KILLER OF SHEEP AT THE MUSEUM OF THE MOVING IMAGE, 4/3/09 AT 7PM.

by Joelle Panisch

For a film that was declared a national treasure by the Library of Congress, its viewership is pretty measly. Killer of Sheep, a film by Charles Burnett, is often described as an American neo-realistic classic; a depiction of African-American culture that is simultaneously elegant in its reflection and abrasive through its honesty.

The film is about Stan, a black Los Angeles slaughterhouse worker who is discouraged by money problems and numbed by his South Central existence. There is elegance to the simplicity of its plot, which is successful in expanding its thematic depth. Stan holding his daughter, slow dancing with his wife, lecturing his son— all are images that burn into your psyche with a soul-checking reality.

Killer of Sheep was shot for less than $10,000 and sporadically shown till it gained acclaim in the 1981 Berlin International Film Festival, winning a prize. Since then its critical praise has been almost unparalleled, but the film was never widely distributed because of the high expense for the music rights. That was until 2007, 30 years after it was completed in 1977, when the UCLA Film and Television Archive restored the classic for international release.

This Friday it will be shown as part of the Museum of the Moving Images World Cinema Showcase. I can’t praise this film enough. I suggest you see it.