The Act of Killing

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Cast & Crew

Anwar Congo

Jusuf Kalla

Joshua Oppenheimer
Director

Werner Herzog
Executive Producer

Errol Morris
Executive Producer

Anne Köhncke
Producer

Signe Byrge Sørensen
Producer

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News & Interviews for The Act of Killing

Audience Reviews for The Act of Killing

• Oct 04, 2015

  I think this would be called a Danish mondo film.Oppenheimer travelled to Indonesia to do a documentary on the Indonesian Killings where national socialists were killing communists and the Chinese for the sake of "unity" and "social justice." The Indonesian state hired thugs to carry these tasks out and this is a dramatization of what happened in the past as well as the the reign of terror being continued in the present. If this film doesn't bore you to death, you are not viewing it right. It's scary to see how the Indonesians idolized these gangsters with weird definitions (free man) as well as the celebration of violence as a justification of whatever means to achieve their fascist end. All I can say is, don't waste your time on this documentary with its twisted agenda or you will end up like me wanting to simply annihilate the God forsaken Indonesia as a whole.
  

  Sylvester K Super Reviewer
• May 27, 2014

  Documentarians ask the leaders of Indonesian death squads to reenact their crimes. There are some incredibly absurd moments in the reenactments of various fifty-year-old murders, including one of the henchmen dressing up in drag for no discernible reason. But the heart of this documentary is compelling the film's primary subject to face his own flagging, ignored conscience. It takes a while, and there are blithe pronouncements about death and killing that make one's stomach turn, but the film eventually pays off. Overall, the gimmick of the film, the reenactments, seems a little weird, but the premise is still compelling.
  Jim H Super Reviewer
• Mar 29, 2014

  These may be the most absurd two hours of film I'll ever see. Though this documentary follows many mass murderers as they set out to make a movie boasting about their genocidal slaughters, it focuses in on Anwar Congo. Among these killers, Anwar made the biggest name for himself with his apathy and creativity. At the beginning of the documentary, he upholds his image as an untouchable, joyful and easy-going celebrity "free man." With a smile and tools in hand, he casually recalls and demonstrates his methods. Over the course of these two hours however, his internal transformation is the only thing that will make any sense. The footage here is astounding, and raises an overwhelming amount of questions about Indonesia's history and it's current state, as well as America and the UK's own culpability.
  

  Matthew S Super Reviewer
• Mar 04, 2014

  If I say it's shocking, that's be a gross understatement. What unfurls before your eyes is freaking unbelievable. There are dozens of times when I went what the F did I just hear. Yet another stunning demonstration of the power of documentary cinema.
  

  Anoop K Super Reviewer