Common Sense Media Review
By Jeffrey M. Anderson
,
based on child development research. How do we rate?
Depressing but beautiful; a top coming-of-age movie.
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Kes
What's the Story?
Billy Casper (David Bradley) is a skinny teen who has a paper route before school, and is not above nicking a bottle of milk from the back of a truck. We learn that he was once involved in a gang and is now trying to go straight. He's not a particularly good student, nor is he good at sports, and he's prone to trouble. Outside of school, he discovers a kestrel nest, and decides to catch one and train it. He tries to check out a book from the library, but is rudely turned away when he doesn't have his mum's signature. So he nicks a book from a shop. He experiences some glorious moments while working with the bird, and even brings his stories to class one day. Will Billy's experience prove to be more than just a temporary escape from the harsh realities of Billy's family, environment, and future?
Is It Any Good?
Ken Loach's film is grim and rambling, and without a clear victory, yet it's one of the most powerful coming-of-age stories ever told, containing passages of great beauty. It has come to be regarded in some circles as a children's classic. Based on Barry Hines' book "A Kestrel for a Knave," Loach shoots the film like a documentary, simply observing long sequences of the hero at school, suffering the indignities of both the classroom and the football field.
In any other movie about a boy who trains a kestrel, we might expect that the boy finds his "wings," so to speak. But perhaps less than a quarter of the film's running time is actually devoted to the kestrel. Loach's approach feels more honest and more political, mirroring the kestrel training with the efforts of adults to "train" and control young people, breaking their spirits. None of this dulls the heartbreaking power of the ending: a simple tragedy that cuts through everything and goes straight to the heart.
Talk to Your Kids About ...
Families can talk about whether Kes is a good movie for kids. Is it too violent? Too dark? Does the language or smoking make a difference? What about the ending?
Why are most of the adults in the movie unhappy? Is there a connection between the adults' attitudes toward kids, and the boy's attitude toward his kestrel? How do adults influence kids' behavior?
Movie Details
- In theaters : March 27, 1970
- On DVD or streaming : April 19, 2011
- Cast : David Bradley , Freddie Fletcher , Lynne Perrie
- Director : Ken Loach
- Studio : Criterion Collection
- Genre : Drama
- Run time : 111 minutes
- MPAA rating :
- MPAA explanation : language, nudity and some teen smoking
- Last updated : December 16, 2021
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