This was one of the reasons why Loach looked for a non-actor who had failed his 11+ exam to play Billy. “That was the whole point of the movie,” says Golding. “He wanted to show that what the movie said was true. There was untapped talent in children who failed more than 11 exams.” According to Golding, Loach, Garnett and Hines were adamant in their ambition to make the film while trying to raise the £157,000 budget because “they knew it was politically correct”. “They knew the story was true.”

‘After all, we are hopeful’

The reaction of the teachers when Kes was released proved how right they were. “Good teachers loved the movie, bad teachers hated it,” says Golding, and Forrest notes that the film is more generally about “how to raise people” rather than simply being an attack on the education system. “Billy doesn’t fit any ideals of working-class masculinity,” says Forrest. “He’s terrible at school. He gets bullied. He gets ostracized. But he excels in the curriculum and many other subjects that are not represented or accepted by society.”

Instead of collapsing under the weight of its intense themes of bullying and poverty, Kes manages to remain entertaining, funny, and ultimately hopeful despite some undeniably sad moments. Loach directs Billy’s growing bond with the kestrel to a high degree, combining John Cameron’s simple but hopeful score with Chris Menges’ bright, naturalistic cinematography. The scene in which a physical education teacher pretends to be Bobby Charlton in a football match against his students is engraved in the history of British cinema, thanks to the deceptive excitement of Brian Glover’s performance and Loach’s use of this theme. BBC Radio’s Sports Report, It was known to millions as it had been heard weekly on British radio since 1948. Meanwhile, Bradley compassionately shows Billy gaining confidence, especially when he details his relationship with Kes in front of the class. Mr. Farthing’s (Welland) effort to connect with Billy indicates that there may be hope amidst this bleak environment.

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Loach, Garnett, and Hines’ refusal to take the film into overly sentimental and sentimental territory further enhanced the film’s reputation and impact. This approach is seen most clearly in the final scenes. After failing to place a winning bet for his older brother Jud (Freddie Fletcher), Billy returns home to find Jud killing Kes and dumping the kestrel’s body on top of a trash can. Their mother (Lynne Perrie) gently scolds Jud and insists he shouldn’t have done this, but she’s more worried that there’s a dead bird in her kitchen.

It may have been heavily implied in other films that this was the beginning of Billy’s life working with animals. Maybe Mr. Farthing can help Billy find a job at the zoo. Some even advised Loach to include such scenes. “This misses the point,” says Golding. “This isn’t the end for Billy Casper. It’s just the end of a chapter. Life is a series of events. He’s going to do something else.”

Instead, Kes ends with Billy burying his kestrel on the hillside overlooking the field they had flown to together. “There’s something very powerful about the film’s resistance to symbolism and the idea that it’s not just about the bird meaning freedom,” Forrest says. “It goes beyond that. We know that Billy has the capacity for patience, that he has the ability to develop relationships with non-humans. I think the movie is more optimistic than people think.”

Social mobility continues in Britain relatively limitedForrest believes finding hope in Kes is just as important today as it was the day the film was released. “There’s a sense of inequality in Britain and its cities. Kes is still a really powerful resource, not just for telling us what life was like in the late 1960s, but for telling us how to create a better world today.”

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