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Charles Burnett's "Killer Of Sheep"

luckluck 4,077 Posts
edited August 2007 in Strut Central
Watts, 70s. Life, death. Tossed rocks at trains and sheep herded by herded sheep. This movie is luminous, alive, and truly, bloodily real. The soundtrack, in context, is most apropos.On a spiritual level (although certainly not in technical execution), perhaps the closest America may ever get to Truffaut and de Sica.

Do yourselves a favor. View this movie.link

  Comments

  • onetetonetet 1,754 Posts
    great film. we showed it at the film fest I work for in Baltimore w/ star Henry Sanders presenting. Attendance was good, but could've been better. Afterwards it had a one-week theatrical run here but NOBODY was coming out for it despite some great press.

    I was impressed when I was in Toronto a month or two back, their film society was selling out screenings of this film left and right.

    I'm very curious about director Charles Burnett's early short films, I haven't seen any of them.
  • buttonbutton 1,475 Posts


    It screened in chicago this past week. Serious shit, more like watching a painting than seeing a film. Lots of people, even those who enjoy art-house films, don't know what to make of it though. I think its the lack of a rudimentary plot we're all so accustomed to seeing in movies. Setup, conflict arises, characters struggle, conflict is resolved. KOS goes waaaayy beyond the scope of that.
  • luckluck 4,077 Posts


    It screened in chicago this past week. Serious shit, more like watching a painting than seeing a film. Lots of people, even those who enjoy art-house films, don't know what to make of it though. I think its the lack of a rudimentary plot we're all so accustomed to seeing in movies. Setup, conflict arises, characters struggle, conflict is resolved. KOS goes waaaayy beyond the scope of that.

    The vignettes are made more powerful because they paint only enough of the characters' milieu for the audience fill in the rest. It's not some "problem-resolution" movie, because life (esp. in Watts 1970) isn't like that.
  • buttonbutton 1,475 Posts

    The vignettes are made more powerful because they paint only enough of the characters' milieu for the audience fill in the rest. It's not some "problem-resolution" movie, because life (esp. in Watts 1970) isn't like that.



    Its best moments remind me of the things I love about Robert Bresson's films (see: Pickpocket, Au Hasard Balthazar). You're given a series of raw and stark imagery, and you decide for yourself the feelings and emotions that are entailed within them.

    5 stars

    and the DVD is out on my birthday



  • haze25haze25 759 Posts
    i saw the film my first night in toronto at a tiny (and empty ) theatre.



    i thought it was realy gritty but beautiful. my favorite scene was the two little girls talking with one of the girl asking the other girl why she wasn't in school, and the girl saying "i'm sick" to which the girl responds "you're gonna fall behind". i don't know why that scene hit me but it did, folks who don't have it good need to look out for eachother like this.


    peace,xavier
  • batmonbatmon 27,574 Posts


    anyone cop yet?
  • dgriotdgriot 388 Posts
    24.99 pre-order at TLA

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    5 dollar coupon for first time customers of TLA

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    Best price I know of, w/o being a recent Barnes & Noble member and using a 25% off coupon.
  • erewhonerewhon 1,123 Posts

    Do yourselves a favor. View this movie.
  • luckluck 4,077 Posts


    anyone cop yet?

    Wow. Thanks for the information. The unedited version of My Brother's Wedding, too.
  • bassiebassie 11,710 Posts
    For Toronto people:

    Charles Burnett: Amercian Genius programme
  • CahootsCahoots 378 Posts
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  • bassiebassie 11,710 Posts
    Saw To Sleep with Anger last night and damn it was good! It has Robinette from Law and Order in it and it is obviously before dude got some work done cause he's got a mouth full of crooked teeth - I loved it!Great story and acting. The majority of the characters are seniors and that was a nice change from the 90% of the movies out there. Wonderful use of music and one of the best openings to a movie. This more than anything else I've seen by him, including Killer of Sheep, makes me want to own the collection.

    It was preceded by a short "When It Rains" which would have warmed the cockles of Stutters' hearts. A woman faces eviction on new year's day due to overdue rent. She asks a friend for help who convinces the landlord to give them til the end of the day and he goes on to solicit people around the community for a couple of dollars here and there. He meets a musician on the street who has no money, but gives him this record instead



    The end of the day comes and the friend along with the woman and her daughter go to see the landlord to say they don't have the money. The landlord is not relenting, but sees the record and mellows right out. He's been looking for this very record! They are invited in and John Handy has saved the day!
  • catalistcatalist 1,373 Posts


    It was preceded by a short "When It Rains" which would have warmed the cockles of Stutters' hearts. A woman faces eviction on new year's day due to overdue rent. She asks a friend for help who convinces the landlord to give them til the end of the day and he goes on to solicit people around the community for a couple of dollars here and there. He meets a musician on the street who has no money, but gives him this record instead



    The end of the day comes and the friend along with the woman and her daughter go to see the landlord to say they don't have the money. The landlord is not relenting, but sees the record and mellows right out. He's been looking for this very record! They are invited in and John Handy has saved the day!


    That's a good record! I remember finding that in my parents collection and really enjoying it.

    Sounds like a good short film.
  • Birdman9Birdman9 5,417 Posts
    I just put two and two together and realized that I met Charles Burnett at a friend's video production studio in DC years ago. They had a reception for him and he gave a brief talk and hobnobbed with the guests, there must have been a screening in DC of To Sleep With Anger or the Glass Shield at the time (late 90s/early 2000). I am just putting together that it's the same guy. I feel stupid. He was a very interesting guy.
  • CahootsCahoots 378 Posts
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  • buttonbutton 1,475 Posts
    Also, people who liked this flick should attempt to catch Eagle Pennell's rarely seen "The Whole Shooting Match" when its finally reished. Its essentially the rural Texas version of Killer of Sheep and was even made in the same year I think. Although Pennel's film is a little more plot driven than Burnett's, stylistically and thematically the movies are very, very similar.

    Interesting tidbit: WSM was almost completely lost to eternity on accout of Mr. Pennell's extreme (and eventually fatal) alcoholism. No effort was made on his part to preserve any of his work. The only copy to survive was a 3rd generation print bought by a German TV station in the late-70s. The good news is that the restored DVD should be out soon.



    http://www.watchmakerfilms.com/trailer.html
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