Ken Loach

de Hill, John

"Ken Loach is probably the most distinguished English film-maker at work today, who, over the past forty years, has been responsible for consistently outstanding British films and television productions such as 'Up the Junction' (1965), 'Cathy Come Home' (1966), 'Kes' (1969), 'Days of Hope' (1975), 'The Wind That Shakes the Barley' (2006) and 'Looking for Eric' (2009). During his long and distinguished career, Loach has retained a commitment to radical politics and has continued to make work that arouses both controversy and debate. John Hill's new study of the director provides the most authoritative account of his work to date and the controversies that it has generated. Drawing on a range of primary source material, the book begins with a discussion of Loach's lesser-known work for television before going on to consider the impact of two of his most famous productions, 'Up the Junction' and 'Cathy Come Home'.^ It also considers Loach's growing politicisation and the public arguments, and internal conflicts within the BBC, that accompanied productions such as 'The Big Flame' and 'Days of Hope'. Hill also charts Loach's move into feature film production with 'Poor Cow' and the way in which his approach to filming began to change with 'Kes'. Explaining how Loach's career and critical standing has become increasingly dependent upon international funding and distribution, Hill then discusses how Loach's films challenge the status quo in the way in which they represent both contemporary Britain (in films such as 'The Navigators', 'Ae Fond Kiss' ... and 'Looking for Eric') and political struggles of the past (in 'Land and Freedom' and 'The Wind That Shakes the Barley').^ Bringing together an investigation of social contexts, institutional settings, formal techniques and political ideas, 'Ken Loach: The Politics of Film and Television' not only provides an illuminating account of Loach's career but also a valuable guide to debates surrounding the politics of film and television drama more generally"--Publisher's description, back cover.