Killer of Sheep

Audience Reviews

View All (393)

ulyssesmovieblog b More than a story of poverty and alienation, Killer of Sheep offers a universal narrative of humanity’s life of small joys and struggles. Burnett’s minimalist and lyrical style makes the film not only a social drama but also a work of art. The film was one of the pioneers of the “Black Cinema” movement in American cinema and is still influential today. https://ulyssesmovieblog.com/killer-of-sheep-a-poetic-portrait-of-poverty-and-alienation/ Rated 5/5 Stars •  Rated 5 out of 5 stars 06/10/25 Full Review s r 1001 movies to see before you die. This one was raw and provided a glimpse into life in Watts in the late 70s. It was informative, but a bit slow at times. The use of the Afro American Symphony 1st movement was my favorite part. It was a STG DVD. Rated 3/5 Stars •  Rated 3 out of 5 stars 03/31/23 Full Review William L There were kids doing parkour in LA in the 1970s? Who knew? My first exposure to the notoriously underrecognized American director Charles Burnett, Killer of Sheep is proof positive that student films can actually be more than just academic requirements. What a then-28-year old Burnett brings to this film on a shoestring budget, with an unlicensed soundtrack and a ragtag collection of largely nonprofessional acting talent, is a triumph of human-focused filmmaking in the manner of a Satyajit Ray, Roberto Rosselini, or Abbas Kiarostami. The story takes the everyday life of a working-class man and presents it as both a melancholic fight and a triumph of simply existing, infusing it with wonderfully candid depictions of LA's Watts district. Henry Sanders delivers the perfect combination of the 'bend-don't-break' sensibilites that characterize the everyman's struggle, contending with his dead-end profession, slow-paced home life, and ambitions beyond his current circumstances. Seeing his negotiation for a secondhand motor with his little disposable income, only to have it fall off the bed of a pickup and be rendered worthless, is a heartbreaking moment. A triumph of restrained filmmaking, relying on honesty, character, and empathy to carry the day, Killer of Sheep is neorealist-inspired masterpiece that has been confined to obscurity for far too long. (4.5/5) Rated 4.5/5 Stars •  Rated 4.5 out of 5 stars 10/19/21 Full Review Audience Member Killer of Sheep doesn't so much tell a story as it does introduce us to a harsh reality that many people haven't witnessed or understood. Through a realistic setting and realistic characters, Charles Burnett crafts a movie that aims to inform and does so to good effect. Rated 4/5 Stars •  Rated 4 out of 5 stars 01/29/23 Full Review Audience Member Mr. Burnett's compassion as a neorealist director, as well as his gifts as a storyteller, give an almost unrecognizable style to this humorous, unhappy, thoughtful depiction of lower-class living. Rated 5/5 Stars •  Rated 5 out of 5 stars 01/17/23 Full Review Audience Member The is a seminal film in the history of African-American cinema from acclaimed director Charles Burnett. It was shot as his thesis for UCLA in 1977 with family and friends on no budget. I'd struggle to tell you what it's about, really it is just follows a family as they go about their day in a poor suburb of L.A. What makes the film is that it feels raw and authentic, like the Italian Neo-realistic films, which makes it oddly compelling. It also has an amazing soundtrack featuring some great Blues songs as well as Paul Robeson and Dinah Washington. Film lovers must check this out. Rated 4/5 Stars •  Rated 4 out of 5 stars 02/06/23 Full Review Read all reviews

Killer of Sheep

My Rating

Read More Read Less POST RATING WRITE A REVIEW EDIT REVIEW