Review: The Act of Killing

Think about how outraged you would be if you heard someone brag about getting away with murder. Take that indignation, then multiply it by a thousand times, and that’s how you’ll feel after watching Joshua Oppenheimer’s documentary The Act of Killing. The reason Oppenheimer’s haunting doc will enrage you is that its subjects boast about committing mass murder like it was “the good ole days.” Not only will you be disgusted by their lack of remorse, but you’ll be flabbergasted too, by how they’re celebrated as heroes. These elements merely represent the tip of this documentary’s infuriating iceberg however.

In just a few short lines on screen, The Act of Killing provides the unsettling background for its tale. During the 1960s, the Indonesian government was toppled by its military and to help maintain control, the military hired groups to murder anyone deemed a “communist” opponent. The killers have remained in power since.

Anwars Congo and his friends were known in their youth as “the movie theater gangsters.” They scalped tickets and idolized characters from the American films. Their propensity for violence and their hatred toward communists for trying to ban American movies, led the government to hire them for its death squads. Congo and company graduated from small-time thieving to mass murder, quickly rising to power. In their ascent, they helped to found a paramilitary organization called the Pacasila Youth, which has thousands of members today.

To make this documentary, Oppenheimer offered these men a chance to tell their story. He invited them to recount their experiences on film, with the unique caveat that they could reenact them in their favorite cinematic styles: gangster films, westerns, and musicals. Oppenheimer followed them around, observing the odd project as it came together. His footage of their film, combined with candid interviews, became the The Act of Killing.

The most nauseating aspect of Oppenheimer’s documentary is nonchalance with which Congo and his buddies joke about their exploits, show off old haunts where they slaughtered people, and demonstrate their killing techniques. What’s equally revolting is watching a member of the gang engaging in illegal activities. Oppenheimer’s cameras follow one of the men around as he smugly discusses taking bribes while running for public office and intimidates small business owners into giving him protection money.

The astounding arrogance of Congo’s crew reaches its peak when one man is asked about whether he’s concerned about being prosecuted for committing “war crimes.” His response makes you want to instantly lose your lunch, “War crimes are defined by the winners. I am a winner. So I can make my own definition.” The same disgusting individual also chides Congo for having a weak mind, after Congo admits to feeling haunted by what he has done.

Oppenheimer’s documentary is sickening on so many levels that it’s difficult to articulate every single one. However what’s amazing is that somewhere along the way, Congo becomes a tragic, sympathetic figure. You witness how he can’t sleep at night, and you see the toll that reenacting everything takes on his psyche. Eventually a tearful Congo even says “I did this to so many people Josh. Is it all coming back to me?” As angry as you are, you can’t help feeling sorry for him when, especially after his guilt finally makes him physically ill.

If you see only one documentary this year, make sure it’s The Act of Killing. Oppenheimer’s film is the kind of necessary viewing that gets to you on a physical and emotional level. Although it makes you feel dirty and ashamed, what’s positive about it is that it also inspires you to be a better person.

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