THE CINEMA OF KEN LOACH

The Cinema of Ken Loach: Art in the Service of the People examines the linking of art and politics that distinguishes the work of this leading British film director. His films manifest recurrent themes over a long period of working with various collaborators, yet his handling of those themes changes throughout his career. This book examines those changes as a way of reaching an understanding of his style and meaning. It evaluates how Loach incorporates his political beliefs and those of his writers into his work. The book augments the thematic interpretation with contextual information gleaned from original archive research and new interviews.

January 2002
192 pages

978-1-903364-31-4 (pbk)	£16.99	£11.89 with 30% Off - Spring Sale discount add to basket
978-1-903364-32-1 (hbk)	£45.00	£31.50 with 30% Off - Spring Sale discount add to basket

Jacob Leigh is Lecturer in Film Studies at Royal Holloway, University of London. He is a contributor to Close-Up 02 (2007) and author of a forthcoming Directors' Cuts volume on Eric Rohmer (2010).

'Well-researched, informative and perceptive in detail, this book juggles a fair number of theoretical concepts yet the writing remains accessible throughout. It fills a gap in the serious treatment of Loach and should find an appreciative audience among teachers and students of British cinema.'
– Sight and Sound 

'A finely detailed, sympathetically critical examination of some major films and TV dramas. In addition to being a pleasure to read, the book contributes intelligently to debates about realism, and deserves to become a standard reference for anyone interested in Loach's work and the wider issues it raises.'
– Martin Stollery, Southampton Institute

‘This book is a solid piece of work, well-researched, informative and often perceptive in detail… Since there are scandalously few serious accounts of Loach’s work, the book fills a gap in the Film Studies market and should find an appreciate audience among teachers and students of British cinema.’
– Peter Matthews

'This is an engaging critical study of Britain's most uncompromising film director and the manner in which he has incorporated his political beliefs into his art and made the two indivisible. The author moves chronologically through Loach's early television work to his major cinema triumphs like 1995's Land and Freedom.'
– Uncut 

'Like all of the best film analysis this detailed examination of Kes really makes one want to see the film again ... The Cinema of Ken Loach is always a stimulating and, at times, highly illuminating read.'
– Lez Cooke, Journal of British Cinema and Television

‘The book is extremely well-researched and contains rare and useful contributions by Loach himself. It also provides the reader with in-depth and illuminating film analyses, and successfully underlines the productive relationship between Loach and his various collaborators. In other words, The Cinema of Ken Loach: Art in the Service of the People is a must for those interested in Loach's career and European politically-committed cinema.'
– Florian Grandena, www.film-philosophy.com