Killer of Sheep

A landmark of African-American filmmaking and early independent cinema, Charles Burnett's poetic and powerful portrait of life in Watts for slaughterhouse worker Stan (Henry G. Sanders) has been largely unseen for most of its 30-year existence. This quietly observant black-and-white film school thesis, set in the urban poverty and spiritual ennui of '70s Los Angeles, features a cast of non-actors, a slow-dance rhythm more akin to European cinema than American drama, and a rich soundtrack of classic and contemporary songs of which Burnett never cleared the rights. Last year, Milestone secured the music rights (after years of work) and released the film (newly restored by UCLA) to theaters for the first time. The generous two-disc DVD release also presents Burnett's follow-up "My Brother's Wedding," which was rushed to completion for a 1983 film festival and shelved after a tepid response. Both the original 1983 cut and Burnett's 2007 director's cut, which is more than half an hour shorter, are included, along with four shorts by Burnett: "Several Friends" (1969), "The Horse" (1973), "When It Rains" (1995), and his new Hurricane Katrina-inspired short film, "Quiet as Kept" (2007). Richard Peña joins Burnett for a commentary track on "Killer of Sheep," and there is a featurette on the cast reunion. Be warned that the slim paperboard case is a little flimsy; my much-accessed copy is already coming apart.