Criterion | 1969 | 111 mins. | NR
Based on the Barry Hines novel “A Kestrel for a Knave,” Kes is an unsentimental, provocative, and touching portrait of poverty, marginalization and despair. In the poor, working class coal mining town of Barnsley, Billy Casper (David Bradley), is facing a bleak future. An outcast at school, Billy’s slight frame and unkempt appearance make him an easy target for teachers and bullies alike. Unfortunately, home provides little comfort. Billy’s father has long since disappeared. Billy’s mother (Lynne Perrie) offers little guidance or support (referring to Billy as “a hopeless case”), while his older brother Jud (Freddie Fletcher) takes out his hostility on others.
Hope for Billy comes in the form of a kestrel, which Billy captures as a fledgling and trains to fly on command. Soon, the bird reveals not only Billy’s untapped potential, but also his desire to escape his toxic environment. Director Ken Loach’s unobtrusive cinema vérité-styled filmmaking and casting of non-professional actors creates a documentary style fiction that integrates unflinching realism within the narrative framework of a drama.
Kes thoughtfully exposes the connection between economic opportunity, social services, and personal happiness. In Loach’s view, public institutions have an obligation to provide proper employment and housing to its people—without a home or gainful employment, people can’t feel safe and secure, and in turn, are much less happy. While the purpose of public education is to equip them with the intellectual tools necessary for adulthood, Billy’s school continually fails him. Headmaster Gryce (Bob Bowes) canes Billy and several other boys “knowing fully well that you’ll be back for it time and time and time again.” Billy’s P.E. instructor (Brian Glover) humiliates the boy for not having gym clothes, and then forces him to withstand an ice-cold shower. Inexcusably, a youth employment officer (Bernard Atha) casually identifies Billy as best suited for “manual labor” and suggests trade school or a future as a miner. Billy emphatically protests, “I’m not going down in the pit”, recognizing the dreadful hand already dealt to his older brother.
Despite the use of non-professionals, the acting is excellent. David Bradley is exceptional as the dreamy loner whom no one seems to care about. Even though his time in front of the camera is limited, Freddie Fletcher is also outstanding as the abusive older brother.
It should also be noted that cinematographer Chris Menges’ lensing is simple but very effective. Some of the best sequences are the ones where Billy teaches Kes how to hunt. The town’s gray streets, tiny shops, and the coal mine where most of its residents are employed also look terrific. Kes is also complemented by a beautiful music score by Oscar-nominated composer John Cameron (A Touch of Class).
The film’s theatrical aspect ratio of 1.66:1 is presented in 1080p using the AVC codec. While the quality is surprisingly good overall, it’s clear that significant clean-up was necessary, and some of the remnants are evident. There are some scenes where contrast gets a bit hot and colors become unnatural. Otherwise, the transfer handles the many greens with aplomb, and flesh tones are usually nicely rendered. Sharpness is most often fine, but it suffers a bit during close-ups.
There are two English soundtracks available. The original soundtrack is delivered in a PCM 1.0 (1.1 Mbps) audio mix which has some medium level hiss but delivers the dialogue, music, and sound effects about as well as a low budget film of the period would be expected to achieve. An international post-synched English soundtrack which loops some of the thicker accents with more understandable ones is provided in a low bit rate Dolby Digital 1.0 mix.
We get the following special features:
- Trailer – the original theatrical trailer for Kes. In English, not subtitled. (3 min, 1080p).
- Making Kes – director Ken Loach, producer Tony Garnett, cinematographer Chris Menges, and actor David Bradley discuss Kes, its characters, production history, and message. The featurette was recorded exclusively for Criterion in 2010. In English, not subtitled. (45 min, 1080p).
- The South Bank Show – a detailed profile of director Ken Loach, featuring interviews with producer Tony Garnett, filmmakers Stephen Frears and Alan Parker, writer Jim Allen, and actor Ricky Tomlinson, among others. (50 min, 1080i).
- Cathy Come Home – an early film directed by Ken Loach and produced by Tony Garnett for BBC’s anthology series The Wednesday Play in 1966. A 2011 video commentary by film writer Graham Fuller is also included.
— Cathy Come Home – in English, not subtitled. (78 min, 1080i).
— Afterword – in English, not subtitled. (12 min, 1080p).
- Booklet – an illustrated booklet featuring an essay by film writer Graham Fuller.
