MovieChat Forums > Kes (1970) Discussion > Powerful but flawed film.

Powerful but flawed film.

posted 12 years ago by Public-Enemy-01
7 replies | jump to latest

I watched part of this film when i was at college doing my Teaching course and my teacher showed us the P.E. part to show just how different teaching was back in his day. The lack of equality, inclusion and health and safety, but i found it enjoyable and was intrigued so watched the whole thing online.

I found it very hard to understand the accents. I only got the gist of everything but its a fairly good film.

Billy's life just seems really painfully hard and i feel for him i mean hes in a tunnel nothing to look forward too, he finds a glimmer of light and its eventually extinguished by the person who is suppose to protect him and look after him, so hes back in the dark again.

I have a few problems with the film.

His older brother, Judd, is evil and sadistic towards him. Why? I mean all brothers fight and argue but he just downright loathes his little brother. The reason for this is not explained. All i gotta say is that if i was Billy and he killed my prized hawk for no reason other than being a few pounds out of pocket i would NEVER EVER speak to him again. I mean not even go to his funeral that was just down right evil, especially how we see how much Kes changes Billy for the better.

Billy's mother just doesn't seem to care that much about him. I may have missed it but i never found out what she worked as.

Billy seemed not popular but 'alright' with people in his school but when he talks about Kes that all changes and people start being hostile towards him. Why? I never understood that

Billy goes to the careers advisor and states that he absolutely does not want to work down the pit but we never find out what becomes of him.

Billy shows talent in gymnastics both in the PE lesson and in the changing room and that girl (a gymnast, correct me if im wrong) sees him. Yet, that is never explored or explained.

I understand that not all films want to follow the crowd and be the same but all films need to have a beginning, middle and end. They need to TELL the story not finish and leave you to guess what happened. This film doesn't seem to follow any sort of plot apart from that of the bond between Billy and Kes, everything else is just like random clips put together.

The acting is not great even from David Bradley, i mean it could just be the accent getting in the way or maybe the age of the film but most of the time he just sounds like hes reading lines. I'm not saying he was terrible because he wasn't, im saying that by today's standards that would not be a performance to shout about. I think the best performances in this film come from the PE teacher, The head teacher's rant, in fact every scene hes in is good and the English teacher and that blonde kid who got sent off in the PE lesson.

i'm sorry but i just can't stand films that only paint part of the picture, i mean there was never gonna be a sequel so why not just finish the story?

This reminds me of Billy Elliot, now THAT was an incredibly well acted and well told story.

Ahh i dunno maybe im just too picky.

"I believe what ever doesn't kill you, simply makes you...stranger" The Joker

[–] sigold999 12 years ago

You have raised many points and it may be more suggestive of the life you have personally lived rather than of a working class dysfunctional family like the Caspers. I think certainly there are obvious questionable concerns at whether Jud is Billy’s real brother and more likely half-brother. This is pointed out and some of the other points you have raised are also evident in the film I think.

I personally understand every aspect of this very important film that was an important strike at the 11-plus system – that wrote off people like Billy Casper.

Again I think the Caspers household, with the single mother struggling to make ends meet and her eldest son down the pit – a very working class kitchen sink drama that was a real slice of many 60’s households up and down the country.

Simon Golding

[–] Public-Enemy-01 12 years ago

You missed like 3/4's of my post mate.

"I believe what ever doesn't kill you, simply makes you...stranger" The Joker

[–] sigold999 12 years ago

Hi, sorry I thought those things I explained were intimated in the film and it was up to the viewer to make up his own conclusions about areas that were not specified. Film makers like Loach want the viewer to work hard to get answers and often there are more than one definitive conclusion. Again it was attacking the 11-plus system and the individuals involved at some point were secondary. This was not about Billy Casper directly, I believe, but many who had basically been screwed and written off at 11 years of age by an unjust system, but Billy proved he had something very special about him and the government thesis was flawed – which history has proved. This was happening all over the country to thousands of young minds. This is not a gentle film with a beginning, middle and an end.

[–] sigold999 12 years ago

Please feel free to ask me direct questions I have missed as I do know this film as I took two years to write the book, Life After Kes, although some are my views and obviously not everyones view point - which is a good think I think.

[–] marktayloruk (2509) 3 years ago

What did you think of my sequel Idea?

[–] epa101 10 years ago

I would actually disagree that no older brother would be as cruel as this. It does happen. You should also bear in mind that Jud was only Billy's half-brother.

I did find Jud's attitude towards his mother quite strange. In the 1960s, it would still have been rude to speak to your mother so bluntly as he did. I thought, "If he doesn't like his mother, why doesn't he just move out? He's got a job as a miner."

Billy's relationship with McDowell was not consistent: they were friends one minute and enemies the next.

There is a section in the book that explains what happens to Billy's father. Billy has a flash-back to a time when everything flared up in his family because his mother was having an affair. They cut all that out of the film.

[–] Degree7 8 years ago

I suggest you stay away from art films.

~ I'm a 21st century man and I don't wanna be here.