The Job of a Film Director

The Job of a Film Director The film director has an elaborate job, classed as an art in its own

sense. Its meticulous details and multi million dollar bills at the

end make a director's job truly an art. How they can take the

imagination and lay it on a roll of film is an array of elaborate

casting, screening etc. and requires a special skill. The general

meaning of the word director is:

· The leader of a course of action or actions

· A person who leads someone or something

In this case I shall be writing about 'Kes' a film by Ken Loach,

adapted from the book "a Kestrel for a Knave" by Barry Hines. I shall

be showing how Loach brings the book to life; not only tools such as

description and what is going on in a person's head but by the

behaviour, reaction, and environment.

A good example of this is the first scene. It shows the claustrophobic

environment in which Jud and Billy are just waking up. As we can see

there is no studio work in this scene (or in the whole film) this

gives impressive realism. As Jud wakes up and confers with Billy we

see their relationship, the two sides, towering Jud and minuscule

Billy. A simile, to giant and child. As Jud bullies him we see their

conversation is not at all pleasant it just represents Jud's bullying

to his younger brother. An icon or representation of oppression. Billy

gets up, there is no breakfast scene. No changing of clothes just the

ones he's been sleeping in. This shows the neglect of family spirit

and ties. But also shows from the beginning there is no mother figure

just Jud who is bullying,...

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...s or levels. The centre is as always Billy

whom in this case is trying to get away from the busy world. Strangely

the second level is somewhat of a relief area. The wood is the only

thing that does not look forbidding or ugly to Billy, it does not

entice him to work or to provide results but shelters him.

A kestrel for a knave was awarded in 2002 as the 19th greatest film of

all time. I believe this as a tribute to a forgotten classic, and a

under rated director internationally. The one thing that a film takes

away from a book is the personal imagination. This is one film that

has successfully interacted between the book and the imagination, and

not only making a great film but a feat the book could never do;

portray so vividly the thoughts of a child on a screen and do this

with a backdrop and environment so simple.