Welcome to the Layman's Review, where we give you a simple overview and a rating of some of history's most famous films. We're here to entertain you with facts and trivia, and to help you decide if any of these films are worth your time and interest. For a full list of movies on review, check out my previous post 'The Very Sciency Science Behind Film Choices'.
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Film: Kes
Director: Ken Loach
Year: 1969
Running Time: 110 minutes
Big Names
David Bradley - Billy Casper
Freddie Fletcher - Jud
Lynne Perrie - Mrs. Casper
Colin Welland - Mr. Farthing
Brian Glover - Mr. Sugden
Bob Bowes - Mr. Gryce
Plot Summary
Set in Yorkshire in the late 60’s, ‘Kes’ is the story of Billy Casper, a slightly aberrant teenager with little to be grateful for at home or at school. Bullied by his classmates, teachers and half-brother, and essentially ignored by his single mother, Billy finds solace in a young kestrel. Determined to train Kes and encouraged by his well-meaning English teacher Mr. Farthing, Billy dedicates himself to falconry and rearing his newfound companion.
Top Quotes
“You know what they said when I took you on, don’t you?…They said, ‘You’ll have to keep your eyes open now, you know. They’re all alike on that estate up there. They’ll take your breath if you’re not careful’”
- Mr. Porter
“I haven’t let you down, have I?”
- Billy
“And so you though you’d enlighten me and the rest of the class with your idiotic information?…Blurting out and making a mess of my register.”
- Mr. Crossley
“I should hope you don’t read dirty books. You’re not old enough to read dirty books.”
“Train it? Tha couldn’t train a flea!”
- Jud
“Get back to sleep you…pig…hog, sow…you drunken bastard. Tha don’t like being called a bastard, does tha, bastard? You PIG. PIG. HOG. SOW. DRUNKEN BASTARD.”
- Billy
“Don’t look so sorry for yourself, Casper; you’re not dead yet.”
- Mr. Farthing
“Tha’s got more uncles in this city than any other kid.”
“Pull them up, Casper. Pull them up!…Roll them down, Casper! You’re too daft to laugh at.”
- Mr. Sugden
“He’s just about your size, Casper, isn’t he? Eh? Why don’t you pick on somebody your own size? What if I rubbed your nose in the coke, eh? What would you say about that? You’d say I was a bully, wouldn’t ya? And you’d be right, because I'm bigger and I’m stronger than you, aren’t I? Eh?…That’s what it’s like to be bullied. You don’t like it, do ya? You’ll like it a bit less if I ever catch you at it again, do you understand. Do you understand MacDowall, do you understand it?”
- Mr. Farthing
“Are you trying to tell ME about football? Are you trying to tell me?”
- Mr. Sugden
“MACDOWALL! I might have known it! Get to my office, and heaven help you! We’ll now say the Lord’s Prayer.”
- Mr. Gryce
“Course he’s my brother. We live in the same house, don’t we?”
- Billy
- Billy
“I just can’t understand this generation. I thought I knew something about young people. I should be able to, you know, with my experience! But with you? No! It just seems a complete waste of money, and a waste of time. And it’s a waste of time talking to you now…None of you are listening! Look at the glazed expression on your faces. You never listen. Yours is the generation that never listens! Because we’d never tell you anything!”
- Mr. Gryce
“Third class riding’s better than first class walking anyday.”
- Milkman
Fun Trivia
- The film is based on the novel ‘Kes: A Kestrel for a Knave’ by Barry Hines, first published in 1968.
- In the film adaptation, Billy lives in the town of Barnsley; in the original book, no name was given for story’s setting.
- Billy and the other characters possess extremely heavy Yorkshire accents, which made the film difficult to follow for many viewers. According to director Ken Loach, American executives at a 1969 screening claimed to understand Hungarian better than the northern English dialect. Additionally, prior to its release in the US in September 1970, the entire film was dubbed in a effort to make it more comprehensible to an American audience.
- Both Brian Glover (Mr. Sugden) and the school headmaster were actually faculty members at nearby schools in Yorkshire.
- Kes is depicted by three different kestrels over the course of the film, and actor David Bradley took part in training them.
- Kestrels are part of the falcon family, and are most commonly found in Europe, Asia and Africa.
Ratings
Jessica’s Rating:
I like to read the book before I see a movie adaptation (yes, I’m THAT person), and in this case, it really was a life-saver. The characters’ Yorkshire accents are not easy to follow, so knowing the plot ahead of time helped me to better understand and appreciate the film. I highly recommend reading Barry Hines’ ‘Kes: A Kestrel for a Knave’ first, unless you plan on multiple viewings or happen to come from northern England. The book is not long, but is written with the unique Yorkshire accent intact, so it can be a struggle to start with; however, it is certainly worth the read. Regarding the movie itself, the setting is gorgeous and the characters are astonishingly genuine. Keep in mind that the film is slow-paced and subtle in nature, and is only recommended for a very patient and attentive audience.
I like to read the book before I see a movie adaptation (yes, I’m THAT person), and in this case, it really was a life-saver. The characters’ Yorkshire accents are not easy to follow, so knowing the plot ahead of time helped me to better understand and appreciate the film. I highly recommend reading Barry Hines’ ‘Kes: A Kestrel for a Knave’ first, unless you plan on multiple viewings or happen to come from northern England. The book is not long, but is written with the unique Yorkshire accent intact, so it can be a struggle to start with; however, it is certainly worth the read. Regarding the movie itself, the setting is gorgeous and the characters are astonishingly genuine. Keep in mind that the film is slow-paced and subtle in nature, and is only recommended for a very patient and attentive audience.
Jeni’s Rating:
Independent Third-Party Rating:
A quite extraordinary film. In one sense it is a film of its time: it is [originally] filmed in black-and-white, the setting is a depressed industrial town in England where there is high unemployment and few prospects for work, the protagonist is a scrawny boy who has no friends, is bullied and lives is a dysfunctional family, and is powerful counterpoise to the Swinging 60's in Britain. On the other hand, it is a beautiful coming-of-age story which transcends all times and shows the relationship between a human and an animal that is infinitely more satisfactory than the relations between humans. In addition, of course, it has a very sad ending which has become a feature of modern films (see "Leviathan").
Watching ‘Kes’ was like eating an superb Shepherds Pie compared to Billy Elliot's delicious Dhansak. Lacking the fire and spice of Billy Elliot's depiction of a Yorkshire mining community, but rather a more subtle flavour. ‘Kes’ initially seemed bland, but the beautiful country and moving story slowly takes shape to win you over. The abrupt ending was a bit of a shock, and shows how filmmaking has developed since the time this was made.
Independent Third-Party Rating:
A quite extraordinary film. In one sense it is a film of its time: it is [originally] filmed in black-and-white, the setting is a depressed industrial town in England where there is high unemployment and few prospects for work, the protagonist is a scrawny boy who has no friends, is bullied and lives is a dysfunctional family, and is powerful counterpoise to the Swinging 60's in Britain. On the other hand, it is a beautiful coming-of-age story which transcends all times and shows the relationship between a human and an animal that is infinitely more satisfactory than the relations between humans. In addition, of course, it has a very sad ending which has become a feature of modern films (see "Leviathan").
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