Mass Hysteria in The Act of Killing

Usually, I don’t write sequel to my posts, but I couldn't resist to this one, as said by Oscar Wilde, “Don’t resist to temptation- yield for it”. 

The Act of Killing has been particularly disturbing film, which I had seen in recent times. Not because of the re-enactment of the killings, but by the words which are unspoken and actions which reflect something else than seen on the screen.

FYI, click this for the part I – www.filmbulb.blogspot.com/2014/01/the-act-of-killing-denmark-2012.html

Sometime in this film, we are introduced to Anwar Congo‘compatriot Adel, who had equally done a fair share of killings as Anwar. When he and Anwar talks about their past, he doesn't even show a hint of remorse. In fact he says he never had any nightmares, he criticizes Geneva Convention, want a case to be filled again Abel & Cain and want to write a Jakarta convention. 

Following his eccentric talks, in the nest scene, he is seen with his family happily shopping with his wife and daughter in a big mall. These two shots depict extreme conditions- one the Joshua Oppenheimer (director) is posting questions on him about his past, which he Adel trashes like a fly on the wall and the other we see him in this posh mall with his happy family.

Adel with his family

The other scene is the Panchasila gang re-enact the killings in a village. The actors had to act as the gang is torturing them and burning their homes. The scene unfolds with the shouting of the gang with the forest insects creaking sound in the background. Once they say “cut”, we see children really crying and some women almost losing their consciousness.

Individual killings are done at the spur of the moment, even though there are planned murders, this human psychology can be controlled by the fear of law. The actual human psychology, which is hard to control, is the mob psychology which is backed by a mass hysteria. Killings in the name of religions and ideas are based on this mass hysteria. This shouldn't be confined only to 1965 Indonesia. Every country has its own share of bloodshed. History is full of it, just a matter of who writes is important.

The Act of Killing ( Denmark, 2012 )

Directed by: Joshua Oppenheimer | Genre: Documentary | Language : Indonesian | Country : Denmark\Norway | Year : 2012

How do you feel, if people or individuals directly involved in 2002 Gujarat violence, 1984 Delhi riots, Sri Lankan Tamil Genocide and many such incidents reenact the killings and violence. The Act of Killing is one such film, it is a documentary directed by Joshua Oppenheimer. 

Let us get some historical facts- Indonesia, 1965. The country’ first president Sukarno is thrown off from the power, since the opposition doesn’t like as he is leaning towards the Communists. With the anti-communists sentiments playing in the minds of the people, they start to exterminate them from Indonesia, PKI (Indonesian Communist Party) members, leaders, their sympathizers, local-Chinese and their descendants are massacred. It is estimated that over 1 million people were killed.

Anwar Cango, is one such gangster, who was involved in the massacre, it is said that he had almost killed 1000 people. The documentary follows present-day Anwar Congo and other gangsters as they are in preparation to make film about 1965 killings. The reason for the film is to show to the present generation of their proud achievement! So this is also a film about a film making.

Joshua Oppenheimer follows these gangsters in their film-making process. The gangsters recreate the killings and the torture which they performed in 1965. Even years after the killing, they don’t reflect any sense of remorse in them. They feel elated whenever they talk about the killings. They feel it as a duty to eradicate communism from Indonesia. Some scenes are chilling, disgusting and horrifying. 

Behind the camera, Joshua sometimes interact with his subjects (gangsters) and most of the time they glorify the killings,

Joshua: Why there was no revenge taken by the victims.

Gangster: victims!, there are no victims, we killed everyone.

The organization is called Panchasila Youth, which has 3 million followers in present-day Indonesia; this organization played an important role in 1965. Joshua’ attempt to make someone to feel guilty is failed, as every gangster or death squad leader unleash their venom towards the communist and remorselessness attitude.

Anwar shows how they killed without much blood.

In the final scene, we see Anwar Congo revisiting the rooftop of the house where he killed many people them. He is now gagging, taking deep breath, almost vomiting. Then after a while he leaves the place.

There I a word going in critics that this film is badly made, in spite of having a heavy subject matter. I haven’t seen much documentary films, but I feel doc-films are the one which tells the facts and more over it takes real courage to go and live\shoot a film with these mass murderers.

“war crimes are defined by the winners. I'm a winner. So I can make my own definition.

Trailer

Further Links,

en.wikipedia.org/wiki/The_Act_of_Killing

www.imdb.com/title/tt2375605/

www.filmschoolrejects.com/features/22-things-we-learned-from-the-act-of-killing-commentary.php