KES
As a Yorkshireman I can claim this film as my own. The setting I recognise, the accents are familiar whilst the characters are known. We had a kid down our street called ‘Rookie’. He had a pet crow, was a bit of a loner and got bullied. So Kes as resonance with me, although I never suffered like Billy Casper.
It’s 1969. Billy is a poor northern lad destined for work down the pit. At 15 he’s failing at school, has a history of petty crime, whilst his dysfunctional family provides only the basics. His father has left home, his Mum is seeking a new companion and his elder half-brother is a violent bully. Billy is a ‘hopeless case’ according to his Mum.
One day Billy finds a Kestral, which he adopts and starts to train. He can't get a falconry book from the library, so he steals one from a shop. Billy starts to train the bird. In the process he matures, becomes focused and starts to make progress at school. His speech about the bird to a class of enthralled classmates is captivating. Suddenly Billy is no longer a victim of life, but someone with purpose.
Unfortunately, things don’t go well for Billy. He spends his brothers horse bet money on feeding the bird instead of placing the bet. But the horses win. His enraged brother kills the bird in revenge. Billy buries the bird.
The movie captures a time and place. A northern English community where young people have no future beyond the mines. The people portrayed are all familiar. Self important teachers, the football mad sports master with delusions of being a football star and petty officials in the library. We are left bereft of an ending, wondering what happened to Billy. Did he go down the pit? What became of the boy?
It’s 1969. Billy is a poor northern lad destined for work down the pit. At 15 he’s failing at school, has a history of petty crime, whilst his dysfunctional family provides only the basics. His father has left home, his Mum is seeking a new companion and his elder half-brother is a violent bully. Billy is a ‘hopeless case’ according to his Mum.
One day Billy finds a Kestral, which he adopts and starts to train. He can't get a falconry book from the library, so he steals one from a shop. Billy starts to train the bird. In the process he matures, becomes focused and starts to make progress at school. His speech about the bird to a class of enthralled classmates is captivating. Suddenly Billy is no longer a victim of life, but someone with purpose.
Unfortunately, things don’t go well for Billy. He spends his brothers horse bet money on feeding the bird instead of placing the bet. But the horses win. His enraged brother kills the bird in revenge. Billy buries the bird.
The movie captures a time and place. A northern English community where young people have no future beyond the mines. The people portrayed are all familiar. Self important teachers, the football mad sports master with delusions of being a football star and petty officials in the library. We are left bereft of an ending, wondering what happened to Billy. Did he go down the pit? What became of the boy?