Killer of Sheep (1977)

User Rating:

7.7/10   

Director:

Charles Burnett

Writer:

Charles Burnett (writer)

Release Date:

20 June 2008 (UK)

Genre:

Drama

Plot:

Stan works in drudgery at a slaughterhouse. His personal life is drab. Dissatisfaction and ennui keep...

Plot Keywords:

Slaughterhouse | Teenage Boy | Mother Son Relationship | Dancer | Doll

Awards:

3 wins

Cast

Henry G. Sanders	...	Stan (as Henry Gayle Sanders)
Kaycee Moore	...	Stan's wife
Charles Bracy	...	Bracy
Angela Burnett	...	Stan's daughter
Eugene Cherry	...	Eugene
Jack Drummond	...	Stan's son

Runtime:

83 min

Country:

USA

Language:

English

Color:

Black and White

Aspect Ratio:

1.33 : 1

Sound Mix:

Mono

Certification:

Argentina:16 | UK:12A

Trivia:

No permits were obtained in the filming of the movie.

Goofs:

Continuity: After Stan and his friend load the engine block on the truck, they drive away and it falls out, and a car is then seen parked along the curb. The car was not there when they carried the engine out.

Movie Connections:

Featured in Los Angeles Plays Itself (2003)

Soundtrack:

It's All Your Fault Baby

Remarkable independent portrayal of Black urban life...

Somewhat reactionary to the black exploitation films that usually define the Black cinema experience in the 70's, Killer of Sheep presents a realistic portrait of a Black urban L.A. community. Burnett's method of telling a story, using the camera in the most unobtrusive manner, enlivens the film and draws the viewer into a world not frequently seen on film. Stan, the depressed insomniac lower middle-class worker struggles to provide for his family, love his wife and maintain responsibility to his community while haunted by the historical futility and impotence of the African American male. In Killer of Sheep, Burnett aptly demonstrates his knowledge of the cinema aesthetic and his proficiency with the camera while telling a most compelling story about the Black experience in America.