I'd never heard of "Killer of Sheep" before, but it sounded interesting after doing some research, so I went to a screening. It helps to know that this was a student film and should be judged accordingly. The good news is that there are some well composed shots and the material was handled with care; one could tell the filmmaker had an affinity for his subject. There were also some good performances by the lead actors. The bad news: no story beyond the daily existence of ordinary folks; poor sound quality; some bad acting; and more than anything, a real lack of editing; the pacing could have been better. I've subsequently read several reviews; some over-rated, some disparaging. This film is more an abstract portrait of a place and time and less cinematic storytelling; take from it what you will. Rating on a student film scale, I'd give it an 8 for ambition and execution. Properly edited, maybe 10.
Review of Killer of Sheep
