I’ve just finished watching Killer of Sheep (Wiki) — a movie that “examines the black Los Angeles ghetto of Watts in the mid-1970s through the eyes of Stan, a sensitive dreamer who is growing detached and numb from the psychic toll of working at a slaughterhouse.”
It features some incredible music including Dinah Washington version of ‘This Bitter Earth’, although it was the music (or more accurately, the musicians) that prevented this film from being released for 30 years!
Well worth a watch though, check out the trailer and if that doesn’t have you convinced, check out some of these reviews:
“A masterpiece. One of the most insightful and authentic dramas about African-American life on film. One of the finest American films, period.” — Dave Kehr of the New York Times
“Way ahead of its time 30 years ago, and just as stunning today, Killer of Sheep is one of those marvels of original moviemaking that keeps hope of artistic independence alive… Here’s to the miracle of a buried classic granted the opposite of a killing — here’s to life.” — Lisa Schwartzbaum of Entertainment Weekly
“How easy it is in our life, to miss what’s being offered.” — Paul Haller