THE ACT OF KILLING relives the story of the Indonesian death squads of the 1960s that massacred communists in the name of the dictatorship. Self-named ‘gangsters’ (a word which, they emphasise, stems from the English phrase ‘free men’), these men were responsible for extraordinary numbers of particularly ruthless killings. Unusually, director Joshua Oppenheimer presents this subject matter by asking the gang leaders to create a film about their experiences. The leaders star in this film, they cast the extras and they collaborated in directing the film. But could they have anticipated the emotional upheaval that would be felt amongst them, all to different degrees, as they relived their violent past?

Underpinning this film’s thrilling impact is a succession of tensions and opposing factors which intensify its horrifying, surreal aesthetic. Such contrasts become unbearable, particularly around the protagonist, Anwar Congo. His adeptness at strangulation coupled with his easy arrogance become torturous when considered in the same frame as him gleefully sitting his grandsons on his knee, encouraging them to watch his movie ‘to watch grandpa get beaten up’; this internal split of values comes to the fore in his sudden abandonment of his acting role as a brutal killer in order to attend morning prayer.

This grotesque aesthetic carries on mercilessly throughout the film…

Oppenheimer’s pieces of meta-film are exceptionally clever in teasing out the most crucial and gut-wrenching moments of THE ACT OF KILLING. Allowing the death squad leaders to review their film, and thus criticise their own methods of slaughter, illustrates a superficial level of self-scrutiny; the absence of thought towards the possible real-life implications of their actions is achingly infuriating. This terrifying lack of self-awareness seems to spiral further into the film, with the footage of the Pancasila Youth (a paramilitary group with a membership of around three million) being carefully constructed to best display a sinister naivety which goes seemingly unnoticed by its participants. 

While the content of this documentary is enough on its own to warrant a gripping full-length feature, Oppenheimer’s construction of the film is also vital in making this the extraordinary, lucid work that it is. The oneiric, hazy visual quality of the opening contrasts so starkly with the obscene, barked directions that the audience’s interest is already piqued long before any of the major characters are introduced. This grotesque aesthetic carries on mercilessly throughout the film, but is blended both with visceral scenes of interaction between the squad leaders and with moments that emphasise almost unbearably the human qualities of these gangsters. Watching an ex-massacre leader pick up a Billy the Singing Bass and admire its rendition of ‘Don’t Worry, Be Happy’ is a rare moment of comedic release – but this is not from it being a relaxed moment of humour. It is the utter inability to reconcile that anyone can simultaneously hold the blood of 1,000 men on his hands and still retain some humanity.

… he weaves a textured web of recreation, imagination and role-play…

THE ACT OF KILLING manages to be so comprehensively engaging through its complex and effective creative ideas, which work in a powerful coalition with the captivating horror of its content. The relationship between victim and persecutor is exposed viciously in this film, and Oppenheimer has had to work carefully not to be the persecutor of these men. Had he solely exposed them for the heartless acts they had committed decades ago, the emotional pain of his film would have been void. Instead, he weaves a textured web of recreation, imagination and role-play, teasing both the audience and the participants of his film with multiple levels of viewing. It is a film that provides both relentless tension and outstanding storytelling, producing a work that operates in a methodical, human manner to present atrocities that would be otherwise barely tolerable.

The UK release of THE ACT OF KILLING will be on 28 June. Check the Dogwoof site to find a screening near you: http://dogwoof.com/films/the-act-of-killing