Act of Killing, The (2012) | Film Review

(Originally published on Letterboxd) - In the mid-60's there were massive genocides in Indonesia, carried out in the fight against Communism. Millions of innocent Indonesians and Chinese people were tortured and killed by young men who fancied themselves movie gangsters. Influenced by Hollywood gangster flicks, they dressed, spoke, and killed like their favorite movie characters of the day. Adopting the lifestyle of a "gangster" (defined by them as a "free man") these killers have gone on to life lives of financial and political success. None were brought to justice for their crimes, creating one of the most frightening societal constructs imaginable.

Josh Oppenheimer's documentary tells the story of these atrocities from the point of view of the killers. Agreeing to help them make a film about their part in the genocide, what these men reveal of themselves as they reenact interrogations and murders is soul crushing. Not only from the point of view of the surviving victims, but also seeing these men carry the weight of what they've done.

The Act of Killing does a great job of examining the human condition, without excusing its subjects, or making you feel sorry for them. There is a particular moment when a village is raided and burned to the ground that will likely haunt you for days after, and it should. 

The most disturbing moments are when you see how self-aware the killers are as they reenact some of these moments. We get to see them discuss openly with Oppenheimer about how certain things will make them look bad, which they didn't seem to realize before doing it. Watching them backpedal, and then justify these actions cuts to the heart of the level of denial one would have to have in order to function after doing what they've done. 

The honesty presented in The Act of Killing will astound and depress you. It should be mandatory viewing in high school history classes every year. Congratulations to Oppenheimer and his team for producing a profoundly disturbing look at just how awful humans can be.