Kes (1969)

A young, English working-class boy spends his free time caring for and training his pet falcon.

Director:

Ken Loach (as Kenneth Loach)

Writers:

Barry Hines (novel), Barry Hines (adaptation)

Stars:

David Bradley, Brian Glover, Freddie Fletcher

Won 2 BAFTA Film Awards. Another 3 wins & 4 nominations.

Cast

Cast overview, first billed only:
David Bradley	...	Billy
Freddie Fletcher	...	Jud
Lynne Perrie	...	Mrs. Casper
Colin Welland	...	Mr. Farthing
Brian Glover	...	Mr. Sugden
Bob Bowes	...	Mr. Gryce
Bernard Atha	...	Youth Employment Officer
Laurence Bould
Joey Kaye	...	Comedian at Pub
Ted Carroll
Robert Naylor	...	MacDowell
Agnes Drumgoon
George Speed	...	Billy's Friend
Desmond Guthrie
Zoe Sutherland	...	Librarian

Storyline

Bullied at school and ignored and abused at home by his indifferent mother and older brother, Billy Casper (David Bradley), a 15-year-old working-class Yorkshire boy, tames and trains his pet kestrel falcon whom he names Kes. Helped and encouraged by his English teacher Mr. Farthing (Colin Welland) and his fellow students, Billy finally finds a positive purpose to his unhappy existence, until tragedy strikes.

---

Plot Keywords:

british new wave | boy | falcon | school | teacher | 

---

Taglines:

They beat him. They deprived him. They ridiculed him. They broke his heart. But they couldn't break his spirit.

---

Genres:

Drama | Family

---

Motion Picture Rating (MPAA)

Rated PG-13 for language, nudity and some teen smoking

Details

Country:

UK

Language:

English

Release Date:

3 April 1970 (UK)

Also Known As:

'Kes' - falken

Filming Locations:

Athersley South, Barnsley, South Yorkshire, England, UK

Company Credits

Production Co:

Kestrel Films, Woodfall Film Productions

Technical Specs

Runtime:

110 min

Sound Mix:

Mono

Color:

Color

Aspect Ratio:

1.66 : 1

Did You Know?

Trivia

Brian Glover was a school teacher at Broadway Grammar School, Barnsley when this was filmed.

---

Goofs

In the football match, Jim is selected to play for Sugden's team but ends up protesting about the allowed goal his captain, Mr Sugden, scores.

---

Quotes

Billy: [training his falcon] C'mon Kes!
[whistling]
Billy: C'mon Kes!

---

Crazy Credits

The majority of the crew were listed simply under the heading "This film was made by..." without each person's specific job title (director of photography, sound recordist, editor etc) being given.

---

Connections

Referenced in The Simpsons: Diggs (2014)

---

Soundtracks

"New Every Morning Is the Love'
Lyrics by John Keble
Music by Samuel Webbe
Hymn sung at school

User Reviews

A pleasure to watch

Kes is a film i was aware about all the way back to when i was at school (it was made the year after i was born)but i never got around to seeing it until now and boy am i pleased i did. Rarely is there a film that exudes charm like Kes. The acting is not brilliant , neither is the script but that is what makes this film such a joy. It made me feel i was back at school amongst the self important jumped up teachers and the cruel kids .It made me remember the times when i was a teenager that i didnt care for at the time yet it also made me long to be that age again! The story is of a young lad who through having a bad time at school and with his family he finds solice in training a young bird of prey. David bradley (Casper) is excellent ,as is Brian Glover as the P.E teacher who likes to think he is Bobby Charlton. The scene when he takes the boys out to play football is brilliant . The cinemetography is superb and the haunting music contributes to what can only be described as Very good movie. 8 out of 10.