tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8823340817818385797.post5516848596582203161..comments2024-03-24T14:03:33.932-07:00Comments on Every 70s Movie: Killer of Sheep (1977)By Peter Hansonhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11385971732301020652noreply@blogger.comBlogger2125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8823340817818385797.post-34659317633281269502011-10-26T18:57:37.365-07:002011-10-26T18:57:37.365-07:00Thanks for the thoughtful remarks. And, indeed, th...Thanks for the thoughtful remarks. And, indeed, though we reacted very differently to the movie, I recognized (and, I believe, commented upon) many of the admirable qualities you identified.<br /><br />I definitely appreciate "Killer of Sheep" as a potent alternative to the stereotypical Hollywood portrayal of African-American life, but it simply happens that I did not find the poetry of Burnett's style particularly effective or revelatory.<br /><br />In fact, "Killer of Sheep" is a movie during which I can sense (and respect) the filmmaker's intentions, even though I'm frustrated by the filmmaker's inability to fully realize those intentions with clarity and power. However, I'm always happy to acknowledge when I'm in the critical minority, which is likely the case here.By Peter Hansonhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/11385971732301020652noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8823340817818385797.post-49100442282523773572011-10-25T12:00:52.193-07:002011-10-25T12:00:52.193-07:00Wow, I'm sure you've seen a different KILL...Wow, I'm sure you've seen a different KILLER OF SHEEP than I have. Though he has been numbed by his job, Stan is still a fiercely proud man. The fact that he can fix his car and his household appliances are a sign of a fiercely independent man keeping his house together even in poverty. Charles Burnett's favorite word when he mentions the film is "endure." That enduring is a triumph over flat tires and busted car engines and horrific work conditions. And there is a story line - far more than most Hollywood films these days-- but it's poetic and realistic rather than a dime-store in-the-hood novel or a cheap sitcom. Stan has a desire to break out of his funk, to be able to enjoy his beautiful wife and good children. And the wife is not a stereotypical slum madonna or a whore but a smart, also proud woman -- her "use your brain" speech is from someone who is definitely educated.<br /><br />The frustrations Stan and his wife meet are beautifully detailed without a word. The dance sequence is miraculous. And rather than gun play, explosions, drugs, tragic deaths or miraculous cures, the ability of Stan to look at his wife and be able to express a small smile at the end of the film is more powerful than most of the films out there today. KILLER OF SHEEP is not a Hollywood movie that spells out every feeling or thought they want you to experience. Burnett poses questions that you need to answer yourself. And the fact that there are dozens of filmmakers trying to make their own KILLER OF SHEEP and pose their own questins shows how profound Burnett's influence has been since the re-release.Milliarium Zerohttps://www.blogger.com/profile/02458618785065825837noreply@blogger.com