Review of Kes (1970) by Michael A Elkana F — 22 Apr 2010

British neorealism (well, it's kinda like neorealism) and coming of age drama. A beautiful yet sad, dreary, powerfully devastating slice of life of a middle class mining family in Yorkshire in late 1960s.

Our protagonist and main character, a somewhat mischievous boy at the beginning (The absence of a father figure in his family might become one of the main factors why he acted like that), was actually a good and smart, which is being proved by throughout the film by his spirit and burning desire to man a kestrel (David Bradley's character, Billy Casper himself refused to use the word 'tame', his kestrel is manned).

Too bad the whole environment and people in his life didn't support him wholeheartedly, they focused more on the average job in general fields and a methodical, old-fashioned teaching and discipline instead of looking for hidden passion inside Billy, and even the whole kids back at that time.

Loach's direction is undoubtedly genius and great, he put me as an audience in the main character situation, instead of just watching it. Ah yeah, and that accent was such a joy to be heard, but hard to be understood, thank God they created films with subtitles =D.