To Sleep with Anger has finally brought Charles Burnett's unique talents to theaters and drive-ins near you, but his earlier, independent features Killer of Sheep and My Brother's Wedding already intuited the new film's offbeat but right-on, and resonant, observations on black family life. Set in the Watts area of Los Angeles, Killer of Sheep focuses on the personal isolation of a black slaughterhouse worker who must suspend his emotions to continue in a job he finds repugnant, and then finds he has little sensitivity left for the family he works so hard to support. Using semi-documentary techniques and eliciting remarkable performances from a cast of non-professional actors, Burnett creates a palpable sense of place, linking the struggle of his protagonist with that of the Watts community. Despite the slaughter of animals and egos it depicts, Killer of Sheep is not a depressing film; rather, it is infused with the humor and resilience that survival necessitates. Killer of Sheep has this year been selected for the National Film Registry.