If you love film, you likely have been to a repertory screening at some point in your life. The chance to watch an older movie, on the big screen, with a crowd as in love with the opportunity to watch a movie in theatres, maybe for the first time, or maybe to recapture that sense of wonder of when you first saw it. The idea of repertory showings of movies still exists, but it’s also become corporatized through Fathom Events and their annual TCM series. That’s not inherently a bad thing (it’s how I finally watched “Vertigo” and “Jaws” on the big screen), but it also takes away some of the pleasure of going to an art house theatre like Atlanta’s The Plaza, which constantly has older films on tap, as well as special showings; my experiences with “The Crow” and “The Shining” there are unmatched.
As with last year, it took me a while to figure out who my bookend director for 2025 was going to be for this series. But when I decided that it should be Sofia Coppola, it made all the sense in the world, as did making my first film of hers this year a first time watch of her debut, “The Virgin Suicides”.
Next up in the series are my thoughts on Charles Burnett’s ”Killer of Sheep”, coming out in a new 4K restoration this week. I hope you enjoy!
Viva La Resistance!
Brian Skutle
www.sonic-cinema.com
“Killer of Sheep” (1978)- A
For his thesis film, Charles Burnett crafted a narrative that is experienced in moments, not a straightforward story. Its impact is just as immediate, however; he’s giving us a glimpse into lives we often don’t find ourselves thinking about, not just because we don’t as we go through our own lives, but we also don’t want to. The more I consider “Killer of Sheep,” seen in a striking 4K restoration from Kino Lorber, the more it feels as though Burnett’s film is indicting white supremacy without even showing us a single instance of it. We can tell it’s working on these lives, and they are just trying to live as best they can.
Stan (Henry G. Sanders) is a father who works at a slaughterhouse in Watts, California. The first image of him is as a father, as he tries to make sure his oldest son knows that, if he comes across bullies, that he should stand up for his youngest brother, and- if he doesn’t feel like he can- he should get him. This is a man who is trying to instill in his son some truths that life is going to illustrate for him as he gets older- namely, that you’ll have to fight for what you have, and sometimes, you’ll have to count on your family to help you. There isn’t a plot, strictly speaking, in this film; it simply gives us a look at the lives that Stan, his family, and his friends live, and how their life is mundane, but how they can also have a rewarding life in how it unfold.
I do not pretend to know how the lives of characters like Stan are in real life, but Burnett very clearly does. What I see is a filmmaker using his talents to give us insight into this type of life in a way that requires a lived-in experience. There are certainly moments in this that feel scripted, but much of “Killer of Sheep” feels as though it’s a documentary about these people, more interested in following their lives than manufacturing an overarching dramatic arc around them. It’s a most admirable film in that way, and one that Burnett was ambitious in, not just in his approach for the budget he had, but the choices he makes musically. There are some beautiful, essential musical choices- both in terms of classical music and iconic artists like Dinah Washington, Earth Wind & Fire and Louis Armstrong- that perfectly capture the emotions of the moments their songs inhabit. This is a lovely, essential 80-minute portrait of life lived with purpose, even if it’s a struggle to make it more meaningful than surviving from day-to-day. I’m grateful myself, and others, have a fresh new print to experience this film with for the first time.
Previous “Repertory Revue” Films
“The Virgin Suicides” (1999)
“Body Double” (1984)
“Looney Tunes: Back in Action” (2003)
”Killer of Sheep” (1978)
See Brian’s list of 2009 “Movies a Week” here.
See Brian’s list of 2010 “Movies a Week” here.
See Brian’s list of 2011 “Movies a Week” here.
See Brian’s list of 2012 “Movies a Week” here.
See Brian’s list of 2013 “Movies a Week” here.
See Brian’s list of 2014 “Movies a Week” here.
See Brian’s list of 2015 “Movies a Week” here.
See Brian’s list of 2016 “Movies a Week” here.
See Brian’s list of 2017 “Movies a Week” here.
See Brian’s list of 2018 “Movies a Week” here.
See Brian’s list of 2019 “Movies a Week” here.
See Brian’s list of 2020 “Repertory Revues” here.
See Brian’s list of 2021 “Repertory Revues” here.
See Brian’s list of 2022 “Repertory Revues” here.
See Brian’s list of 2023 “Repertory Revues” here.
