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{{Use dmy dates|date=January 2012}}
{{Infobox film
{{Infobox film
| name = Kes
| name = Kes
| image = Kes 1969 film poster.jpg
| image = Kes 1969 film poster.jpg
| image_size = 215px
⚫
| alt =
| caption = Film poster
| caption = Film poster
| director = [[Ken Loach]]
| director = [[Ken Loach]]
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| screenplay = [[Barry Hines]]<br />Ken Loach<br />Tony Garnett
| screenplay = [[Barry Hines]]<br />Ken Loach<br />Tony Garnett
| based on = {{Based on|''[[A Kestrel for a Knave]]''|Barry Hines}}
| based on = {{Based on|''[[A Kestrel for a Knave]]''|Barry Hines}}
| starring = [[David (Dai) Bradley|David Bradley]]<br />Freddie Fletcher<br />[[Lynne Perrie]]<br />[[Colin Welland]]<br />[[Brian Glover]]<br />[[George Speed]]
| starring = [[David (Dai) Bradley|David Bradley]]<br />Freddie Fletcher<br />[[Lynne Perrie]]<br />[[Colin Welland]]<br />[[Brian Glover]]
| music = John Cameron
| music = John Cameron
| cinematography = [[Chris Menges]]
| cinematography = [[Chris Menges]]
| editing = Roy Watts
| editing = Roy Watts
| distributor = [[United Artists]]
| distributor = [[United Artists]]
| released = {{Film date|1969}}
| released = {{Film date|df=y|1969|11|14|[[London Film Festival|London]]|1970|03|27|United Kingdom}}
| runtime = 112 minutes <!-- Theatrical runtime: 112:27 --><ref>{{cite web|title=''KES'' (U)|url=http://www.bbfc.co.uk/AFF043623/|work=[[British Board of Film Classification]]|date=1969-05-27|accessdate=2012-01-15}}</ref>
| runtime = 110 minutes
| country = {{FilmUK}}
| country = {{Film UK}}
| language = English
| language = English
| budget =
⚫
| gross =
}}
}}
⚫
'''''Kes''''' is a 1969 [[drama film]] directed by [[Ken Loach]] and produced by [[Tony Garnett]]. The film is based on the 1968 novel ''[[A Kestrel for a Knave]]'', written by the [[Barnsley]]-born author [[Barry Hines]]. The film is ranked seventh in the [[British Film Institute]]'s Top Ten (British) Films<ref>[http://www.bfi.org.uk/features/bfi100/1-10.html BFI's Top Ten (British) Films]</ref> and among the top ten in its [[BFI list of the 50 films you should see by the age of 14|list of the 50 films you should see by the age of 14]].

⚫
'''''Kes''''' is a 1969 British film from director [[Ken Loach]] and producer [[Tony Garnett]]. The film is based on the novel ''[[A Kestrel for a Knave]]'', written by the [[Barnsley]]-born author [[Barry Hines]] in 1968. The film is ranked seventh in the [[British Film Institute]]'s Top Ten (British) Films<ref>[http://www.bfi.org.uk/features/bfi100/1-10.html BFI's Top Ten (British) Films]</ref> and among the top ten in its [[BFI list of the 50 films you should see by the age of 14|list of the 50 films you should see by the age of 14]].


==Plot==
==Plot==
The film focuses on 15-year-old Billy Casper, who has little hope in life and is [[bullying|bullied]], both at home by his physically and verbally abusive half-brother, Jud, and at school. He is mischievous, stealing eggs and milk from [[milk float]]s, has difficulty paying attention in school, and is often provoked into tussles with classmates. Billy comes over as an emotionally neglected boy with little self-respect. Billy's mother refers to him in the film as a "hopeless case". His father left the family some time ago.
The film focuses on 15-year-old Billy Casper, who has little hope in life and is [[Bullying|bullied]], both at home by his physically and verbally abusive half-brother, Jud, and at school. He is mischievous, stealing eggs and milk from [[milk float]]s, has difficulty paying attention in school, and is often provoked into tussles with classmates. Billy comes over as an emotionally neglected boy with little self-respect. Billy's mother refers to him in the film as a "hopeless case". His father left the family some time ago.


The film shows scenes of Billy's school. The headmaster canes a group of boys who were caught smoking. One scene of comic relief in an otherwise bleak film is of a gym teacher (played by [[Brian Glover]]) taking part in a football game, fantasising about himself as [[Bobby Charlton]] and commentating on the match.
The film shows scenes of Billy's school; the headmaster canes a group of boys who were caught smoking. One scene of comic relief in an otherwise bleak film is of a gym teacher taking part in a football game, fantasising about himself as [[Bobby Charlton]] and commentating on the match.


Outside cadging money and day-dreaming at school, Billy has no positive interests. His greatest fear is ending up working down the pit as a coal miner (at that time, British miners were amongst the lowest paid workers in the developed world<ref>http://books.google.com/books?id=dcL6w-VmjWwC&pg=PA63&dq=British+miners+lowest+paid+workers&hl=en&ei=ZOCyTfHCEMGa8QO2-oSWDA&sa=X&oi=book_result&ct=result&resnum=6&ved=0CDoQ6AEwBTgK#v=onepage&q=British%20miners%20lowest%20paid%20workers&f=false</ref>), but he has no apparent escape route until he finds an outlet through training a [[kestrel]] that he takes from a nest on a farm. His interest in learning [[falconry]] prompts Billy to steal a book on the subject from a secondhand book shop, as he is underage and cannot get a borrower's card from the [[public library]].
Outside cadging money and daydreaming at school, Billy has no positive interests. His greatest fear is ending up working down the pit as a coal miner (at that time, British miners were amongst the lowest paid workers in the developed world<ref>http://books.google.com/books?id=dcL6w-VmjWwC&pg=PA63&dq=British+miners+lowest+paid+workers&hl=en&ei=ZOCyTfHCEMGa8QO2-oSWDA&sa=X&oi=book_result&ct=result&resnum=6&ved=0CDoQ6AEwBTgK#v=onepage&q=British%20miners%20lowest%20paid%20workers&f=false</ref>), but he has no apparent escape route until he finds an outlet through training a [[kestrel]] that he takes from a nest on a farm. His interest in learning [[falconry]] prompts Billy to steal a book on the subject from a secondhand book shop, as he is underage and cannot get a borrower's card from the public library.


As the relationship between Billy and "Kes", the kestrel, improves during the training, so does Billy's outlook and horizons. For the first time in the film Billy receives praise, from his English teacher after delivering an impromptu talk on his relationship with the bird.
As the relationship between Billy and "Kes", the kestrel, improves during the training, so does Billy's outlook and horizons. For the first time in the film, Billy receives praise, from his English teacher after delivering an impromptu talk on his relationship with the bird.


Jud leaves money and instructions for Billy to place a bet on two horses, but Billy spends the money on chips and on meat for his bird, after having been told that the horse is unlikely to win. However, the horses do win (meaning Jud would have won over [[Pound sterling|£]]10 if Billy had put the bet on). Furious at Billy and unable to find him, Jud takes revenge by killing his kestrel, whose body Billy retrieves from the bin. After showing the kestrel to Jud and his mother, Billy buries his kestrel in the garden.
Jud leaves money and instructions for Billy to place a bet on two horses, but Billy spends the money on chips and on meat for his bird, after having been told that the horse is unlikely to win. However, the horses do win (meaning Jud would have won over [[Pound sterling|£]]10 if Billy had put the bet on). Furious at Billy and unable to find him, Jud takes revenge by killing his kestrel, whose body Billy retrieves from the bin. After showing the kestrel to Jud and his mother, Billy buries his kestrel in the garden.
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==Cast==
==Cast==
* [[David (Dai) Bradley|David Bradley]] as Billy Casper
* [[David (Dai) Bradley|David Bradley]] as Billy Casper
⚫
* Freddie Fletcher as Jud
* [[Lynne Perrie]] as Mrs Casper
* [[Lynne Perrie]] as Mrs Casper
⚫
* [[Freddie Fletcher]] as Jud
* [[Colin Welland]] as Mr Farthing
* [[Colin Welland]] as Mr Farthing
* [[Brian Glover]] as Mr Sugden
* [[Brian Glover]] as Mr Sugden
* [[Bob Bowes]] as Mr Gryce
* [[Bob Bowes]] as Mr Gryce
* [[Bernard Atha]] as Youth Employment Officer
* Bernard Atha as Youth employment officer
* [[Joey Kaye]] as Comedian at Pub
* Joey Kaye as Pub comedian
* [[Bill Dean]] as Fish and Chip Shop Man
* [[Bill Dean]] as Fish and Chip Shop Man
* [[Geoffrey Banks]] as Mathematics Teacher
* Geoffrey Banks as Mathematics teacher
* [[Duggie Brown]] as Milkman
* [[Duggie Brown]] as Milkman
* [[Harry Markham (actor)|Harry Markham]] as Newsagent
* Harry Markham as Newsagent


==Production==
==Production==
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* 1971: [[Writers' Guild of Great Britain|Writers' Guild of Great Britain Award]] – Best British Screenplay<ref name=autogenerated1>[http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0064541/awards Awards for ''Kes'' (1969).] Retrieved June 2008.</ref>
* 1971: [[Writers' Guild of Great Britain|Writers' Guild of Great Britain Award]] – Best British Screenplay<ref name=autogenerated1>[http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0064541/awards Awards for ''Kes'' (1969).] Retrieved June 2008.</ref>
* 1971: [[British Academy Film Awards]]<ref name=autogenerated1 />
* 1971: [[British Academy Film Awards]]<ref name=autogenerated1 />
:* [[BAFTA Award for Best Actor in a Supporting Role|Best Actor in a Supporting Role]] (Colin Welland)
:* [[BAFTA Award for Best Actor in a Supporting Role|Best Actor in a Supporting Role]] - Colin Welland
:* Most Promising Newcomer to Leading Film Roles (David Bradley)
:* Most Promising Newcomer to Leading Film Roles - David Bradley


==See also==
==See also==
{{Portal|Film}}
{{Portal|Film}}
* [[BFI Top 100 British films]]
* [[BFI Top 100 British films]]
* [[BFI list of the 50 films you should see by the age of 14]]


==References==
==References==
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==External links==
==External links==
* {{IMDb title|id=0064541|title=Kes}}
* {{IMDb title|0064541|Kes}}
* {{rotten-tomatoes|kes|Kes}}
* [http://www.archive.sensesofcinema.com/contents/cteq/03/28/kes.html Senses of Cinema – a detailed synopsis, referenced background and review of ''Kes'' by Mike Robins]
* [http://www.archive.sensesofcinema.com/contents/cteq/03/28/kes.html Senses of Cinema – a detailed synopsis, referenced background and review of ''Kes'' by Mike Robins]
* [http://www.tankersleypc.org/features/52-magazine/407-kes-at-40.html "Kes 40 years on", interview with Dai Bradley]
* [http://www.tankersleypc.org/features/52-magazine/407-kes-at-40.html "Kes 40 years on", interview with Dai Bradley]
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{{Ken Loach}}
{{Ken Loach}}
{{DEFAULTSORT:Kes}}}

[[Category:1969 films]]
[[Category:1969 films]]
⚫
[[Category:1960s drama films]]
[[Category:British films]]
[[Category:British films]]
[[Category:British drama films]]
[[Category:British drama films]]
[[Category:Films based on novels]]
[[Category:English-language films]]
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[[Category:Falconry]]
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[[Category:Films set in Yorkshire]]
[[Category:Films directed by Ken Loach]]
[[Category:Films directed by Ken Loach]]
[[Category:Coming-of-age films]]
[[Category:Crystal Globe winners]]
[[Category:Crystal Globe winners]]
[[Category:Falconry]]
[[Category:Films based on novels]]
⚫
[[Category:Films set in Yorkshire]]
[[Category:Independent films]]
[[Category:United Artists films]]


[[de:Kes (Film)]]
[[de:Kes (Film)]]

Revision as of 05:42, 16 January 2012

Kes
Film poster
Directed byKen Loach
Screenplay byBarry Hines
Ken Loach
Tony Garnett
Produced byTony Garnett
StarringDavid Bradley
Freddie Fletcher
Lynne Perrie
Colin Welland
Brian Glover
CinematographyChris Menges
Edited byRoy Watts
Music byJohn Cameron
Distributed byUnited Artists
Release dates
  • 14 November 1969 (1969-11-14) (London)
  • 27 March 1970 (1970-03-27) (United Kingdom)
Running time
112 minutes [1]
CountryTemplate:Film UK
LanguageEnglish

Kes is a 1969 drama film directed by Ken Loach and produced by Tony Garnett. The film is based on the 1968 novel A Kestrel for a Knave, written by the Barnsley-born author Barry Hines. The film is ranked seventh in the British Film Institute's Top Ten (British) Films[2] and among the top ten in its list of the 50 films you should see by the age of 14.

Plot

The film focuses on 15-year-old Billy Casper, who has little hope in life and is bullied, both at home by his physically and verbally abusive half-brother, Jud, and at school. He is mischievous, stealing eggs and milk from milk floats, has difficulty paying attention in school, and is often provoked into tussles with classmates. Billy comes over as an emotionally neglected boy with little self-respect. Billy's mother refers to him in the film as a "hopeless case". His father left the family some time ago.

The film shows scenes of Billy's school; the headmaster canes a group of boys who were caught smoking. One scene of comic relief in an otherwise bleak film is of a gym teacher taking part in a football game, fantasising about himself as Bobby Charlton and commentating on the match.

Outside cadging money and daydreaming at school, Billy has no positive interests. His greatest fear is ending up working down the pit as a coal miner (at that time, British miners were amongst the lowest paid workers in the developed world[3]), but he has no apparent escape route until he finds an outlet through training a kestrel that he takes from a nest on a farm. His interest in learning falconry prompts Billy to steal a book on the subject from a secondhand book shop, as he is underage and cannot get a borrower's card from the public library.

As the relationship between Billy and "Kes", the kestrel, improves during the training, so does Billy's outlook and horizons. For the first time in the film, Billy receives praise, from his English teacher after delivering an impromptu talk on his relationship with the bird.

Jud leaves money and instructions for Billy to place a bet on two horses, but Billy spends the money on chips and on meat for his bird, after having been told that the horse is unlikely to win. However, the horses do win (meaning Jud would have won over £10 if Billy had put the bet on). Furious at Billy and unable to find him, Jud takes revenge by killing his kestrel, whose body Billy retrieves from the bin. After showing the kestrel to Jud and his mother, Billy buries his kestrel in the garden.

Cast

Production

Both the film and the book provide a portrait of life in the mining areas of Yorkshire of the time. The school used as the main set was St. Helens School, Athersley South, but has since been renamed Edward Sheerien School.

Set in Barnsley, the film contains broad local dialects. The cast have authentic Yorkshire accents and used or knew the dialects. 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. (Sheffield Star circa 2003)

Awards

See also

References

  1. ^ "KES (U)". British Board of Film Classification. 27 May 1969. Retrieved 15 January 2012.
  2. ^ BFI's Top Ten (British) Films
  3. ^ http://books.google.com/books?id=dcL6w-VmjWwC&pg=PA63&dq=British+miners+lowest+paid+workers&hl=en&ei=ZOCyTfHCEMGa8QO2-oSWDA&sa=X&oi=book_result&ct=result&resnum=6&ved=0CDoQ6AEwBTgK#v=onepage&q=British%20miners%20lowest%20paid%20workers&f=false
  4. ^ 17th Karlovy Vary IFF: July 15 – 26, 1970 – Awards. Retrieved June 2008.
  5. ^ a b Awards for Kes (1969). Retrieved June 2008.

Literature

  • 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.
  • Till, L. & Hines, B. (2000). Kes: Play, London: Nick Hern Books. ISBN 978-1854594860

LIFE AFTER KES a book surrounding Loach's gritty Northern classic Kes http://www.amazon.co.uk/Life-After-Kes-British-Classic/dp/0954879333/ref=sr_1_1?s=books&ie=UTF8&qid=1317483118&sr=1-1

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