Kes Movie Review (1969)
There aren’t many films about falconry, and Kes is one that highlights the beauty behind it. This boy and kestrel falcon understand each other in a unique way.
It is a common story, being the kid who doesn’t quite fit in. Most of us have been there, even if we’ve had a group of friends to hang out with. We’ve all felt like the square peg at some point. The last person chosen for a team or like nobody truly understands us.
Kes is the story of Billy, a teenager who lives in a dysfunctional home with his mom and abusive older brother. He has a history of theft and running with the wrong crowd, but he is now more of a loner and does his own thing – which is not always the right thing. While hanging around, one day, he spies a kestrel falcon flying into a hole of a building. Fascinated, Billy climbs up to that space and takes one of the hatchlings to raise and train himself.
This is an interesting coming-of-age drama about a boy who doesn’t fit in. His family doesn’t understand him (or abuses him or neglects him), his football club coach tears at his self-worth and the other kids don’t do anything to help, his principal thinks he’s a troublemaker, and nobody really sees him. Billy is a troubled kid without anyone to serve as an example, but he’s not a bad kid.
Billy doesn’t trust anyone, and why should he? Adults are cruel to him, other kids make fun of him, and he can’t even find solace at night since he sleeps in the same bed with his brother, who has no problem verbally and physically abusing him in an instant.
The sequences that involve Billy and his baby kestrel falcon, Kes, are pretty spectacular. This film was made in 1969 – there was no CGI at play. At one point, Billy trains Kes in a field and his teacher watches in awe at the majesty that he has with his falcon, as do you. I kept wondering, how does an actor train for a part like this?
As it turns out, this film is semi-autobiographical and based on a book by Barry Hines, who worked in the school system portrayed in the film. His brother, Richard, was a falconer and trained the bird Kes is based on. Richard was a consultant on the film and worked with the falconry aspect.
What struck me most about this movie is that Billy never seeks to make Kes his pet. He understands that while he has him and trains him, Kes is a wild animal. He will not adhere to long-standing rules no matter how much you train him, much like Billy. And while he and Billy do develop a trust, they are both wild creatures that can never be tamed.
This is considered one of the best British films in history, so I’m really glad I watched it, but it did take me a little while to get used to the very thick accents. I highly recommend using subtitles if you watch Kes, as people talk very quickly and it’s easy to miss full sentences. You’ll see what I mean.
Runtime: 106 minutes
Motion Picture Rating: PG-13
Languages Spoken In The Film: English with with very thick Yorkshire accents
Should You Watch It? Yes
Did I Cry? Nope
My Rating: 3.5/5 Stars
Available: Free on PlutoTV, to rent on Prime Video, or may be available for free on other streaming platforms
