- Directed by Joshua Oppenheimer, Christine Cynn, Anonymous
- Genre documentary
- Country Denmark/Norway/U.K.
Some critics describe The Act of Killing as the most disturbing documentary in years; I found it to be wholly fascinating in the most bizarre, but important way. This, my friends, is the definition of a must-see film.
The Act of Killing originates from the 1965 C.I.A-sponsored military coup in Indonesia that resulted in the genocide of more than one million alleged communists and ethnic Chinese. The documentary follows several ‘former gangsters’ from the coup as they recreate the killings in the spirit of their favourite Hollywood films. It quickly becomes clear that these self-proclaimed gangsters suffer from delusions and beliefs dictated by government propaganda in the highest form. They sincerely believe that “gangster” is the American word for “free men,” and one of the men is encouraged to run for public office on account of his local celebrity. Most disturbing are the reflections of American society and — after viewing this film, it has to go in quotations — “democracy” so evident in their beliefs and actions. You can’t condemn the gangsters without condemning the West and coming to terms with some truly nausea-inducing realities along the way. While one of the main gangsters begins the film with unadulterated enthusiasm and glee, by the end he becomes physically sick over what he’s done. He doesn’t deserve salvation, but he’s finally emerged from denial and feels the heavy weight of his actions. On some level, he’s transformed from gangster to man. The real question is, will we ever be able to do the same?
Scotiabank; Sept. 10, 9 a.m., Bloor Hot Docs Cinema; Sept. 16, 6 p.m., Yonge & Dundas.
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Sabrina Maddeaux is Toronto Standard’s managing editor. Follow her on Twitter at @sabrinamaddeaux.
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