Review of The Act of Killing (2012) by Alex R — 27 Dec 2013

Documentaries tend to be remarkable in exposing certain subjects. The Act of Killing is such a film, powerful in its subject, and its goal, filmmaker Joshua Oppenheimer interviews executions of the 1965 Indonesian Genocide.

The executions don't seem disturbed by their crimes; in fact most of them laugh it off. The filmmakers challenge the executions to reenact their crimes in any method they desire whether it's by a dance, film or a theatre peace.

The result is stunning, by doing this, the filmmakers were able to show what these torturers did to the population, who hadn't done anything. Disturbing, brilliant and ultimately a must watch, The Act of Killing is one of the best documentaries I've seen in quite some time.

The fact that the filmmakers were able to really give the torturers and executions a taste of the horror they inflicted on their victims is truly something. The end result is a stunning piece of documentation that you shouldn't pass up.

How the torturers who are unrepentant go from that to understanding the gravity of what they did is quite the experience. This is a stunning film, one that has made its subjects understand more clearly what they did, and the filmmakers have made an important documentary that is one of the finest in recent memory.

In the genre, it's really hard to point to a great documentary, a film that will resonate for years to come, but with this film, I strongly believe that it's such a film. The Act of Killing will stay in your mind long after you've finished seeing.

Simply put, this is a documentary that you shouldn't pass up because its subject is captivating, and above all important.