Killer of Sheep (1977)

Killer of Sheep is perfect in its imperfections. The soundtrack hisses and pops and the photography is sometimes muddled in too much darkness but these hiccups just add to its overall appeal. It's almost like you are discovering the movie rather than watching it.

With no discernible plot this film is like a mix of David Gordon Green's George Washington (it had to be a big influence), early John Cassavetes movies and the Italian neorealists films from the 50's. You follow a group of adults and children in their everyday life set in the inner city. Children play and throw rocks at trains, adults complain about work and try to fix the engines on cars.

This was writer/director Charles Burnett's first feature and his thesis for his MFA in film at UCLA. It was started in 1973 but not completed until 1977, shot with a mostly unprofessional cast on the weekends. It has an episodic nature because of this with most of the photography being gritty, almost documentary in style. This adds another layer to the film. These are people living their lives, nothing seems false.