The Act of Killing

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Siao S This documentary has no graphic violence, but the perpetrators' nonchalant attitude towards their actions is even more chilling. After watching this documentary, I will think twice before revisit Java Island. Rated 5/5 Stars •  Rated 5 out of 5 stars 05/11/23 Full Review Georgan G This horrific documentary tricked bad guys into filming their confessions. These circa 1965 mass murders had clearly been ok with their government, as no one was ever punished. Also clear that western countries were being complicit. Sad history presented as a movie within a movie. Rated 4/5 Stars •  Rated 4 out of 5 stars 01/28/23 Full Review Audience Member One of the most important films of our generation Exposing the effects of Hollywood and media propaganda to inject fear into the masses and ultimately control them. A must watch Rated 5/5 Stars •  Rated 5 out of 5 stars 02/11/23 Full Review Audience Member Perhaps the most profound realisation ever captured on film. Even a monster cannot escape his morality. A very dark, and very recent history that is retold and re-enacted first-hand by its butchers, which still contains the faintest glimmer of hope. Rated 5/5 Stars •  Rated 5 out of 5 stars 02/17/23 Full Review jorge g Whether you are familiar with this particular part of Indonesian history or not, this movie will haunt you. Even the end credits are chilling, check them out after the film ends and you will understand why. This story needed to be said and the film does the job with brutal efficiency. A must see. Rated 5/5 Stars •  Rated 5 out of 5 stars 03/31/23 Full Review William L When you think of a sincere documentary of a historical event with a massive death toll, there are established traditions to what the production is supposed to focus on and what content they have to work with - tearful survivor testimonies, slideshows of still images featuring piles of bodies, a monument in a park somewhere intended to tastefully commemorate the memory of the victims, you know the drill. Instead, Oppenheimer had the unique opportunity to tackle his subject, the 1965/66 Indonesian Mass Killings, in a completely different manner. Not only were those that had committed the acts still alive and free, they were often influential members of their communities and proud of their involvement in the violence. It's the incredibly calm and often dignified nature of the explanation of their crimes, the motivations, and consequences that relentlessly grabs your attention, the gap between their conduct and the expectations that many were raised with of what a civilized society is supposed to look like. It's the purest form of the old adage that "history is written by the victors", as these practices had survived the cultural evolution of Indonesia, shaping the culture in their twisted image. This is really the essence of top-tier social documentary, a filmmaker getting people to speak candidly to the camera, opening up new worlds and then highlighting the simple, powerful features that make it unique, and in this case, horrifying. It's not always as simple as presenting a death toll and battlefield footage. In the case of The Act of Killing, the horror is not as much in the murders themselves, but that the path of least resistance for Indonesia as a country was to allow those responsible to go free, and that behind the violence was a very human element that most would prefer to ignore. The terror is seeing the level of corruption that is still tolerated, the lack of consequences for those responsible, all embodied by a man openly bent on extortion mimicking Obama's speech patterns as he campaigns for public office through the streets in a yellow Volkswagen Thing. (4.5/5) Rated 4.5/5 Stars •  Rated 4.5 out of 5 stars 07/01/21 Full Review Read all reviews

The Act of Killing

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