A bird holds the key in Ken Loach's Kes (1969).
Kes, the 1969 film by Ken Loach (Hidden Agenda) that was named by the British Film Institute as one of the 10 best British films of the century, arrived on DVD
The deceptively simply story focuses on Billy (David Bradley, Zulu Dawn), a 15-year-old miner’s son whose close bond with a wild kestrel provides him with a spiritual escape from his dead-end life.
British cinema’s quintessential portrait of working class Northern England, the coming-of-age drama movie established the sociopolitical engagement and artistic brilliance of its filmmaker and pushed the British “angry young man” film of the 1960s into a new realm of authenticity, using real locations and nonprofessional actors (something for which Loach would become known for over the course of his still-active career).
The Criterion Blu-ray and DVD editions of the film feature a new, restored digital transfer of the film, approved by director Ken Loach and director of photography Chris Menges, with uncompressed monaural soundtrack on the Blu-ray.
Both also include the following 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 movie directed by Loach and produced by Garnett, with an introduction by film writer Graham Fuller
- original theatrical trailer
- booklet featuring an essay by Fuller
The Blu-ray and DVD discs carry the list prices of $39.95 and $29.95, respectively.
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I have seen the more recent Ken Loach features of the past 20 years or so, but this earlier one KES sounds really interesting – I am unfamiliar with it…
I am looking forward to this release. The description here on DiscDish makes it sound comparable to a Disney film ( but with a little more edge ) or could be somewhat like the movie MY SIDE OF THE MOUNTAIN – which was also released, like KES, in 1969.