Ken Loach And The Problems Of The English Society

Résumé du document

Ken Loach is a well-known British filmmaker and I chose to study him because he has made a lot of movies in his life which contribute to an understanding of the problems of the society in United Kingdom. Culturally speaking, the films of Ken Loach present a good reflection (even if rather pessimistic) of the British society and encourage us to think about different issues beyond our prejudices. Ken Loach was born in 1936 in Warwickshire. His father was a factory electrician and he has possibly influenced Ken Loach's work because the working world is a recurrent subject in his films. He studied law in Oxford for two years and was part of the comedy group ?the Oxford Revue'. In the 60's after starting as an actor in Repertory Theater, he became a filmmaker for television in the series ?Z cars'.

Extraits

[...] By this way he tries to make us think about political and social issues that are important for him. These issues are often related to the problems of the British society: unemployment, immigration, poor working class, institutions. During my oral presentation I will choose short extracts of the movies under study (Kes, Ae Fond Kiss) to show the technique Loach is using for making authentic and socially engaged movies and I will study more specifically the theme of poor working class and unemployment with the movies the Navigators, Riff Raff, Raining Stones and It's a free world. [...]

[...] He studied law in Oxford for two years and there was part of the comedy group the Oxford Revue. In the 60's after starting being an actor in Repertory Theater, he becomes a filmmaker for television in the series Z cars. Then he made several documentaries and especially the documentary Cathy Come Home in 1966 which deals with neglected subjects such as homelessness and unemployment and presents a strong and influential critique of the Social Services. In 1970 he set up an independent production company and made his first movie for the cinema, Kes, which criticizes the secondary school system. [...]

[...] This scenario enables Loach to raise issues about religion, culture and immigration It's a free world The subject treated by It's a Free World is the exploitation of immigrant workers in the United Kingdom. Angie, a pretty young blond Londoner who has a young son is trying to keep it together mainly by taking advantage of other people. The story traces her progression: she goes from working in a recruitment agency in Eastern Europe to running her own small outfit back to London. With her friend Rose, she finds foreign workers for employers seeking minimum payouts. At first not unkind and concerned, she is interested in a family of Iranian refugees. [...]

[...] They all take place in the United Kingdom and deals with topical issues in the British society. I try to select subjects which are recurrent in Loach's work and to sweep a wide period Kes It is the story of a troubled boy apparently destined for manual labor, Billy, who captures and trains a kestrel. Billy lives with his brother Jud who is always after him and his indifferent mother. At school he is victim of the other boys' mockeries and of the teachers' injustice. [...]

[...] Nevertheless, even if his ideas are clearly left-winded, Ken Loach never denounce directly or impose his point of view : he always try to demonstrate that our prejudice are wrong and by the way to make us think by ourselves in front of realistic situations. In Ae Front Kiss for example, we might assume at first that Roisin has nothing to lose in her relationship with a Muslim. Nevertheless she is a teacher at a Catholic school and this is why she is sanctioned by her priest who can't stand that she is living in sin. For this reason she will lose her job. [...]