‘Kestrel in the
Gallery’
The ad shows an Arab
king parking a falcon on his outstretched , gloved left hand. Its an
air-line ad. You guessed it right! Only a proper owner can own and
maintain a proper bird. A
shehensha can keep an eagle, no-one lesser in status.
Ken Loach’s most
popular film “Kes” made in 1969 had to wait in limbo for several
years for a full-fledged release. The film’s hero, a 14 year boy
named Billy Casper hailing from an under-privileged background not
only owns a Kestrel (falcon) but trains it too. He is a much unloved
kid living in a miners’ village. He is considered as a perfect
misfit at school and as a “hopeless case” by his single mother.
In fact, she can’t care less as she is too busy going out and
getting drunk with her boyfriends. Naturally Casper’s elder brother
rules the broken home and he is a loutish bully.
At the school too,
Casper is at the receiving end of hostilities. As in a class-biased
education system, the teachers are unsympathetic. The students are
subjected to a barrage of verbal abuse and corporal punishment on a
daily basis. Unfortunately, Casper is not really articulate and hence
cannot defend himself.
However, Billy
Casper is certainly not an also-ran. He wants to say good-bye to
school, by all means, but doesn’t want to end up as a coal-digger.
He is a sensitive kid. He has got a rich inner life under-wraps.
Luckily for him, Casper locates a kestrel at the nearby farm and he
gently takes care of the bird. Kes is her name. Since falconry is the
preserve of the elite, he doesn’t have any idea how to train Kes.
He goes to the Library where he is turned back for want of right
credentials. Undaunted, he makes a bee-line to a second-hand
book-shop and steals the book.
Ken Loach’s
brilliance is conspicuous in this characterization. Bill Casper is
not larger-than-life. He has got all vulnerabilities of a normal kid.
What follows next is
seen to be believed. Its not the text-book training of the bird. Its
the bond between a human-being and another living being! There exists
a perfect understanding between them. An example of treating
everything with respect.
A communion with
Nature which the system has been denying Casper all the way is
within his reach now. Suddenly his life has a purpose.
He has proved
himself. He is articulate and brimming with energy.
Kes is more than
just a pet, she is the symbol of Hope and Freedom.
The change in Casper
is detected at least by one teacher, Mr.Farthing who goes straight to
the shed where Kes is kept. The English teacher too is overwhelmed by
the sacred bond between Man and Nature.
“I think she’s
doing me a favour just letting me sit here and watch her”, he
remarks.
Incidentally, Colin
Welland who played Mr. Farthing is the only professionally trained
actor in the whole cast. Rest of them, including David Bradley who
donned the lead are facing the movie-camera for the first time.
Yes, Cinema- 24
frames per second - belongs to the Director, no doubt!
However, the tragedy
is waiting.
The system, offended
by Casper’s newly acquired freedom counter-attacks.
Kes, the symbol of
Hope is killed by the elder brother. Brutally and without remorse.
Ken Loach leaves his
viewer shell shocked and devastated.
I closed my eyes and
just listened to the excellent music created by strings and flute.
I didn’t have the
nerve to watch the goings on in the final scenes!
************
Note: The title is
sourced from one of Jethro Tull’s albums “The Minstrel in the
Gallery”