The bird that made Billy (Kes (DVD))

Member Name: badders-si

Product:	Kes (DVD)
Date:	10/11/08 (137 review reads)
Rating:

Advantages: Just an all round entertaining film

Disadvantages: Not a feel good film, gets very depressing at times

I was first introduced to the film "Kes" when I was at school. This film got a lot of kids in my school interested in English that were never interested before seeing it. Our school was not the best school in the area and was in Yorkshire I think some kids simply could connect with the film.

Kes was produced in 1969 and was based on the book A Kestrel for a Knave. This book was written by Barnsley Author Barry Hines in 1968.

The film was about a boy named Billy Casper who had all sorts of problems with being bullied and had very little hopes of a great future. He gets bullied at school by teachers and other students. Also he has problems with his brother (Jud) that beats him and insults him. His mother even says he is a "hopeless case".

Eventually Billy finds a way of escaping his life with kestrel. He goes to the library to get a book on falconry but he can't get a card to take a book out so he gets a book from a second hand book shop. Billy then trains the kestrel that he calls "Kes".

Things start to look up for Billy as he has something in his life (Kes) that gives him a meaning. His develops a great relationship with the bird and uses this experience to talk about it in class. He gets credit from his teacher for this talk something very alien to Billy.

In the end Billy has a run in with his brother over a bet that his brother asked him to place. Billy decides to use the money on chips as he is sure it won't win. The consequences of this will last in your memory for a long time after the film finished.

It is a classic film that has its high's & low's and is a very down to earth film that takes you back to how it was in those days. Magical story set in the West Riding of Yorkshire with great phrases and saying.

Who can ever forget the funny scenes of Brian Glover as the sports teacher Mr Sugden taking the football lessons. Pushing the kids out the way and trying as hard as he could to score a goal against the much younger and smaller kids. Glover with his bald head, stocky build and strong Yorkshire accent made this scene unforgettable.

Summary: Iconic film not to be missed