Review of The Act of Killing (2012) by Edgar P — 27 Jan 2014

If you want a film that will take a dump on your soul, enjoy.

It's brutal and outright shocking at times but it's almost charming in the most twisted way possible. A brilliant premise combined with an endless fountain of material, as a result of the full-participation of Oppenheimer's subjects (who are being deceived) , makes this one to watch if you can handle the subject matter.

It's definitely longer than it should be (Herzog's influence is clear!) and so, when combined with what's being said and the unbelievable things that are happening; the film becomes overly-difficult and it's a real emotional struggle to get through it all. By the end I really felt drained and very depressed but I can't complain about a film having such a strong effect on me- it's certainly leaves it mark like any ambitious documentary should.

There's moments everywhere that I doubt you'll be able to forget but none of them are going to make you feel good- I really can't stress enough how soul-destroying the actions and beliefs of the people in this film are and I only wish that they weren't real. It's like something that Lars Von Trier would try and torture us with but this one is much worse as we have to deal with the fact that these people are more than just figments of someone's imagination.

I recommend this film if you've got a strong gut and are as fascinated by the idea of it as I was. Get ready to feel shattered by the end of it and then reflect on it later as it's unlikely to leave your memory anytime soon.

The future of documentary cinema? That thought both excites and terrifies me.