Directed by:
Charles BurnettScreenplay:
Charles BurnettCinematography:
Charles BurnettPlots(1)
Killer of Sheep examines the black Los Angeles ghetto of Watts in the mid-1970s through the eyes of Stan, a sensitive dreamer who is growing detached and numb from the psychic toll of working at a slaughterhouse. Frustrated by money problems, he finds respite in moments of simple beauty: the warmth of a coffee cup against his cheek, slow dancing with his wife in the living room, holding his daughter. The film offers no solutions; it merely presents life... sometimes hauntingly bleak, sometimes filled with transcendent joy and gentle humor. Killer of Sheep was shot on location in Watts in a series of weekends on a budget of less than $10,000, most of which was grant money. Finished in 1977 and shown sporadically, its reputation grew and grew until it won a prize at the 1981 Berlin International Film Festival. (official distributor synopsis)
(more)Reviews (1)
This film is definitely something different than what you might expect from a black filmmaker of its time, but on the other hand, even with this almost unique perspective, the film didn't strike me as particularly great. It's sad that only a few films with black actors receive recognition, as if it were somehow impossible to make movies normally with black actors.
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