Directed by Ken Loach
Written by Barry Hines, Tony Garnett and Ken Loach from a novel by Hines
1969/UK
IMDb link
First viewing/Netflix rental
One of 1001 Movies You Must See Before You Die
[box] My heart in hiding/ Stirred for a bird,—the achieve of, the mastery of the thing! – Gerard Manley Hopkins, “The Windover”[/box]
A fine film. Nevertheless, a bit on the despairing side for Lockdown.
Billy is 15 years old. He lives with his family in a working-class home in Yorkshire. Everyone speaks in a thick Yorkshire dialect. His father is not in the picture, his mother works all day and goes out at night, and his older brother is a real bully. Billy is slight in stature and dreamy in nature and is also bullied mercilessly at school by classmates and even teachers.
But Billy has a special gift with animals. He spies fledglings in a kestrel nest and steals one he names “Kes” to train. He steals a book on falconry and seems to be a natural at the sport. Will this relationship with nature improve his situation in life?
The birder in me loved the scenes with Kes and David Bradley gave an outstanding performance. Films that feature intentional cruelty especially to children are a hard watch for me. There is a lot of bullying to endure in this one. Recommended if you can take the brutal with the poetic.
Kes
I think where the movie tipped over for me was the football scene. That teacher was so far out ridiculous that I could not take the movie serious from that moment onwards. I pity though. I like these British working class drama. There is a lot of grit and humanity in them.
How are you doing anyway, Bea? Can you stay sane in isolation?
Still sane at least but this is getting very old. I spend too much time yelling at my TV set during press conferences. Trump made May “Seniors Month”. The month we become the sacrificial lambs to our economy. California remains on Lockdown until May 15 and then they will think about slow reopening in stages if they have two weeks of declining infection and hospitalization rates. I’m glad I’m not in Georgia or Florida. Are things progressing to your satisfaction in Denmark?
Love British cinema too.
Kes is a movie I think about now and then. I have no idea why it works. I knew from the opening sequences exactly where this was going to go, and it still works for me.
It works because of all of its elements are outstanding. And if it had turned into an inspirational story it would have been dishonest but I might have enjoyed the experience more.