Killer of Sheep (2007)

Killer of Sheep (2007)
Written and Directed by Charles Burnett

The often overlooked and under appreciated Charles Burnett made this gritty, neo-realist masterpiece as his Masters thesis film at UCLA in the late 70s, though the film never enjoyed a theatrical run until now. Despite being named one of the 100 Essential Films of all time by the National Society of Film Critics in 1990 (and placed in the Library of Congress' Film Registry), Killer of Sheep had been unreleasable for the past thirty years due to the twenty-odd songs used for the soundtrack of the film (which includes Dinah Washington, Paul Robeson, Louis Armstrong, Earth, Wind and Fire, etc.). Recently restored by the UCLA Film & Television Archive and Milestone films (in addition to a contribution from Steven Soderbergh), they also paid around $150,000 for the soundtrack licenses.

In many ways, the wait was worth it -- Killer of Sheep is no doubt a masterpiece, a rare gem in American cinema that examines the life of African-Americans in the Watts ghetto in the late 1970s. Burnett loosely pieces together scenes (some call them 'vignettes', though the scenes are a bit more connected) centered around Stan (Henry Gayle Sanders), a slaughter-house worker. His long work hours seem to have little affect how he and his family lives, although he would be the first one to tell you he's not poor ("I donate stuff to the Salvation Army" he says). With no discernible plot, the film builds scene upon scene, making nothing into something: a hauntingly sad portrait of everyday life in the ghetto, a life that Stan can't seem to escape even if he tried. Together with the soundtrack, Burnett juxtaposes life in the ghetto with a sort of history of African-American music, creating a beautiful, humorous, and sad world of futility. Killer of Sheep is unlike many American films, especially those of the 1970s -- the film is much more closely connected to the neo-realist works of De Sica and Rossellini, though his knack for dry humor and music set him apart (and more American) from the latter. Made for around $10,000 and shot on weekends using non-professional actors, Killer of Sheep is perhaps the most powerful film you'll see this year even though it was made over thirty years ago.

[81 minutes. B&W. In English]

***Killer of Sheep is enjoying an extended run at the Music Box, so check it out before it goes away, you might never have the chance again.

http://www.killerofsheep.com/