When It Rains

This beautifully inflected 12-minute jazz fable by Charles Burnett is close to the feeling of Killer of Sheep, his first feature, though the poetic narration represents a real departure. This is one of those rare movies in which jazz forms directly influence film narrative: set in Los Angeles, the slender plot involves a good Samaritan trying to raise money from ghetto neighbors for a young mother who’s about to be evicted, and each person he goes to see registers like a separate solo chorus in a 12-bar blues.

-Jonathan Rosenbaum

USA
12'
1995

Director
Charles Burnett

Script
Charles Burnett

Production
Chantal Bernheim
Jon Oh

Cast
Ayuko Babu
Barbara Bayless
Billy Woodberry
Brittany Bracy
Charles Bracy
Damon Ray Ritchie
Florence Bracy
John Rier
Juno Lewis
Kenny Merritt
Sandy Shaw
Soul

Music
Stephen James Taylor

Festivals
21st Festival on Wheels
4- Jazz Goes To Movies