Charles Burnett

Interviews

Nonfiction, Entertainment, Film, Direction & Production, Performing Arts, Biography & Memoir, Entertainment & Performing Arts
Cover of the book Charles Burnett by , University Press of Mississippi
View on Amazon View on AbeBooks View on Kobo View on B.Depository View on eBay View on Walmart
Author: ISBN: 9781628467833
Publisher: University Press of Mississippi Publication: February 25, 2011
Imprint: University Press of Mississippi Language: English
Author:
ISBN: 9781628467833
Publisher: University Press of Mississippi
Publication: February 25, 2011
Imprint: University Press of Mississippi
Language: English

Charles Burnett (b. 1944) is a groundbreaking African American filmmaker and one of this country’s finest directors, yet he remains largely unknown. His films, most notably Killer of Sheep (1977) and To Sleep with Anger (1990), are considered classics, yet few filmgoers have seen them or heard of Burnett. The interviews in this volume explore this paradox and collectively shed light on the work of a rare film master whose stories bring to the screen the texture and poetry of life in the black community.

The best qualities of Burnett’s films-rich characterizations, morally and emotionally complex narratives, and intricately observed tales of African American life-are precisely the things that make his films a tough sell in the mass marketplace. As many of the interviews reveal, Hollywood has been largely inept in responding to this marketing challenge. “It takes an extraordinary effort to keep going,” Burnett told Terrence Rafferty in 2001, “when everybody’s saying to you, ‘No one wants to see that kind of movie,’ or ‘There’s no black audience.’” All the interviews selected for this volume—spanning more than three decades of Burnett’s directorial career, including his recent work—examine, in various degrees, Burnett’s status as a true independent filmmaker and explore his motivation for making films that chronicle the black experience in America.

View on Amazon View on AbeBooks View on Kobo View on B.Depository View on eBay View on Walmart

Charles Burnett (b. 1944) is a groundbreaking African American filmmaker and one of this country’s finest directors, yet he remains largely unknown. His films, most notably Killer of Sheep (1977) and To Sleep with Anger (1990), are considered classics, yet few filmgoers have seen them or heard of Burnett. The interviews in this volume explore this paradox and collectively shed light on the work of a rare film master whose stories bring to the screen the texture and poetry of life in the black community.

The best qualities of Burnett’s films-rich characterizations, morally and emotionally complex narratives, and intricately observed tales of African American life-are precisely the things that make his films a tough sell in the mass marketplace. As many of the interviews reveal, Hollywood has been largely inept in responding to this marketing challenge. “It takes an extraordinary effort to keep going,” Burnett told Terrence Rafferty in 2001, “when everybody’s saying to you, ‘No one wants to see that kind of movie,’ or ‘There’s no black audience.’” All the interviews selected for this volume—spanning more than three decades of Burnett’s directorial career, including his recent work—examine, in various degrees, Burnett’s status as a true independent filmmaker and explore his motivation for making films that chronicle the black experience in America.

More books from University Press of Mississippi

Cover of the book Wednesdays in Mississippi by
Cover of the book Dancing on the Color Line by
Cover of the book Wilder Ways by
Cover of the book Return to Guntown by
Cover of the book Cajun and Creole Folktales by
Cover of the book Unveiling the Muse by
Cover of the book Steelpan Ambassadors by
Cover of the book Conversations with Sterling Plumpp by
Cover of the book So the Heffners Left McComb by
Cover of the book The 10 Cent War by
Cover of the book On the Graphic Novel by
Cover of the book A Trumpet around the Corner by
Cover of the book Comics and Language by
Cover of the book Creoles of Color in the Bayou Country by
Cover of the book European Empires in the American South by
We use our own "cookies" and third party cookies to improve services and to see statistical information. By using this website, you agree to our Privacy Policy