Post by klep on Feb 13, 2017 7:53:43 GMT -6
MOVIE OF THE WEEK for 2/13: Killer of Sheep
WEEK TWO OF BLACK FILM MONTH
Watts, Los Angeles is not an easy place to live, and it certainly wasn't in 1977. Charles Burnett's Killer of Sheep focuses on a man named Stan (Henry G. Sanders) and his family living in Watts, trying to scrape by. It presents the daily toil as a series of vignettes, as Stan and members of his family go about their days.
Stan works at a slaughterhouse, and it's hard work that takes a toll. He's tired all the time, and the work wears on his soul, creating a rift between him and his family that his wife in particular is struggling with. But he earns enough money to keep his family in their worn house and to work on home improvement projects in his spare time. He's proud of the life he's making for his family, and angrily rejects any suggestion he might be poor.
There's no real narrative to the film. We see the moments between the moments - those events most films don't have time for, like kids aimlessly playing in an abandoned factory, men cashing a check, or a woman cooking dinner. The result is a remarkable portrait of the life of a black family in Watts in the 70s. It paints Watts as a place where people struggle day in and out but rarely get ahead. It's a place where opportunity is lacking, but life must continue anyway, so people make the most of what they have. Stan knows his job is costing him, but it's the only way he has to keep his family afloat.
Killer of Sheep is a famously unseen film. It was made by Charles Burnett as a film student at UCLA, and he used music that was so expensive to license that a commercial release was effectively impossible. But it was so lauded and became such a classic over time that eventually UCLA coughed up the money to get the music and do a full restoration. Why go to all the trouble? Because the music Burnett chose is integral to the film - speaking directly to the experience of those involved.
Most importantly, perhaps, is Dinah Washington's "This Bitter Earth" which plays multiple times during the film. As it plays, you feel the full weight of the struggle everyone in Stan's community faces. It's a weight that is heavy to bear, but must be borne nonetheless.
OUR NEXT MOVIE OF THE WEEK for 2/20: Creed
WEEK THREE OF BLACK FILM MONTH
When first we heard that there was going to be another Rocky movie, we all kind of winced. But as the details kept dropping out, it became a more and more interesting project. About Apollo Creed's son? Starring Michael B. Jordan? Directed by Ryan Coogler? Every new thing we learned only whetted our appetite, and so we were gratified to learn it was a great film about fathers & sons and the power of legacy. Join us next week as we discuss this refreshing new entry in the Rocky saga. Creed is available for rent on Amazon Video, where it is free for Prime members.
NEXT PICTURE SHOW PODCAST for 2/9: Weiner
Last week's podcast concludes by looking at Weiner, a movie which inadvertently ended up chronicling part of the end of the Clinton era, as it follows the final demise of Anthony Weiner's political career. Join us on Wednesday as we discuss how stupid Anthony Weiner is. Weiner is available for purchase on Amazon Video, and can also be watched for free with a Showtime add-on to Amazon Prime.
WEEK TWO OF BLACK FILM MONTH
Watts, Los Angeles is not an easy place to live, and it certainly wasn't in 1977. Charles Burnett's Killer of Sheep focuses on a man named Stan (Henry G. Sanders) and his family living in Watts, trying to scrape by. It presents the daily toil as a series of vignettes, as Stan and members of his family go about their days.
Stan works at a slaughterhouse, and it's hard work that takes a toll. He's tired all the time, and the work wears on his soul, creating a rift between him and his family that his wife in particular is struggling with. But he earns enough money to keep his family in their worn house and to work on home improvement projects in his spare time. He's proud of the life he's making for his family, and angrily rejects any suggestion he might be poor.
There's no real narrative to the film. We see the moments between the moments - those events most films don't have time for, like kids aimlessly playing in an abandoned factory, men cashing a check, or a woman cooking dinner. The result is a remarkable portrait of the life of a black family in Watts in the 70s. It paints Watts as a place where people struggle day in and out but rarely get ahead. It's a place where opportunity is lacking, but life must continue anyway, so people make the most of what they have. Stan knows his job is costing him, but it's the only way he has to keep his family afloat.
Killer of Sheep is a famously unseen film. It was made by Charles Burnett as a film student at UCLA, and he used music that was so expensive to license that a commercial release was effectively impossible. But it was so lauded and became such a classic over time that eventually UCLA coughed up the money to get the music and do a full restoration. Why go to all the trouble? Because the music Burnett chose is integral to the film - speaking directly to the experience of those involved.
Most importantly, perhaps, is Dinah Washington's "This Bitter Earth" which plays multiple times during the film. As it plays, you feel the full weight of the struggle everyone in Stan's community faces. It's a weight that is heavy to bear, but must be borne nonetheless.
OUR NEXT MOVIE OF THE WEEK for 2/20: Creed
WEEK THREE OF BLACK FILM MONTH
When first we heard that there was going to be another Rocky movie, we all kind of winced. But as the details kept dropping out, it became a more and more interesting project. About Apollo Creed's son? Starring Michael B. Jordan? Directed by Ryan Coogler? Every new thing we learned only whetted our appetite, and so we were gratified to learn it was a great film about fathers & sons and the power of legacy. Join us next week as we discuss this refreshing new entry in the Rocky saga. Creed is available for rent on Amazon Video, where it is free for Prime members.
NEXT PICTURE SHOW PODCAST for 2/9: Weiner
Last week's podcast concludes by looking at Weiner, a movie which inadvertently ended up chronicling part of the end of the Clinton era, as it follows the final demise of Anthony Weiner's political career. Join us on Wednesday as we discuss how stupid Anthony Weiner is. Weiner is available for purchase on Amazon Video, and can also be watched for free with a Showtime add-on to Amazon Prime.