| |||||||||||||||||||||
From director J.J. Abrams comes the next installment in the Star Trek saga, Star Trek Into Darkness. See it at Cinemark theaters now and pre-order on Blu-ray, 3D Blu-ray, DVD, and the Exclusive Starfleet Phaser Gift Set. Shop Star Trek Into Darkness and more in the Star Trek Store. Learn more |
Frequently Bought Together
What Other Items Do Customers Buy After Viewing This Item?
Product Details
Would you like to update product info or give feedback on images? |
Special Features
Making “Kes”, a new documentary featuring Loach, Menges, producer Tony Garnett, and actor David Bradley
The Southbank Show: “Ken Loach” (1993), a profile of the filmmaker, featuring Loach, Garnett, directors Stephen Frears and Alan Parker, and other Loach collaborators
Cathy Come Home (1967), a feature directed by Loach and produced by Garnett, with an introduction by film writer Graham Fuller
Original theatrical trailer
PLUS: A booklet featuring an essay by Fuller
Editorial Reviews
Amazon.com
Director Ken Loach, Britain's poet laureate of the working class, brings Barry Hines's novel A Kestrel for a Knave to poignant life in his second feature. As the tagline puts it, "Billy Casper lies, cheats, steals." A scrawny imp with pool-blue eyes, Billy (David Bradley in a remarkably unaffected performance) lives in Yorkshire with his mother and boorish brother, Jud (Freddie Fletcher). When he isn't attending school or delivering papers, he tends to his kestrel. With help from an illegally obtained book, he proves a natural at falconry, and impresses his entire classroom when he tells them about Kes. As he speaks, his humble speech turns poetic.
Like Tom Courtenay in Tony Richardson's The Loneliness of the Long Distance Runner, Billy isn't a good kid, but the other lads are no better, and Kes brings out his best. If his stern principal and sadistic coach push him around, an English teacher encourages his passion, but when Billy crosses Jud, he risks losing the only thing that gives his life meaning. Though the flute-intensive score attempts to soften the scenario, the dialogue is astringent, the accents are authentic, and self-sabotaging Billy will break your heart.
Criterion's two-disc set offers the ideal counterpart in Cathy Come Home, which critic Graham Fuller describes in the afterword as "a watershed moment in British television drama." In this contribution to the BBC's Wednesday Play series, Loach introduces a Birmingham couple who end up homeless after a series of setbacks. By incorporating actual interviews, he creates a stirring documentary effect. Other supplements include an insightful South Bank Show profile, in which he discusses his working methods, and a featurette with Loach, Bradley, cinematographer Chris Menges, and producer Tony Garnett, who reveals that Kes owes its very existence to Richardson, who saved the day after funding fell through. --Kathleen C. Fennessy
Product Description
Named by the British Film Institute as one of the ten best British films of the century, Kes, from Ken Loach (Hidden Agenda, The Wind That Shakes the Barley), is cinema’s quintessential portrait of working-class Northern England. Billy (an astonishingly naturalistic David Bradley) is a fifteen-year-old miner’s son whose close bond with a wild kestrel provides him with a spiritual escape from his dead-end life. Kes established the sociopolitical engagement and artistic brilliance of its filmmaker, and pushed the British “angry young man” film of the sixties into a new realm of authenticity, using real locations and nonprofessional actors. Loach’s poignant coming-of-age drama remains its now legendary director’s most beloved and influential film.
Customer Reviews
Most Helpful Customer Reviews
45 of 45 people found the following review helpful
Format:Blu-ray|Amazon Verified Purchase
Kes
Directed by Ken Loach
Starring David Bradley, Colin Welland, Brian Glover
Criterion | 1969 | 110 minutes | Rated PG-13
Video:
Video codec: MPEG-4 AVC
Video resolution: 1080p
Aspect ratio: 1.66:1
Audio:
English: LPCM Mono
English: Dolby Digital Mono
Subtitles:
English SDH
Disc:
Single 50GB Blu-ray Disc
Region A locked
The film contains brief nudity and scenes which may disturb young children.
Kes is a very British film, winning two BAFTA awards from its five nominations. Colin Welland won for best supporting actor and was the only professional actor in the film. David Bradley won for most promising newcomer.
The story deals with a troubled young boy, Billy Casper (Bradley). He is bullied by his older brother at home and similarly treated by his peers in school. He's insolent, not above lying or stealing and does little to encourage people to like him. He's a loner.
The setting is Barnsley, Yorkshire, in the north of England. If you have ever seen this part of England depicted in other films, you'll know that it's a poor area populated largely by working class people. In the 1960s, that was very much the case. Billy's brother worked in a coal mine, as did most of the town. The two had to share the same bed, so you can imagine how poor they were.
Anyone unfamiliar with British accents may find the thick Yorkshire dialect hard to follow. It's the main reason that Kes wasn't given a wide release outside England. I'm completely at home with the accent because my grandfather came from Barnsley. He often talked about his tough upbringing and it gives the film additional meaning for me. His father was a miner and my grandfather only escaped that fate by joining the army.
We see Billy on his paper route, taking time off to read his comic. He also steals eggs from the milkman. Milk is still delivered to each home in the UK in this manner. When his mother and brother go out to a bar on the weekends, Billy is left at home on his own. His brother beats him and the house is generally filled with the sound of his mother and brother arguing loudly. He doesn't say much at school, but is often the target of bigger boys.
Early in the film, Billy is taking a walk through the countryside and spies a kestrel. He watches for a while and sees that two kestrels are taking food to a nest. After stealing a book about falconry from a local bookstore, he climbs up to the nest and steals a young kestrel. The bird provides an escape from his unpleasant existence and quickly becomes the focus of his life. This seemingly uneducated boy has discovered his passion. He reads the stolen book and trains the kestrel.
One day, in class, he is asked by a teacher, Mr. Farthing (Welland), to tell the other kids a true story about his life. He's reluctant and says that he doesn't have any, but one of the kids mentions his kestrel. This leads to one of the strongest and most emotional scenes in the film. He's disinterested in everything he is taught and the people around him, but talking about the bird is a different matter. Billy comes alive when he describes how he devotes his time to feeding and training the bird, who he names Kes. Farthing is engrossed in the story and sees for the first time that there's more to Billy than he imagined. He starts to look out for the boy and even visits him to watch him train Kes. It's a strong performance from Welland and he deserved his BAFTA award.
The other teachers wouldn't have a job in modern society. They shout continually and are deeply suspicious of the kids' behavior. The headmaster uses the cane and doesn't seem to mind whether those being punished were truly to blame. The gym teacher cheats at soccer and punishes Billy with a cold shower for conceding a goal. Farthing is the only one who looks at the kids as if they are young people with a chance to make something of their lives.
There's a strong political message in the film, confirmed during interviews in the special features, that many kids have no chance to escape their miserable reality. Billy visits a careers officer who only seems interested in placing him in a pigeon hole. He'll either work in an office if he has the aptitude, or he'll become a miner. The writers talk about how two-thirds of their generation suffered a similar fate. When we see Billy so animated, talking about Kes, it's a sign of his true potential. Will it be recognized or will his life be written off by others as insignificant? This is the essence of the film, along with how Billy substitutes friendship with his love for Kes.
Billy's dishonest nature eventually becomes a problem for him and there are some extremely sad scenes.
The story is based on the book A Kestrel for a Knave by Barry Hines. Bradley was 14 when the film was made and was chosen from pupils who attended the school mentioned in the book. All of the children came from one of three schools in the town. The gym teacher (Brian Glover, Alien 3) was a real teacher at the time and Kes was his first film.
Video Quality 4.5/5
The film was made in 1969 on a low budget, but looks wonderful. Criterion's restoration was approved by director Ken Loach. There are occasional white speckles and softness, but the new transfer looks natural and full of detail. This is exactly what I would expect from Criterion, who, along with Disney, continue to maintain the highest possible standards.
Audio Quality 4/5
Two options are offered on the menu: The filmmaker's original soundtrack with production dialogue (English LPCM 1.0) and the internationally released soundtrack with postsync dialogue (English Dolby Digital 1.0). I recommend the original version. Everything is clear, including the dialogue, but some viewers may benefit from the English subtitles due to the heavy Yorkshire accent.
Special Features 5/5
Making Kes (45 minutes, 1080p) tells you everything you might want to know about the film. Criterion interviewed director Ken Loach, producer Tony Garnett, actor David Bradley and cinematographer Chris Menges in 2010 to discuss their recollections.
The South Bank Show (50 minutes, 1080i) looks at the career of Ken Loach.
Cathy Come Home (77 minutes, 1080i) is an early film from Loach and Garnett shown here in its entirety.
Trailer (3 minutes, 1080p)
Booklet (22 pages) including an essay by Graham Fuller
Kes is a wonderful human interest story with a number of deeper themes thrown into the mix, although the story ends rather abruptly. The largely amateur cast was authentic and did a good job of portraying life in Barnsley. It's on record at IMDB as being director Krzysztof Kieslowski's (The Double Life of Veronique, Three Colors Trilogy) favorite film. I wouldn't quite go that far, but it's certainly worth owning. Amazon.com has it at the bargain price of $18.99 at the time of writing. I'm glad I took advantage.
Overall score 4.5/5
Directed by Ken Loach
Starring David Bradley, Colin Welland, Brian Glover
Criterion | 1969 | 110 minutes | Rated PG-13
Video:
Video codec: MPEG-4 AVC
Video resolution: 1080p
Aspect ratio: 1.66:1
Audio:
English: LPCM Mono
English: Dolby Digital Mono
Subtitles:
English SDH
Disc:
Single 50GB Blu-ray Disc
Region A locked
The film contains brief nudity and scenes which may disturb young children.
Kes is a very British film, winning two BAFTA awards from its five nominations. Colin Welland won for best supporting actor and was the only professional actor in the film. David Bradley won for most promising newcomer.
The story deals with a troubled young boy, Billy Casper (Bradley). He is bullied by his older brother at home and similarly treated by his peers in school. He's insolent, not above lying or stealing and does little to encourage people to like him. He's a loner.
The setting is Barnsley, Yorkshire, in the north of England. If you have ever seen this part of England depicted in other films, you'll know that it's a poor area populated largely by working class people. In the 1960s, that was very much the case. Billy's brother worked in a coal mine, as did most of the town. The two had to share the same bed, so you can imagine how poor they were.
Anyone unfamiliar with British accents may find the thick Yorkshire dialect hard to follow. It's the main reason that Kes wasn't given a wide release outside England. I'm completely at home with the accent because my grandfather came from Barnsley. He often talked about his tough upbringing and it gives the film additional meaning for me. His father was a miner and my grandfather only escaped that fate by joining the army.
We see Billy on his paper route, taking time off to read his comic. He also steals eggs from the milkman. Milk is still delivered to each home in the UK in this manner. When his mother and brother go out to a bar on the weekends, Billy is left at home on his own. His brother beats him and the house is generally filled with the sound of his mother and brother arguing loudly. He doesn't say much at school, but is often the target of bigger boys.
Early in the film, Billy is taking a walk through the countryside and spies a kestrel. He watches for a while and sees that two kestrels are taking food to a nest. After stealing a book about falconry from a local bookstore, he climbs up to the nest and steals a young kestrel. The bird provides an escape from his unpleasant existence and quickly becomes the focus of his life. This seemingly uneducated boy has discovered his passion. He reads the stolen book and trains the kestrel.
One day, in class, he is asked by a teacher, Mr. Farthing (Welland), to tell the other kids a true story about his life. He's reluctant and says that he doesn't have any, but one of the kids mentions his kestrel. This leads to one of the strongest and most emotional scenes in the film. He's disinterested in everything he is taught and the people around him, but talking about the bird is a different matter. Billy comes alive when he describes how he devotes his time to feeding and training the bird, who he names Kes. Farthing is engrossed in the story and sees for the first time that there's more to Billy than he imagined. He starts to look out for the boy and even visits him to watch him train Kes. It's a strong performance from Welland and he deserved his BAFTA award.
The other teachers wouldn't have a job in modern society. They shout continually and are deeply suspicious of the kids' behavior. The headmaster uses the cane and doesn't seem to mind whether those being punished were truly to blame. The gym teacher cheats at soccer and punishes Billy with a cold shower for conceding a goal. Farthing is the only one who looks at the kids as if they are young people with a chance to make something of their lives.
There's a strong political message in the film, confirmed during interviews in the special features, that many kids have no chance to escape their miserable reality. Billy visits a careers officer who only seems interested in placing him in a pigeon hole. He'll either work in an office if he has the aptitude, or he'll become a miner. The writers talk about how two-thirds of their generation suffered a similar fate. When we see Billy so animated, talking about Kes, it's a sign of his true potential. Will it be recognized or will his life be written off by others as insignificant? This is the essence of the film, along with how Billy substitutes friendship with his love for Kes.
Billy's dishonest nature eventually becomes a problem for him and there are some extremely sad scenes.
The story is based on the book A Kestrel for a Knave by Barry Hines. Bradley was 14 when the film was made and was chosen from pupils who attended the school mentioned in the book. All of the children came from one of three schools in the town. The gym teacher (Brian Glover, Alien 3) was a real teacher at the time and Kes was his first film.
Video Quality 4.5/5
The film was made in 1969 on a low budget, but looks wonderful. Criterion's restoration was approved by director Ken Loach. There are occasional white speckles and softness, but the new transfer looks natural and full of detail. This is exactly what I would expect from Criterion, who, along with Disney, continue to maintain the highest possible standards.
Audio Quality 4/5
Two options are offered on the menu: The filmmaker's original soundtrack with production dialogue (English LPCM 1.0) and the internationally released soundtrack with postsync dialogue (English Dolby Digital 1.0). I recommend the original version. Everything is clear, including the dialogue, but some viewers may benefit from the English subtitles due to the heavy Yorkshire accent.
Special Features 5/5
Making Kes (45 minutes, 1080p) tells you everything you might want to know about the film. Criterion interviewed director Ken Loach, producer Tony Garnett, actor David Bradley and cinematographer Chris Menges in 2010 to discuss their recollections.
The South Bank Show (50 minutes, 1080i) looks at the career of Ken Loach.
Cathy Come Home (77 minutes, 1080i) is an early film from Loach and Garnett shown here in its entirety.
Trailer (3 minutes, 1080p)
Booklet (22 pages) including an essay by Graham Fuller
Kes is a wonderful human interest story with a number of deeper themes thrown into the mix, although the story ends rather abruptly. The largely amateur cast was authentic and did a good job of portraying life in Barnsley. It's on record at IMDB as being director Krzysztof Kieslowski's (The Double Life of Veronique, Three Colors Trilogy) favorite film. I wouldn't quite go that far, but it's certainly worth owning. Amazon.com has it at the bargain price of $18.99 at the time of writing. I'm glad I took advantage.
Overall score 4.5/5
24 of 26 people found the following review helpful
Format:DVD
A beautiful and tender story that turns around a 15 year-old Yorkshire boy who tames and trains his pet. One of the most remarkable films of that decade directed by that young and raising promise. Ken Loach.
21 of 23 people found the following review helpful
By Moggi1964
Format:DVD|Amazon Verified Purchase
I enjoyed this story when I read it at school in the 70's and this is the fourth or fifth time I have watched the movie.
Very realistic socially (I grew up just a few miles from where this is filmed) and don't doubt that the PE teacher is based in reality.
Touching and emotional.
Very realistic socially (I grew up just a few miles from where this is filmed) and don't doubt that the PE teacher is based in reality.
Touching and emotional.
Most Recent Customer Reviews
5.0 out of 5 stars
bleak and real
a viscerally wrenching depiction of the cold reality of one kid's dead end working class life in England. highly recommended
Published 1 month ago by James K Johnson
5.0 out of 5 stars
The Working Classes
I think the point of this is to see a slice of life for England's working classes.... and it is pretty bleak. Read more
Published 1 month ago by E. Walker
5.0 out of 5 stars
Breathtaking
"Kes" is a plain and simple story that has more depth and character than most Hollywood movies. Read more
Published 2 months ago by Reviewer
5.0 out of 5 stars
Restrained and moving
Although superficially a story about a beleaguered young man who trains a kestrel, the setting in this film is at least as important. Read more
Published 8 months ago by Leopold Bloom
4.0 out of 5 stars
Good
Kes is not a great film, nor even a near-great one, but it is a good film- at times very good (even with brilliant flashes), and shows how political art can be of quality when the... Read more
Published 11 months ago by Cosmoetica
5.0 out of 5 stars
MASTERPIECE
KES. Plain and simple: A MASTERPIECE.
A powerful, memorable work of art--one that might even change your life. Read more
A powerful, memorable work of art--one that might even change your life. Read more
Published 11 months ago by wildwood
4.0 out of 5 stars
A British classic finally released in the US
Kes is not just a film but a social commentary, and a story of hope.
The film is about a teenage boy living in a poor coal-mining town in the North of England. Read more
The film is about a teenage boy living in a poor coal-mining town in the North of England. Read more
Published 15 months ago by Ted
5.0 out of 5 stars
An 100% classic
I am a great admirer of Ken Loach as a director, especially when he was making films as opposed to political propaganda. This film is as close to perfect as you can get. Read more
Published 16 months ago by Ian George Fraser
3.0 out of 5 stars
Crass. Realistic.
The directing style of this movie was to find amateur actors in very realistic situations. It's a relief from the usual contrived acting styles, where the actors try as best they... Read more
Published 17 months ago by Jerry Mander
5.0 out of 5 stars
Most interesting language
The story and score are exceptional, but there is something else. It is almost impossible to understand what the people in the movie are saying because their accents are so thick;... Read more
Published 17 months ago by James Vankollenburg
Look for Similar Items by Category
|
