filmbore pick of the week - The Act Of Killing

The Act Of Killing

Director: Joshua Oppenheimer
Starring: Anwar Congo, Herman Koto, Adi Zulkadry, Safit Pardede, Ibrahim Sinik,
Yapto Soerjosoemarno
Year: 2012
Language: Indonesian
UK rental release: November 2013

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For the last in my awards season reviews I wanted to bring you a winner. I had high hopes for the controversial documentary feature The Act Of Killing, with it sweeping most of the international film awards en route to the Oscars but, unfortunately, it didn't take the coveted Academy gong, losing out to 20 Feet From Stardom. This cannot prevent me from reviewing it this week, however. Let me tell you why...

Indonesia, 1965, and the military have overthrown the government. All those that stood against them afterwards were deemed communists, no matter what their background, political angle or moral footing. Nearly a year later, over a million people were murdered.

Some of those involved in these killings were previously gangsters prior to the military reign. These men and others who committed the slaughter have stayed in power ever since. It's this world of gangster-turned-leader that we are welcomed into, as some of those who embarked on such missions recall the events.

We meet Anwar Congo, an executioner in the 60's during the "communist" cull, along with his old friend Herman Koto, a gangster-turned-paramilitary leader. They have known each other for many years and have a tight chemistry, grown from the deeds they shared long ago. They are both very joyous men if matter-of-fact about their dark past.

It's these events that we are here to learn about but not through the usual means. They'll be entrusted to recount their activities through the medium of re-enactments of their own choosing, and we will follow these men through the process of making these recreations.

They both fell in love with film and music when they got to see Hollywood movies at their local cinema, which was something their enemies tried to subside. They would leave the cinema, singing and dancing, which never got in the way of their roles as gangsters though, even striking suspects minutes after getting outside. They believe the way they tortured and killed was influenced by characters in these big movies from the west, especially gangster films.

  

We meet other colleagues along the way that are deep rooted in their past, like Governor of North Sumatra, Syamsul Arifin, who Anwar knew when he was a child, and Ibrahim Sinik, who runs a local newspaper. It was through this printing house that they would interrogate potential subjects, removing them from the interview once questioning was complete in order to kill them. Sometimes though, they would forge false answers to get what they want; to get another kill!

There's also the Pancasila youth, who were integral in the killings in 1965. This paramilitary organisation now has over 3 million members. With their leader, Yapto Soerjosoemarno, a collected, if presumptuous man, at the helm they are more powerful than ever. One of their local paramilitary leaders, Safit Pardede, roams the markets to collect protection money. An arrogant individual, he's heavily invested in the success of the film and gets involved all the way through. 

Finally we meet Adi Zulkadry, a fellow executioner with Anwar in 1965, who flies over to help with the filming and storytelling. He appears to be more reflective on their past. He appears to resent some of it, maybe understanding others needs for a little redemption and forgiveness, yet he also has a sense of control when letting their history haunt them. He views the events logically, from a distant point-of-view, which he feels is healthier.

Adi's return draws out some of the deeper feelings in Anwar, sending our leading storyteller on an emotional journey that he may not want to confront.
 

The Act Of Killing is like no other documentary you are ever likely to see, thanks to its heady combination of its contentious subject matter and how the picture looks. 

Great use of high-definition in some of the cityscape, amazingly vivid through its more abstract scenes, its has a visual personality of its very own. There's striking imagery in parts, mostly when viewing some of the bizarre scenes shot by our leading subjects. It comes across as quite avant-garde at points, which is surprising, yet it works.

It's clearly very self-referential too. At points, they even watch footage filmed that was shown earlier in this documentary - if a bit nonchalantly so! You'll be taken back by their a casual dispositions, like when they calmly discuss the clothes to wear for filming their torture scenes, for example "I always wore jeans for killing". It's disturbing to hear such a calm and unruffled recollection of their history. 

Speaking of their past, we have to talk about the re-enactments, which are perplexing to watch. On one side, we are witnessing the men who committed these acts relive them in order to demonstrate what they did, purely for the film. There is also an air of drama and cinematography, drawn from their love of cinema. Yet, oddly, you may even see a little humour from time to time, if ironically so. They glamorise the past through their passion of the movies, sometimes missing the mark. All of these elements combine in a pure, if obscure way, in order for them to re-tell their history. This, as bizarre as it sounds (and even more to witness, I can assure you) is actually one of the fundamental brilliances apparent in this deep documentary.

These recreations element adds a complexity to the structure of this film rarely experienced when watching a documentary. Filmic sections within the documentary style, bridged when stepping out of the cinematic to monitor their progress, drawing you back into the fly-on-the-wall style. It's an interesting dynamic that works beautifully.

Some of the re-enactments can be very harrowing, most especially the recreation of the massacre at the village of Kampung Kolam. Screaming families are laid waste to the imposing soldiers, brutally beating them to the ground while burning down their homes. And these men are paraded as heroes.

And it's these men that we are really here to understand. He arrives much later in the piece, but the introduction of Adi really shakes things up. Through reconciling his deeds as war-based events finds a lot of the absolution he needs, making him very confident in discussing what went on in the 60's. He still speaks of their acts in the same tumultuous manner as his companions, yet still has a need to attune justification for his own actions; he knows that killing is wrong but has convinced himself that there were genuine reasons for what he did. This makes him a very compelling individual to listen to.

Herman too is fascinating. A jester at heart and wonderful with kids, he isn't afraid to "glam" up for the female parts, using his inner-clown to add dramatics. He still cuts an imposing figure at times, yet his closing to Anwar makes his persona a little more approachable than the others.

It's his friend Anwar who is at the centre of this documentary though. In the beginning, he recalls their activities with a cheerful manner with little regard for the meaning, yet this is just an exterior defence. It's clear that Anwar is very troubled. You slowly get to see Anwar's regret surface. This documentary feels like his therapy. 

You can sense some of his disgust when they start filming their recreations. You know his past and what he has done, yet seeing him slowly crumble when faced with the impact from his actions will still make you emotional. He is a shell of the man he once was, and even with all his bravado you can peel away this mask with ease just by looking into his eyes. He's no longer the brash gangster who would execute any he saw fit, he's now a frail old man full of remorse, craving to forget his past, if only to rid himself of the nightmares that keep him awake every single night. You shouldn't feel sorrow for Anwar...but you do.

Incredibly honest in its reach towards the source material, The Act Of Killing is a brave story to tell. Be prepared for some alarming recounts. This is necessary, as you need to strip them away from the piece and tap into the emotions of one man fighting his past, while witnessing some ambitious attempts to promote their activities through a combination of both realistic and left field re-enactments. A truly original documentary.

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