[Movie Review] The Act of Killing (2013)

Posted on August 16, 2013 by thegrandshuckett in Movie Reviews // 0 Comments

Plot Summary: A documentary that challenges former Indonesian death squad leaders to reenact their real-life mass-killings in whichever cinematic genres they wish, including classic Hollywood crime scenarios and lavish musical numbers.

Director: Joshua Oppenheimer, Anonymous (co-director), Christine Cynn (co-director)

Runtime: 115 min | 159 min (extended)

Main Cast:

Haji Anif as Himself
Syamsul Arifin as Himself
Anwar Congo as Himself
Jusuf Kalla as Himself

Review: by The Superior Spider-Sam

I feel I must preface this review by stating I had NO intention whatsoever of viewing this film. I had no desire to see it, no plan to see it, and I did not even know it existed until the screening that evening. I only viewed this film out of happenstance; I was in the right place at the right time. The individuals who hosted the screening were severely under booked and looking around for viewers because the director, Joshua Oppenheimer, himself was present. This alone set off a red flag for me, but I’m optimistic and the film I had intended to see was not a real blockbuster; so when they asked, I said “sure…maybe it’ll be a diamond in the rough.” Was it? Meh…

What I Liked:

This was a very original idea that should be noted for how innovative it is. What if the worst warlords in south Asia got together and made a movie about how they killed people? Yes, that was what this film was about. Elderly/ Retired Indonesian gangsters were asked to play themselves as the killers they were in the 1960’s and participate in a film where they would reenact the tortures/murders they inflicted upon their victims.

The flexography was top notch! These were not paid actors; these were OG’s, and watching the reenactment was exhilarating. Never before have I felt so in the moment; I thought I was back in 1965 watching a good ol’ execution. This film did not hold back! However, this actually leads to what I did not like and what ultimately ruined this film for me.

What I Didn’t Like:

I don’t like documentaries. I watch movies for fun and laughs and to escape into another world for a few hours, so you would be hard pressed to find a real-life documentary that I have both watched and utterly enjoyed. This was amplified in the case of “The Act of killing.” Not only was I watching a real life documentary, but the part of our world it focused on was SO morbid. I mean these were warlords and killers who actually agreed to play these parts! How much sadism could there be in one human being — to know what you’ve done, live with it, and then do it again, so the entire world knows about the blood on your hands?

And, let me tell you, there was A LOT of blood. Visceral is the best word to describe this film; it goes there, and I don’t mean like Degrassi. I have watched all seven ‘Saw’ films while eating nachos and sipping Icees. I laughed during ‘The Exorcism.” However, this film made me cringe. One gangster, Anwar Congo, performed an act so sadistic that I actually said out loud “whaaaat!”

Trust me. This was not a film for faint or moderate of heart. I don’t care how many seasons of True Blood or Spartacus you’ve seen. This was next level $@!%! It was hardcore. I know these may seem like selling points, but that was all this movie was, evil men showing you the things evil men do. I don’t know about you, but I don’t want to see that. It is absolutely horrifying to watch and be reminded that there are people who take pride in that kind of thing with no regret.

Actually, in that respect, the film succeeded; if the point was to show us monsters, then bang up job, Mr. Oppenhenheimer! But that still doesn’t make this something that needed to filmed and viewed in theaters.

Summary

Some humans are just monsters, and this film reminds us of that. The Act of Killing is exactly what the title suggests; it shows, graphically, how people kill. Even if you are interested in watching this, I cannot recommend it as a film to get up to go see immediately. Wait for Redbox or Netflix.

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