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Saturday, 31 August 2013

THE ACT OF KILLING (DIRECTOR'S CUT) - FILM REVIEW




Release Date: 28th June 2013
Age Certificate: 18
Running Time: 159 mins
Director: Joshua Oppenheimer
Writers: ----------------
Stars: Haji Anif, Syamsul Arifin, Sakhyan Asmara

Last night I went to watch The Act of Killing (Director’s Cut) at the ICA Cinema. I sat down in the room that only sat 45 people and let the weird, disturbing documentary unfold. This film isn’t for everyone and I don’t think it was for me unfortunately. 

A documentary that challenges former Indonesian death squad leaders to re-enact their real-life mass-killings in whichever cinematic genres they wish, including classic Hollywood crime scenarios and lavish musical numbers. 


The Act of Killing surprisingly revolves around killing and the consequences of killing. There’s not really anything else I can say about this film, it’s just troubling. There is something about it where you don’t know whether you should burst out laughing or be worried about how weird these killers are. 

The big downside to this film is that you don’t care whether these ‘gangsters’ are psychopathic or actually feel sorry for what they have done. Either way you look at it they have killed about 1000 people each. EACH! It’s just sick. And to add to it they are making a film about murdering. They can’t let go, their life is killing. 

Like I said I saw the director’s cut and things needed to be cut out and I’m glad they were for the theatrical release, there were shots in there that had no meaning and seemed to drag on for way too long. Another thing which is annoying me is the reviews this film is getting, look, don’t get me wrong I don’t mind sitting down watching a nearly three hour very slow foreign film, it’s just it didn’t make me feel anything like a documentary should. 

7.3/10

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