It's hard getting past the awful sound design, and even harder to get past the accents, but this proves to be a rather affecting and very well-acted insight of a time period and setting more depressing than any would've thought.

"Throbs with a simple truthfulness...Loach shows his complimentary interest in documentary-influences social realism and the improvisational search for the authentic."

Something like 400 Blows, but in the style of kitchen sink realism. Ken Loach's direction is assured and unobtrusive, carving out the stark reality without a lot of fuss. And young David Bradley does a superb job handling the lead role. The ending is predictably awful, although that doesn't really lessen its heartbreaking impact. Likewise, the metaphorical symbolism of Kes is extremely blunt, but very effective nonetheless. I found the film quite moving and even captivating at times.

Ken Loach's debut is almost like a Scottish version of The 400 Blows, but I actually (blasphemy!) prefer it. It's a charming, funny and grim story of a young lad who tames a kestral and gets into strife at school. One of the teachers is nice but stern, but every other adult in the film is awful in their own unique way. The worst is the sports teacher, who's a complete bastard, and also painfully funny to watch. The whole film's a bit like that; it'd be a comedy if it weren't so depressing.

Loach paints a tangible portrait of a youth's '60s working class existence with a winning mixture of humour and drama. The film's a succession of excellently written scenes strung together by an overwhelming sense of humanism and soul.

"Kes" is one of those films that has weaved its way into the British psyche, precisely because even today, 40 years after it was made, it still encompasses and reflects much of working class British society, at least in an ideological if not practically realistic & modern way. "Kes" is a stark and miserable film, but also funny and strangely hopeful, until its tragic and grim final moments. Ending a low note is quintessentially British! I'm pretty sure all of Barnsley is the poor end of Barnley!

Very straightforward, but very strong in its message. The acting by Bradley in the lead is phenomenal.

A boy and his blob... Well acted, well photographed, not-so-well on the sound design... A boy and his blob.

An unflinching, gritty look at working class England. The amateur David Bradley is very natural as the lead character, Billy.

Kes succeeds not because of the heartache, which is a bit trite when it comes down to it, but because of the moments of joy that Casper experiences with his beautiful bird.

#478

Interesting in parts, but really fails by the end there. I don't really like British Realism anyway, so if that's your thing, by all means watch it!

# 405

I can't believe that (1) I watched a touching coming-of-age tale about a boy and his falcon, nor that (2) I enjoyed it immensely

It felt like a docomentary - great sense of how the UK used to be couple of years ago.

Very detailed, funny, and ultimately tragic portrait.

Fantastic and heart breaking film.

About the bleakest ending to a film ever. The perfect antidote to all the feel good plucky underdog rom-com bollocks perpertrated on the British public.

Perhaps more than anyone, ever, Loach can really bring cinema down to earth. As far as I'm concerned, Kes is everything that Truffaut's 400 Blows is wrongfully hailed as: A deeply moving socially realistic story about a miserable child.

One of the rare pleasures of a child performance [in lead, no less] being not only suitable, but the driving force of a movie. Loach has a way of capturing moments not usually dwelled upon - a subtle touch to the cinematography that equally impresses.