Post by klep on May 8, 2017 6:41:23 GMT -6
MOVIE OF THE WEEK for 5/8: The Act of Killing
SECOND WEEK OF DOCUMENTARY MONTH
Tense and horrifying, The Act of Killing offers a rare glimpse into the mind of a mass murderer. So much of the time, interviews with such people are full of defensiveness or evasiveness, or the interviewee is clearly deranged. Not so here. Every killer Oppenheimer interviews for this documentary is lucid, sane, and completely unafraid of any mortal consequences.
The fact is that these men ultimately won. The political situation in Indonesia never turned against them in the 40+ years between their killing sprees and the making of this documentary. They have no need to be anything but perfectly candid, and part of the horror of this film is how candid they are. They speak in frank detail of how they rounded up and dispatched "communists". We follow one as he goes through a market openly extorting terrified shopkeepers. They even go on national television to boast about their exploits. Some of the killers are troubled by their past, some are not, but none dare voice any criticism of them.
But Oppenheimer's most brilliant stroke is in getting some to re-enact their actions, ostensibly as part of a film to glorify their work. It's a move that serves two purposes. First, in getting them to recreate their killings for the camera Oppenheimer gives us a chance to see what things were really like - to get a sense of the horror that's more visceral than just being told. But it also forces the killers to be confronted with the ignominy of their actions and in at least one case to be shaken by it. It's one thing to tell stories of past 'glories', it's quite another to have to relive them or - even more jarring - be subjected to them, even as an act.
These men are aware their actions are being put on camera. They are even aware of the potential ramifications of showing the ugliness of what they did. But they still want to do it. They're proud of their killings; they feel they were necessary, and may be necessary again. Even today, it would not be wise to cross them, and indeed Oppenheimer feels it would be unwise for him to ever return to Indonesia. But his phenomenal work has placed a global spotlight on the festering wound at the heart of the country, and we can only hope that in days to come the wheels of justice will start to turn.
OUR NEXT MOVIE OF THE WEEK for 5/15: Harlan County, USA
When a group of coal miners went on strike, Barbara Kopple's documentary film crew was there to capture it and the reverberations throughout the community. Join us next week for this real life tale of drama, violence, and intrigue. Harlan County, USA can be found on YouTube.
NEXT PICTURE SHOW PODCAST for 5/4: The Lost City of Z
Where Burden of Dreams was a documentary about a man pursuing his vision in the middle of the Peruvian jungle, The Lost City of Z is a dramatization about one. Join us Wednesday as we wonder what it is about the Amazon that draws such obsession. The Lost City of Z is still in theaters.
SECOND WEEK OF DOCUMENTARY MONTH
Tense and horrifying, The Act of Killing offers a rare glimpse into the mind of a mass murderer. So much of the time, interviews with such people are full of defensiveness or evasiveness, or the interviewee is clearly deranged. Not so here. Every killer Oppenheimer interviews for this documentary is lucid, sane, and completely unafraid of any mortal consequences.
The fact is that these men ultimately won. The political situation in Indonesia never turned against them in the 40+ years between their killing sprees and the making of this documentary. They have no need to be anything but perfectly candid, and part of the horror of this film is how candid they are. They speak in frank detail of how they rounded up and dispatched "communists". We follow one as he goes through a market openly extorting terrified shopkeepers. They even go on national television to boast about their exploits. Some of the killers are troubled by their past, some are not, but none dare voice any criticism of them.
But Oppenheimer's most brilliant stroke is in getting some to re-enact their actions, ostensibly as part of a film to glorify their work. It's a move that serves two purposes. First, in getting them to recreate their killings for the camera Oppenheimer gives us a chance to see what things were really like - to get a sense of the horror that's more visceral than just being told. But it also forces the killers to be confronted with the ignominy of their actions and in at least one case to be shaken by it. It's one thing to tell stories of past 'glories', it's quite another to have to relive them or - even more jarring - be subjected to them, even as an act.
These men are aware their actions are being put on camera. They are even aware of the potential ramifications of showing the ugliness of what they did. But they still want to do it. They're proud of their killings; they feel they were necessary, and may be necessary again. Even today, it would not be wise to cross them, and indeed Oppenheimer feels it would be unwise for him to ever return to Indonesia. But his phenomenal work has placed a global spotlight on the festering wound at the heart of the country, and we can only hope that in days to come the wheels of justice will start to turn.
OUR NEXT MOVIE OF THE WEEK for 5/15: Harlan County, USA
When a group of coal miners went on strike, Barbara Kopple's documentary film crew was there to capture it and the reverberations throughout the community. Join us next week for this real life tale of drama, violence, and intrigue. Harlan County, USA can be found on YouTube.
NEXT PICTURE SHOW PODCAST for 5/4: The Lost City of Z
Where Burden of Dreams was a documentary about a man pursuing his vision in the middle of the Peruvian jungle, The Lost City of Z is a dramatization about one. Join us Wednesday as we wonder what it is about the Amazon that draws such obsession. The Lost City of Z is still in theaters.