My Movies: Day 2

As posted at Facebook 26th April 2019

Kes, 1969

Directed byKen Loach
Produced byTony Garnett
Screenplay byBarry Hines Ken Loach Tony Garnett
Based onA Kestrel for a Knaveby Barry Hines
StarringDavid Bradley
Freddie Fletcher
Lynne Perrie
Colin Welland
Brian Glover
Music byJohn Cameron
CinematographyChris Menges

Wikipedia | IMDB

This Ken Loach movie needs no introduction from me, I am certain. Simply one of the best movies ever made. Nor will you be surprised to know that Ken Loach emerges as one of “My Directors”.

It’s not an easy movie. Full of gritty realism, it is set in the run-down Yorkshire coalfields of the late 1960s. Impenetrable dialogue for many viewers but well worth sitting through those Yorkshire vowel sounds for Brian Glover’s debut role alone. Dai Bradley, also cast as an unknown, does a fine job as Billy Caspar.

I feel that in many ways the better-known and far more accessible (and musical) Billy Elliot drew strongly on Kes and Billy Caspar – could the choice of first name be an homage?

Kes was Brave, Innovative and Ground-breaking. A memorable, touching, heart-rending, and sobering film. Keep a hankie handy.

Just Quality.

Again, under-rated at IMDB with 7.9.

Postscript: The book is good too, well worth the read.

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