Ken Loach is a British film director and screenwriter, known for his 'social realism' approach to filmmaking. Often referred to as 'The Godfather of social realism', Loach was born 17 June 1936, and his first film 'Poor Cow' was released in 1967 and was a surprise success at the box office, being sold to the US for more than its production cost. Loach went on to produce many more films, the most notable of his work arguably being ''The Wind That Shakes the Barley", "I, Daniel Blake" and "Sorry We Missed You". His films captivated the audience's attention due to their focus on characters and people and their realistic struggles rather than grand spectacles. There is a sense of consistency throughout his filmography, as the themes of working class struggle and political unrest are prevalent throughout his work and although they differ, personal relationships are at the centre of all his work.
In an interview with the guardian, Loach said "It makes you angry, not on your own behalf, but on behalf of the people whose voices weren't allowed to be heard. When you had trade unions, ordinary people, rank and file, never been on television, never been interviewed, and they're not allowed to be heard, that's scandalous." in response to some of his films being shelved for political reasons. People and their relationships are at the very centre of Loach's films, and he believes that working people's struggles are inherently dramatic and should be shared, and in 2011 interview for the Financial Times, Loach explains how "The politics are embedded into the characters and the narrative, which is a more sophisticated way of doing it". His use of dialect also appealed to many audiences, such as the use of the Yorkshire accent in 'Kes' and scouse in 'The Big Flame', which are dialects and accents scarcely heard in cinema.
Loach uses the camera in his films to reinforce this idea of social realism - 'social' means to do with people, and 'realism' meaning it reflects real life. In his work, the camera is treated as an observer to the character's lives and struggles. His style has been described as 'naturalistic' and 'observational', and by treating the audience as if they were a 'fly on the wall' it allows them to immerse themselves within the world and narrative of the film because of how grounded and realistic it is. As well as this, Loach regularly uses varying amounts of improvisation and casts non-professional actors to get as close as possible to reality and this in turn draws out more effective emotional response from the viewer, as audiences find the films easy to resonate with and can see themselves somewhat represented on screen.
As Loach's career went on, he became more and more controversial within the film industry. The political landscape shifted as time went on and Loach ended up making many enemies. Unlike many of his peers, Loach refused to go and work in America and so this decision paired with the fact that he was made to feel 'unwelcome' by the British film industry meant it was hard for him to get his films made. Loach's films are full of ideologies that the higher-ups might not have agreed with, as he is known for making movies that are angry, defiant, and always telling us things we might not necessarily want to hear.
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