Review : The Act Of Killing Is A Cinematic Triumph

Directed by Joshua Oppenheimer, The Act of Killing is a terrifying and profound piece of work which recreates the Indonesian killings in 1965-66 from the eyes of the gangsters, who carried out the executions.

“Only the winners decide what were war crimes” ~ Garry Wills, Pulitzer prize winning American author, once said while referring to the war crimes, especially those committed during WWII. The quote couldn’t be more true in the case of Anwar Congo, Adi Zulkadry and Herman Koto, three of the most dreaded gangsters who were part of Pancasila Youth, a paramilitary organization in North Sumatra which killed more than one million Chinese and communists in 1965-66. More than 40 years after the massacre took place in Indonesia, Joshua Oppenheimer takes us on an unforgettable journey to recreate the killings and gives a voice to the members from the Pancasila Youth leaders to present their views on the killings. Surprisingly, Joshua never judges them for what they have done and merely plays a spectator to what Anwar, Herman and other leaders have to say about the communists. That the central characters in the documentaries are seen as national heroes and highly revered by political leaders, makes the subject all the more compelling. As the documentary unfolds, we see the central characters going through an emotional break down and repenting their sins.