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Product Description
Ken Loach, one of the most admired and respected UK filmmakers of his generation began directing for the BBC in 1964. In his contributions to the BBC series The Wednesday Play from 1965-69--among them Up the Junction and Cathy Come Home--he would establish his reputation for making realistic social issue dramas. After feature film success in the late sixties, Ken Loach returned to television, directing the acclaimed series Days of Hope (1975) and the two-parter The Price of Coal (1977).
In his films, Loach pushed the boundaries of television drama. He took filming out of the studio and introduced a documentary-style approach and, alongside producer Tony Garnett and writers such as David Mercer, Jim Allen, Jeremy Sandford, Nell Dunn and Barry Hines, he tackled controversial subjects from an often incendiary radical perspective.
Contains: The Big Flame, Three Clear Sundays, Days of Hope, The End of Arthur’s Marriage, In Two Minds, Up the Junction, The Price of Coal, Cathy Come Home and The Rank and File.
Product Description
United Kingdom released, PAL/Region 2.4 DVD: LANGUAGES: English ( Dolby Digital 2.0 ), English ( Subtitles ), SPECIAL FEATURES: Box Set, Cast/Crew Interview(s), Commentary, Documentary, Interactive Menu, Multi-DVD Set, Scene Access, SYNOPSIS: The Big Flame (1969) In response to plans to mechanize the docks which directly threaten jobs, the dock workers take industrial action. Three Clear Sundays (1965) James O'Connor's "emotional autobiography" tells the story of Danny, a young prisoner put up to attack a warder by two old lags. Days of Hope (1975) Four feature-length period dramas follow three young members of a Yorkshire farming family from the First World War to the General Strike of 1926 The End of Arthur's Marriage (1966) A working class man goes to put a deposit on a new house only to find he prefers spending to saving... In Two Minds (1967) Kate, a young girl under psychiatric examination, suffers from a lack of confidence... Up the Junction (1965) Chelsea girl Polly moving to a working-class area of Clapham in search of life. The Price of Coal (1977) Two linked dramas look at the lives of those living in a Yorkshire colliery community. Cathy Come Home (1966) When Reg loses his job, they find their life spinning out of control. The Rank and File (1971) The Wilkinson glass factory in the Midlands believe they are a caring employer - even providing a free bag of coal as a Christmas bonus - and have always had a good relationship with the local trade union. SCREENED/AWARDED AT: BAFTA Awards, ...Ken Loach At The BBC Collection - 6-DVD Box Set ( The Big Flame / Three Clear Sundays / Days of Hope / The End of Arthur's Marriage / In Two Minds / Up the Junction / The Price of Coal / Cathy Come Home / The Rank and File ) ( Ken Loach At
Customer Reviews
Most Helpful Customer Reviews
26 of 26 people found the following review helpful
By C. D. Morris
Format:DVD
Much of the attention on the release of this boxset of wonderful plays has understandably centred on Days of Hope, the Ken Loach/Jim Allen masterpiece from 1975.It would , however, be a great pity if many of the other superb productions included in the set were overlooked.Cathy Come Home and Up the Junction are probably better remembered than most of the others because of the furore they created when first shown in the mid sixties. They retain their power to this day. Of particular interest are two other Loach/Allen collaborations from 1969 and 1971, The Big Flame and Rank and File. They are both about industrial disputes with the workforce being betrayed by their union. Shot in semi-documentary style and featuring superb performances from such stalwarts as Peter Kerigan and Bill Dean they stand as a testament to how important a medium television could be and once was. It is impossible to imagine BBC or any other company funding films such as these which are willing to engage in genuine political debate with scenes consisting of discussions with no gimmicky distractions. None of this should suggest there is a lack of warmth and humour to the films...but the humour is part of the realistic dialogue that further enhances the fly-on-the-wall feel.Although the days when a major company would make and show such productions are long gone at least we have this set to remind us of what was once possible...Days of Hope, indeed.
30 of 33 people found the following review helpful
By blueyodel1
Format:DVD|Amazon Verified Purchase
All the films on this box set are very good to excellent, but Days of Hope is a masterpiece of TV. The BBCs refusal to allow it to be reshown or released for so many years was a disgrace.
I'm sure Amazon will sell a few extra copies if they learn to to direct searches for Days of Hope to this box set, as of 3rd Sept 2011 its not happening.
For those who have not seen Days of Hope I'd describe it as superior in every department to The Wind That Shakes the Barley or Land and Freedom: both movies by the way which I think are fantastic.
I'm sure Amazon will sell a few extra copies if they learn to to direct searches for Days of Hope to this box set, as of 3rd Sept 2011 its not happening.
For those who have not seen Days of Hope I'd describe it as superior in every department to The Wind That Shakes the Barley or Land and Freedom: both movies by the way which I think are fantastic.
37 of 41 people found the following review helpful
By S. Brown
Format:DVD|Amazon Verified Purchase
I watched Days of Hope in the mid seventies. There were hopes for a better society then based on a socialist vision of the future which was dashed by Thatcher and Blair.
This is the inspiring struggle of extraordinary working class people in the 1920's for bread and social justice. Watch it and be moved: a television masterpiece. I suspect the BBC have kept it under wraps for so long because it puts the case for socialism so powerfully.
This is the inspiring struggle of extraordinary working class people in the 1920's for bread and social justice. Watch it and be moved: a television masterpiece. I suspect the BBC have kept it under wraps for so long because it puts the case for socialism so powerfully.
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Most Recent Customer Reviews
5.0 out of 5 stars
Classic
Really took me back in time, only issue was sound volume/quality wasn't great on laptop, tried on portable DVD player the same, haven't t tried on main DVD player might be okay... Read more
Published 3 months ago by MS C GAMBLE
5.0 out of 5 stars
Ken Loach at the BBC
Superb in every detail excellent transfer to DVD an accurate account of modern social history I would recommend to anybody.
Published 3 months ago by Mr T W Scheers
4.0 out of 5 stars
These are Classics
Saw some of the original ones. Still have impact nowadays. Probably look back with hindsight and see where all these things went.
Published 4 months ago by john levey
5.0 out of 5 stars
Christmas pressie
My dad loved it, brings bk a lot of memories for him and he has thoroughly enjoyed watching these programmes again :-)
Published 4 months ago by RoisinO
5.0 out of 5 stars
This is a must-have
This boxed set contains amazing fictionalised radical working class history that appeared on British tv in teh 60s and 70s. Read more
Published 5 months ago by Kelvin S Yearwood
5.0 out of 5 stars
Ken Loach at the BBC
I vividly remember the 1970's as a decade of turbulence, social unrest and industrial disputes and the flavour of this decade is superbly captured by Ken Loach in the series of... Read more
Published 12 months ago by Mr. D. Rowland
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