Having just watched this film, I found the similarities between it and the UK TV Series 'Shameless' amazing. The depiction of the working class as opportunist thieves taking what the can to sell for whatever they can is not a new concept I suspect.
Raining Stones is the most upbeat and funniest of Loach's films which I have seen. When Bob and Tommy steal the sheep from the moors at the beginning of the film I was wetting myself. Then they went to sell the meat in the local pub and I nearly died. That is my local pub, these people really exist. Classic.
The film is also about one man's struggle to maintain his masculinity as a working class male in Britain at a time when there was no work for labourers. The decline of the manufacturing industries has had a massive impact on the working class in Britain and changed the way they can earn a living and provide for their families. Many are forced to live off the state and to be honest, the money wouldn't feed a chicken let alone a family who want to have all of the things which this society says you can have like a communion dress.
The ending is somewhat ambiguous though. Bob borrows the money from a loan shark and when he cannot pay him back, the loan shark attacks his wife and daughter. Bob retaliates by going after him with a spanner (quite appropriate, may as well use it for something) and inadvertently causes his death. His priest tells him not to go to the police. His daughter attends communion in her dress. The end. But what happened? Did he get caught? Did his wife find out? Is Loach advocating killing loan sharks in order to avoid repayment? I'm not sure about the ending but what we grasp from the film is that it is a struggle to exist when you can't find suitable work but try and help yourself but not starting a fight on your first night as a bouncer will you?
Raining Stones is the most upbeat and funniest of Loach's films which I have seen. When Bob and Tommy steal the sheep from the moors at the beginning of the film I was wetting myself. Then they went to sell the meat in the local pub and I nearly died. That is my local pub, these people really exist. Classic.
The film is also about one man's struggle to maintain his masculinity as a working class male in Britain at a time when there was no work for labourers. The decline of the manufacturing industries has had a massive impact on the working class in Britain and changed the way they can earn a living and provide for their families. Many are forced to live off the state and to be honest, the money wouldn't feed a chicken let alone a family who want to have all of the things which this society says you can have like a communion dress.
The ending is somewhat ambiguous though. Bob borrows the money from a loan shark and when he cannot pay him back, the loan shark attacks his wife and daughter. Bob retaliates by going after him with a spanner (quite appropriate, may as well use it for something) and inadvertently causes his death. His priest tells him not to go to the police. His daughter attends communion in her dress. The end. But what happened? Did he get caught? Did his wife find out? Is Loach advocating killing loan sharks in order to avoid repayment? I'm not sure about the ending but what we grasp from the film is that it is a struggle to exist when you can't find suitable work but try and help yourself but not starting a fight on your first night as a bouncer will you?