote now

Current top 10
1: Oliver!
2: Zulu
3: The Railway Children
4: The Italian Job
5: Life of Brian
6: Trainspotting
7: The Third Man
8: The 39 Steps
9: The Cook, the Thief, His Wife and Her Lover
10: Local Hero

Brit Quote:
Certainly nothing is unnatural that is not physically impossible. - Richard Sheridan
More Quotes

On this day:
Battle of Berwick - 1296, Fire Claims 19 Glasgow Firefighters - 1960
More dates from British history

click here to view all the British counties

County Pages