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] Kes won David Bradley the most promising newcomer BAFTA, with Colin Welland winning best actor in a supporting role. 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. Much of the film's content has been discussed as a critique of the British education system of the time, known as the Tripartite System, which sorted children into different types of schools depending on their academic ability. The view of the creators is that such a system was harmful both to the children involved and to wider society. In his 2006 book, Life After Kes, Simon Golding commented that "Billy Casper, unlike the author [Golding], was a victim of the 11-plus, a government directive that turned out, for those who passed the exam, prospective white-collar workers, fresh from grammar schools, into jobs that were safe and well paid. The failures, housed in secondary modern schools, could only look forward to unskilled manual labour or the dangers of the coal face. Kes protests at this educational void that does not take into account individual skills, and suggests this is a consequence of capitalist society, which demands a steady supply of unskilled labour." [8] Golding also quoted director Ken Loach who stated that, "It [the film] should be dedicated to all the lads who had failed their 11-plus. There's a colossal waste of people and talent, often through schools where full potential is not brought out." [8] The film was a word-of-mouth hit in Britain, eventually making a profit. However, it was a commercial flop in the US. [2] In his four-star review, Roger Ebert said that the film failed to open in Chicago, and attributed the problems to the Yorkshire accents. [14] Ebert saw the film at a 1972 showing organised by the Biological Honor Society at the Loyola University Chicago, which led him to ask, "were they interested in the movie, or the kestrel?" Nevertheless, he described the film as "one of the best, the warmest, the most moving films of recent years". [14]

Kes : David Bradley, Freddie Fletcher, Lynne Perrie, Colin Kes : David Bradley, Freddie Fletcher, Lynne Perrie, Colin

David's role as Billy Casper was hit break-out one. At just 14, he was thrown into the spotlight but walked away with a BAFTA for his performance. Kieślowski's cup of tea (Sight & Sound Top ten poll) - Movie List". MUBI . Retrieved 9 August 2016. Disney+ is here in the UK and if paid for an annual subscription can save viewers 15%, giving you access to Disney and Pixar films, and popular series such as The Mandalorian. New O2 customers, or existing customers who are upgrading their plan, can get up to 6 free months of Disney+. Hill, John (2011). Ken Loach: The Politics of Film and Television. British Film Institute. ISBN 978-1844572038.

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Graeme Ross, writing in 2019 in The Independent, placed the film 8th in his "best British movies of all time", saying: Correspondence from Stephen Murphy on the certification of Kes" (PDF). Archived from the original (PDF) on 24 September 2015 . Retrieved 23 August 2014. Freddie retired as an actor in 1996, after playing another 'Judd' - this time a pub landlord in the film When Saturday Comes - after being recommended for the role by the film's star, Sean Bean!

Kes DVD - Zavvi UK Kes DVD - Zavvi UK

She appeared as a support act for the Beatles, and also shared the spotlight with Rod Stewart, the Rolling Stones and Shirley Bassey. British Films at Doc Films, 2011-2012". The Nicholson Center for British Studies. University of Chicago. Archived from the original on 4 March 2016. Ken Loach's Kes was dubbed one of the top 10 British films by the British Film Institute - and is one of Yorkshire's most successful exports. 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.

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) After wrapping up his role on Kes, David, also known as 'Dai' joined the cast of children's shows The Flaxton Boys and the Jenson Code in 1973. 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. The certificate given to the film has occasionally been reviewed by the British Board of Film Classification, as there is a small amount of swearing, including more than one instance of the word twat. It was originally classified by the then British Board of Film Censors as U for Universal (suitable for children), at a time when the only other certificates were A (more suitable for adult audiences) and X (for showing when no person under 16 years was present... raised to 18 years in July, 1970). Three years later, Stephen Murphy, the BBFC Secretary, wrote in a letter that it would have been given the new Advisory certificate under the system then in place. [11] Murphy also argued that the word "bugger" is a term of affection and not considered offensive in the area that the film was set. In 1987, the VHS release was given a PG certificate on the grounds of "the frequent use of mild language", and the film has remained PG since that time. [12] Home media [ edit ]

Kes (film) - Wikipedia

News Where are the cast of Kes now? With Oscar winner, soap legends and 'Facelifts from Hell' drama 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 ]

He became a soap star, joining Brookside to play Harry Cross for seven years from 1983-1990, and reprised the role in 1999. Hines, Richard (2016). No Way But Gentlenesse: A Memoir of How Kes, My Kestrel, Changed My Life. Bloomsbury Publishing. ISBN 9781408868034. The Sheffield native went on to join the comedy classic Porridge playing the slightly slow Cyril Heslop. 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. The BFI 100: 1-10". British Film Institute. Archived from the original on 29 February 2000 . Retrieved 1 February 2023.