The Act of Killing

The Act of Killing is a 2012 documentary film that explores the 1965 Indonesian massacre through the perspectives of the death squad leaders who carried out the killings. The film features Anwar Congo, Herman Koto, and Safit Pardede, among others, as they reenact their crimes for the camera, often in a boastful and unapologetic manner, referencing Adolf Hitler, Joseph Stalin, and Pol Pot. The documentary has been praised for its unique approach to storytelling, which combines elements of cinéma vérité, drama, and experimental film, and has drawn comparisons to the works of Stanley Kubrick, Francis Ford Coppola, and Martin Scorsese. The film's director, Joshua Oppenheimer, has stated that he was influenced by the French New Wave and the Cinema of Transgression movements, as well as the works of Jean-Luc Godard, François Truffaut, and Luis Buñuel.

Introduction

The Act of Killing is a documentary that examines the Indonesian massacre of 1965, in which an estimated 500,000 to 1 million people were killed, many of them accused of being communists or leftists, and has been linked to the Cold War, the Vietnam War, and the Cuban Revolution. The film features interviews with former death squad leaders, including Anwar Congo, who have never been held accountable for their crimes, and have been praised by Suharto, Nixon, and Kissinger. The documentary explores the ways in which these individuals have rationalized and justified their actions, often using propaganda and ideology to justify their violence, referencing Mao Zedong, Che Guevara, and Fidel Castro. The film also examines the impact of the massacre on Indonesian society, including the Pancasila, the Indonesian Constitution, and the Indonesian National Party, and has been compared to the works of Primo Levi, Elie Wiesel, and Simon Wiesenthal.

Background

The 1965 Indonesian massacre was a pivotal event in Indonesian history, marking the beginning of Suharto's New Order regime, which was supported by the United States, United Kingdom, and Australia, and has been linked to the CIA, MI6, and ASIS. The massacre was sparked by a failed coup attempt by the 30 September Movement, which was blamed on the Indonesian Communist Party, and has been compared to the Russian Revolution, the Chinese Civil War, and the Korean War. The death squads that carried out the killings were often led by paramilitary groups, such as the Pemuda Pancasila, which was linked to the Nahdlatul Ulama and the Muhammadiyah, and has been praised by Nasution, Yani, and Sarwo Edhie Wibowo. The massacre had a profound impact on Indonesian society, leading to the suppression of leftist and communist movements, and has been compared to the Red Scare, the McCarthyism, and the House Un-American Activities Committee.

Production

The Act of Killing was directed by Joshua Oppenheimer, a British-American filmmaker, who has also worked on films such as The Look of Silence and The Entire History of the Louisiana Purchase, and has been influenced by the works of Dziga Vertov, Sergei Eisenstein, and Andrei Tarkovsky. The film was produced by Signe Byrge Sørensen, Joram ten Brink, Anne Köhncke, Michael Uwemedimo, Werner Herzog, and Errol Morris, and features a soundtrack by Elin Øyen Vister, Kristian Eidnes Andersen, and Peter Albrechtsen, referencing Krzysztof Penderecki, György Ligeti, and Karlheinz Stockhausen. The film was shot on location in Indonesia, using a combination of digital video and 16mm film, and has been compared to the works of Jean Rouch, Robert Flaherty, and Robert Gardner. The production team worked closely with the former death squad leaders, who were given complete creative control over the reenactments, referencing Bertolt Brecht, Erich Fromm, and Theodor Adorno.

Reception

The Act of Killing has received widespread critical acclaim, with many praising its innovative approach to storytelling and its unflinching portrayal of violence, referencing Sam Peckinpah, Quentin Tarantino, and Martin Scorsese. The film has been screened at numerous film festivals, including the Venice Film Festival, the Toronto International Film Festival, and the Sundance Film Festival, and has won several awards, including the Grand Jury Prize at Sundance and the European Film Award for Best Documentary, and has been nominated for the Academy Award for Best Documentary Feature, the BAFTA Award for Best Documentary, and the Independent Spirit Award for Best Documentary Feature. The film has also been praised by film critics, including Roger Ebert, A.O. Scott, and Peter Travers, who have compared it to the works of Claude Lanzmann, Shoah, and Marcel Ophüls.

Themes and Impact

The Act of Killing explores several themes, including the nature of violence, the power of propaganda, and the impact of trauma on individuals and society, referencing Sigmund Freud, Wilhelm Reich, and Hannah Arendt. The film also examines the ways in which historical memory can be distorted and manipulated, and has been compared to the works of George Orwell, Aldous Huxley, and Ray Bradbury. The film's portrayal of the Indonesian massacre has had a significant impact on Indonesian society, sparking a national conversation about the country's troubled past, and has been linked to the Indonesian Truth and Reconciliation Commission, the International People's Tribunal, and the United Nations Human Rights Council. The film has also been used as a tool for human rights advocacy, and has been screened at United Nations events and human rights conferences, referencing Amnesty International, Human Rights Watch, and the International Committee of the Red Cross.

Controversy

The Act of Killing has been the subject of controversy, with some critics accusing the film of sensationalism and exploitation, referencing Michael Moore, Sacha Baron Cohen, and Borat. Others have praised the film for its bold and unflinching portrayal of violence, and its ability to spark a national conversation about Indonesia's troubled past, and has been compared to the works of Rainer Werner Fassbinder, Wim Wenders, and Alexander Kluge. The film's director, Joshua Oppenheimer, has responded to criticism by stating that the film is not intended to be a sensationalistic or exploitative portrayal of violence, but rather a thoughtful and nuanced exploration of the human condition, referencing Friedrich Nietzsche, Arthur Schopenhauer, and Emmanuel Levinas. The controversy surrounding the film has sparked a wider debate about the role of documentary film in exploring human rights issues, and has been linked to the Nuremberg Trials, the Eichmann trial, and the Rwandan genocide.