RARELY has the harsh reality of working-class life been captured with quite the same poetic beauty and heartfelt honesty as it is in Kes (1969).A naturalistic study of a young boy coming of age in the cold, hard surroundings of northern Britain in the late 60s, it remains one of director Ken Loach’s greatest achievements. It also stands proud as one of his most beloved films. Watching the new Blu-ray special edition from Eureka Entertainment, it’s easy to see why.Fifteen-year-old Billy Casper (David Bradley) is a loner growing up on the unforgiving streets of Barnsley in a family where his mother (Lynne Perrie) ignores him and his older brother (Freddie Fletcher) beats him up at every available opportunity. At school he is picked on by his classmates and ridiculed by his teachers. His life, in other words, is miserable and hopeless.A ray of light arrives for Billy when he finds a small kestrel falcon on the moors. He devotes all his spare time to training it and the two become friends before the oppressive world that surrounds them comes knocking to burst their brief little bubble of happiness. […]

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