2021 Tarkovsky Prize Runner Up: Erica Paschke
Poverty’s Cyclical Melancholy in KILLER OF SHEEP
by Erica Paschke
Charles Burnett’s Killer of Sheep (created in 1977 but released in 2007 is a narrative depicting the struggle of the working class through seemingly modest scenes of everyday life. During the time that Burnett was working on this film, many other students at UCLA, Burnett’s university, were simultaneously creating films about the working class. However, the majority of Burnett’s peers were out of touch with the struggles the working class faced. Their films were a romanticized version of the blue-collar life he knew. This inspired Burnett to use his personal experiences and knowledge of the Watts district of Los Angeles to show a realistic depiction of what was going on just miles away from the wealthy community of UCLA. His film is shot through the lens of the protagonist, a simple and hard-working man named Stan. It portrays the lack of respite for a worker who spends 8 hours a day killing, washing, and packaging sheep.
Stan’s personal life seems to never escape the monotony of the slaughterhouse. Every dynamic he has is influenced by the fact that he has to go back to the factory. Stan exchanges few words in this film, often he is seen sitting in silence- disconnected from the community around him. He and his wife’s relationship has disappeared, he no longer properly connects with his friends, and the only thing stopping him from killing himself is his young daughter who is the only source of his few smiles. Despite the apathy he feels for his life, Stan holds on to his ambition of happiness, which is seen through him still attempting to do ‘fun’ things such as the day trip to the country. However, his attempts inevitably fail and lead him deeper and deeper into the pit of melancholy. Stan seems to only find beauty in simple moments of daily life- whether it be embracing of his daughter or the warmth of a coffee cup. The film does not sugarcoat his situation or show a remarkable change in his disposition, it is simply a representation of the blue-collar life.
Burnett uses sheep in the film to represent the cyclical nature of life. No matter how many sheep Stan kills, there is always another one to slaughter, just as there is always another tragedy to overcome. This process in turn brings recurring pain which in some cases becomes too much for the workers to handle. Stan’s poverty cuts him off from the opportunities and freedom a higher wealth bracket would afford. To him, life goes nowhere, just as the movie goes nowhere. His attempts to move his life represent the larger struggle of working-class individuals in their constant need to overcome. An example of this is shown in the film when Stan becomes briefly motivated and attempts to buy a new motor for his car. This scene is one of the longest in the film: representing the interminable path to happiness many find themselves in. When he finally obtains the motor, it is placed in the back of their truck and as soon as they start to drive it falls out onto the pavement. The motor breaks and Stan says nothing as he is hit with the realization that the pain in his life will always outweigh the joy.
Even though the film was shot in 1977, Burnett chose not to film in color. The use of seemingly junky black and white pictures gives the impression that Stan and those around him are stuck in a monotonous past. Color also brings ardor and vibrancy so the film’s lack of it gives the audience a dulling sense of torpidity. This lethargy matches the lack of action within the film. It reaffirms that these are their lives and that they will never change.
Killer of Sheep is not a fast-paced movie brimming with action. Burnett created a simple plot without a glorified happy ending to illustrate his point. The point of the film is to accurately portray the struggles faced by individuals below the poverty line. Stan’s character shows how a lack of choice in life often leads to an inability to find meaning. His limited opportunities are cyclical in nature and lead to a decline in psyche along with a sense of being trapped. Killer of Sheep manages to tell many people’s stories through the lens of one man. Burnett uses Stan’s difficulties to embody those of a disheartened and impoverished working class.