Killer of Sheep
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.
