Who is he?
Ken Loach is an 86-year-old British film maker titled "The Godfather of social realism" who is a quite controversial figure perhaps too much so that he will not be considered a "national treasure" but he will still go down as one the UK's best film makers. He creates films that are angry, defiant and tell us the deep dark secrets of the reality of British life that we may want to cover our ears from.
Films he is best known for, How did he capture the public's beady eyes?
Loach has made an expanse of movies around 43 to be exact. However he has not just made movies he has made about 8 tv shows and a plethora of books (28) Ken Loach's most popular book is Dialogue sur l'art et la politique. Ken Loach gains his positive reputation through quotes like: ‘As film-makers we’ve got to ask the big questions – not just look at the symptoms and go, “Oh there’s a victim, let’s tell their story.” On the flip side he gains his negative reputation through his distaste as some people refer to it for his own country. He comes across this way due to his movies being rooted in the issues of British society. The negative views on Loach's films only made him more popular. Loach eventually began a member of the labour party giving him a more reputable name until he was eventually expelled. On Twitter, 86-year-old Loach, a winner of the Palme d’Or for I, Daniel Blake, said: “Labour HQ finally decided I’m not fit to be a member of their party, as I will not disown those already expelled. Well … I am proud to stand with the good friends and comrades victimised by the purge. There is indeed a witch-hunt … Starmer and his clique will never lead a party of the people. We are many, they are few. Solidarity.”
What is the Loach style does he have one?
Style is important in any film as such, Loach has a style. Visually, Loach adopts an unobtrusive style that depicts events in a naturalistic, yet pictorial manner. He adopts this style as his social realism films are tackling serious topics and issues so he goes about it in a calm and serious manner whilst still being pictorial as it is important to show deeper meaning just like photography or the arts. Loach succeeds in taking one piece of history and showing how the lessons learned are remarkably important today, as governments around the world struggle to come to terms with balancing the role of the few versus the many. As a filmmaker, Loach has adopted a working style not unlike that of the characters seen in his films. Unlike the traditional Hollywood model, he’s not driven by his own race to the top, but rather by a collective spirit, a desire to create harmony on the set and to appreciate his crew for a job well done.
What are the main thematic concerns of his movies?
Specifically, in the moving indie drama I, Daniel Blake spotlights this inhumane treatment of poverty-stricken people. More importantly, it personifies those who are failed by the institutions created to protect and serve them. A filmmaker who dedicates his craft to the welfare of the British people, Ken Loach’s work is remarkably noble, creating movies that challenge pertinent national conversations and debates across the country. Pioneer of British social realism, Loach is a director known for his provocative filmmaking methods and stark attitude towards some of the most divisive and sensitive modern issues. Portraying downtrodden working-class people, Loach continues to be a social campaigner to this day, casting mostly unknown actors in his films that strive for realism in multiple ways, including by incorporating local dialects no matter the international language barrier.
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