Director - Ken Loach

**A face** · 05/08/2008, 10:36 AM

Originally Posted by Wikipedia

Kenneth Loach (born 17 June 1936), known as Ken Loach, is an English television and film director. He is known for his naturalistic, social realism directing style and for his socialist beliefs, which are evident in his film treatment of social issues such as homelessness (e.g., Cathy Come Home) and labour rights (e.g., Riff-Raff).

I think he really started hitting the radar with alot of people here with 'The Wind that shakes The Barley' but one of his best film in my opinion is one of his first ones, 'Kes'. 'Riff-Raff' is meant to be a great film but i haven't seen it yet. September 11 i thought could have been a great piece, Ken Loachs piece was ok to be fair, but over all it was fairly forgetable with only the French Director standing out for me.

**superfrank** · 05/08/2008, 1:56 PM

Kes is pretty good. A different topic and a very touching film.

**cheifo** · 05/08/2008, 3:02 PM

Kes is a lovely fim.WTSTB was a little disappointing.The naturalistic approach worked well in bits but I thought the film needed stronger direction.

**A face** · 05/08/2008, 3:17 PM

Originally Posted by cheifo

WTSTB was a little disappointing.The naturalistic approach worked well in bits but I thought the film needed stronger direction.

I dunno, i have heard mixed reports about it now some in favour of that approach, some not. I liked the fact that its different. If you did give it direction it could end up being very rigid. Its hard to say really.

**TonyD** · 05/08/2008, 6:06 PM

Originally Posted by A face

Riff-Raff[/URL]' is meant to be a great film but i haven't seen it yet.

Riff Raff is very good.I recommend it. Breaking Stones is another of his in a similar vein that's also worth checking out.

**HarpoJoyce** · 06/08/2008, 2:49 AM

I think all his recent (thirty years) are well produced and well watchable, he tries to present several arguments in the one film, even if it's obvious which side to sympathise with.

If The Wind that Shakes the Barley has a moment where several characters talk about the present and the future in a relaxed manner than it has similar scenes to....

...Land and Freedom
http://www.wsws.org/arts/1998/aug1998/land-96.shtml
Which is about a Liverpool chap (Ian Hart) going to Spain to fight on the Left in the Spanish Civil War. The character doesn't join the normal International Brigades but travels by train through France. He meets up with some minority POUM members and joins them, I presume this is done because later POUM have their difficulties with the Communist Party.
There's one scene where two scousers are shouting over to each other, each side of the barracade, it's at that point I wish they started shooting at each other.

After edit:
My name is Joe with Peter Mullan is good too. There is some strong humiliation scenes in it.

...and Bread and Roses is pretty good aswell, Adrein Brody does the 'stumbling fool' routine. But it's comtemporary, about the Unionisation of Immigrant/Migrant office cleaners in California. Some of it looks documentary in style too (maybe it is?).

There was an early Irish themed movie called Hidden Agenda, fictional members of Human Rights group/Journalists investigate the car accident of other Human Rights Organiser members/Journalists.....or something.
http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0099768/
I don't know how long it took to write and produce but it's dated after 'Defence of the Realm' and 'Mississippi Burning'.

After Kes, he further made his name with an hour long Play for the Day "Cathy Come Home" which protrayed a homeless single mother, but it showed Social Welfare Officers separating the mother from her kids at the end and this was pretty strong for TV in the sixties.

**geysir** · 06/08/2008, 6:48 AM

Originally Posted by TonyD

Riff Raff is very good.I recommend it. Breaking Stones is another of his in a similar vein that's also worth checking out.

Isn't it "Raining Stones"? - the one where Ricky and his mates drove around to the local cricket ground in the Ford transit for some nocturnal entrepreneurial surgical alterations to the landscape

He is an outstanding artist/ director.

**cheifo** · 06/08/2008, 8:44 AM

My name is Joe is an excellant film.

**TonyD** · 07/08/2008, 8:57 PM

Originally Posted by geysir

Isn't it "Raining Stones"? - the one where Ricky and his mates drove around to the local cricket ground in the Ford transit for some nocturnal entrepreneurial surgical alterations to the landscape

He is an outstanding artist/ director.

You're right it is. My mishtake.

Long time since I've seen it and I can't really remember too much of it tbh. Know I thought it was good at the time though. I think Cathy Come Home was before Kes. I think it was mid sixties, while Kes was around 1969 I think ? Great Footie bit in Kes where Brian Glover as the teacher is playing football with the kids, pretending to be Bobby Charlton.