Happy 76th Birthday, Charles Burnett! Born today in 1944, this African-American photographer, editor, cinematographer, writer, film producer and film director has been involved in other types of motion pictures including shorts, documentaries, and a television series.
Among his credits, Burnett is best known for editing, shooting, writing, producing and directing the 1978 Ameircan black and white drama/narrative film 'Killer of Sheep'.
Set in Watts, California, an urban and mostly African-American section of Los Angeles, Stan (Henry Gayle Sanders) spends his days toiling away at a local slaughterhouse. Eventually, his macabre profession seeps into his personal life as he struggles to keep his family afloat and content.
Other life situations also prove to be difficult, since it seems that dark intentions lurk within the people he meets outside his family. The layers of stress later cause Stan to question whether a better quality of life is possible.
The film depicts the late-1970s culture of urban African-Americans in the Watts district in a style often likened to Italian neorealism.
American film critic Dana Stevens from the online magazine Slate described its plot as "a collection of brief vignettes which are so loosely connected that it feels at times like you're watching a non-narrative film."
Throughout the film's eighty-minute runtime, there are no acts, plot arcs or character development, as conventionally defined.
Shot primarily in 1972 and 1973, 'Killer of Sheep' was originally submitted by Burnett to the UCLA School of Film in 1977 as his Master of Fine Arts thesis.
It features African-American actor Henry G. Sanders (Stan), Kaycee Moore (Stan's Wife), and Charles Bracy (Bracy), among others, in acting roles.
On a budget of $10,000, 'Killer of Sheep' earned back $416,000 plus at the box office.
On a budget of $10,000, 'Killer of Sheep' earned back $416,000 plus at the box office.
In 1990, 'Killer of Sheep' was selected for preservation in the United States National Film Registry by the Library of Congress as being "culturally, historically, or aesthetically significant".
Burnett has been called "one of America's very best filmmakers" by the Chicago Tribune and "the nation's least-known great filmmaker and most gifted black director" by The New York Times. He has also had a long, diverse career, as his work has received extensive honors.
Burnett has been active from 1977-present.
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