Topic > Passion, ambition and the transition to adulthood in Kes, a film by Ken Loach

Known today as one of the UK's best films, Kes displays unforgettable themes of passion, ambition and separation from childhood. A masterpiece of 20th century cinema, Ken Loach's adaptation of the 1968 novel A Kestrel for a Knave continues to resonate with its audiences. Kes was one of Loach's first feature films directed specifically for the cinema. Throughout his career, Loach was often recognized for his socialist ideas and the application of those views in his films. Both poverty and workers' rights issues exist throughout Kes with the locker room scene and the job interview scene. These social issues become as important to the film as the central plot of Casper training Kes. His other films such as Cathy Come Home (1966) and The Navigators (2001) also demonstrate social issues of poverty and workers' rights. Unlike typical Hollywood films, Kes features dark moments and a heartbreaking ending. Loach has never passed up the opportunity to show real-life problems in his films. Say no to plagiarism. Get a tailor-made essay on "Why Violent Video Games Shouldn't Be Banned"? Get an original essay Language and sound play a significant role in the production of Kes. Loach's decision to use different non-diegetic sounds to evoke the upheaval of different moods adds to the story as a whole. During the darkest and saddest scenes the presence of background sounds increases an empathetic emotion towards Casper. Likewise, the presence of fast-playing music as Casper tries to hide from his crazed brother produces stronger tension in the scene. In addition to the background music, the specific authentic Yorkshire accents provide a fixed style to the film. Although Loach's decision to use authentic accents was frowned upon by many American critics, the dialect shaped the film and made it what it is. The dialogue allowed the audience to be present in every scene and feel part of the plot, rather than simply a person watching a film. Chris Menges' phenomenal cinematography only adds to the many other outstanding aspects of this film. Menges' decision to use wide shots really sets the city perfectly. The audience easily creates an image in their head of what the city looks like, as if they had been there themselves. Menges often uses tracking shots to follow Casper as he runs through the city, tries to hide from Jude, or searches for Kes. This gives the audience the feeling of running alongside Casper and actually feeling part of the intense search (or escape). Although the film's plot lacks complete focus and coherence, especially compared to other films, Loach successfully portrays strong themes throughout the film. entire film. It effectively grabs the audience's attention and maintains their interest even without a conventional plot structure. The film follows a young boy named Billy Casper and his struggle in everyday life. He constantly has obstacles in front of him that should prevent him from being successful; however, Casper's wit and quick thinking solve most of his problems. One day he decides to train a kestrel from a nearby farm. With his stolen book as a guide, he slowly but surely trains his bird Kes. Interestingly, though, this film offers much more than a story about a boy and his pet bird. In fact, it's not about the bird at all. The bird could be a symbol of the human soul and childhood. As Casper trains Kes, it becomes obvious that this give and take, a relationship.