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#541 - The Act of Killing (Patreon)

Published:
2024-07-11 14:45:11
Imported:
2026-06
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Social media has been full of smiling genocidiers lately, so it's a good time to revisit THE ACT OF KILLING (2012). Joshua Oppenheimer's experimental documentary about the legacy of the Indonesian mass killings asks: What would it take to prick a mass murderer's conscience? And how does violence linger in the human soul? PLUS: So, have you heard about this guy Joe Biden?

"The 'Liberal World Order' Was Built In Blood" by Vincent Bevins - https://www.nytimes.com/2020/05/29/opinion/sunday/united-states-cold-war.html

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Ambrose Honeysuckle

Loved this discussion! A couple things I'll add, regarding the uncertainty some may feel about the film: •First, I'll forever praise Oppenheimer's insistence that we connect the Indonesian genocide to the forces of capital. He could have gone the easier route – created a film of relentless trauma porn that appealed to liberal film critic circles and ignored the clear political context of the genocide – but instead, he seizes every opportunity (both in the film and in subsequent interviews) to show that the genocide was a tool for the U.S. to create in Indonesia the kind of capitalistic state it wanted. Consider, for instance, the haunting sequence where Adi Zulkadry is describing all the horrific ways he killed people – Oppenheimer could have filmed that sequence in any number of ways, but instead, his camera follows Adi and his family as they test ellipticals and other consumer goods in an enormous shopping mall. •Second, I am not sure how Indonesians view the film now; however, at the time of its release, I recall many an interview and news article about how the film has created a real rupture in the country's discourse around the genocide, and that what was once unspoken was (at the time) a real source of engagement. Of course, the Indonesian government is still burning rain forests left and right to plant palm trees (so filtered palm oil can create all the horrific UPF that Nestle and the like create), but in fairness to Oppenheimer, I've never heard him claim the film would have that kind of impact.

Tom Marcham
>>143711595

I was glad Luke mentioned The Zone of Interest but a little frustrated he didn't say more about this. I liked The Zone of Interest, but for me, the decision to reference / copy that astonishing scene from The Act of Killing really took me out of the film and has been bugging me ever since I saw it. Basically, it diminished the film by reminding me of a better one. It made me realize I'd been having to make an effort with The Zone of Interest to 'buy in' to its concept, which suddenly felt a bit silly and artificial when remembering how utterly compelling The Act of Killing was on a similar subject. But if I hadn't seen The Act of Killing, I think it would be a perfect way to end The Zone of Interest.