» » » » » » » » Putting The Act of Killing: The Director's Cut (2012) on to your radar New Directors New Films 2013

Putting The Act of Killing: The Director's Cut (2012) on to your radar New Directors New Films 2013

Joshua Oppenheimer's look at the men who committed genocide in Indonesia is a kick in the ass. The audience during Sunday's screening were literally covering their eyes and holding their hands in front of their faces near the end. It's not that there was anything graphic at that moment it's just that there was an emotional gut punch which I think surprised some people.

The film was started by Oppenheimer as a means of recording the stories of the the survivors of the mass killings inflicted on the Communists and undesirables by the rulers of the country. Contrary to most tales of genocide this one was celebrated by the killers. When Oppenheimer found he couldn't film the survivors it was suggested that he film the killers- which he did and then things got weird as he begins to make a family film about mass killing (with musical numbers) with some of them. (yes it gets very strange at times)

An examination of the nature of "evil", the film really looks at how the people who do these bad things are really the same as you and me, they only tell themselves different stories so they can live with the darkness. In looking at these ordinary men Oppenheimer shines a light on how these terrible things keep happening. While it is specifically about what happened in Northern Sumatra, the implications for the rest of the world are apparent (Oppenheimer related how he was filming one man who told stories and posed in a manner similar to the photos that came out of Abu Ghraib)

I'm going to do a fuller review closer to the theatrical release (I want to see the theatrical cut and I want to try and talk to the director), but for now I want to get the film onto your radar. This is a film that really must be seen since you'll find yourself talking about it for hours and days afterward.

To be honest I'm not sure what I think of the film, but it's certainly one of the most important films of the year.Posted bySteve Kopianat4:23 PMLabels:documentary,indonesia,ndnf 2013,NetherlandsNo comments:Post a Comment

Newer PostOlder PostHomeSubscribe to:Post Comments (Atom)ContributorsRegchockoRandiFrank GrimesBullymondo_curryKen FriesPeter GutierezSteve KopianJohn DiBelloEdenmr cFilm FestivalsBrooklyn Academyof MusicBrooklyn Film FestivalDOC NYCFilm Society of Lincoln Center and The New York Film FestivalJapan SocietyKorean American Film Festival New YorkKorean Cultural ServiceNew York City Horror Film FestivalNew York International Children's Film FestivalSeattle International Film FestivalSubway Cinema News and The New York Asian Film FestivalTribeca Film FestivalAlso by Unseen ContributorsBully Says Comics Oughta Be FunComics GirlConnect the PopEden's Daily HaikuEden's Food BlogMark of ContemptPlanet ChockoViolent Eye ReportYou Otter KnowFilm FriendsBullets Over ChinatowncineAwesomefilmsRrussMy Life at 24 Frames Per SecondNutshell ReviewsUseful Film Links10,000 BulletsDigital Fix UK (What's new and what's good)Drew McWeeneyDVD Beaver (DVD reviews and comparisons)DVD Drive-inFlixistKoreanfilm.orgNew Korean CinemaRoger EbertNot Your Usual Collection of Movie SourcesA Few Words on the SourcesAll Clues No SolutionsAsian Cult Cinema MagazineDiabolik DVDOldies,com (Alpha Video)R & B EnterprisesSinister CinemaYes AsiaBecause life is more than moviesCake or Death? (Auntie Momo's Eddie Izzard`Fan site)Creatures of DelightImaginism StudiosLate Life Musingsmimo studiosNow this Sound is Brave (a cool music blog)Blog Archive▼ 2013(174)▼ March(45)Smokey and the Bandit (1977)Don’t Let ‘The Happy Poet’ Remain UnseenEmperor of the North Pole (1973)Imitation General (1958)Putting The Act of Killing: The Director's Cut (20...Broadway Melody (1929)Nightcap 3/24/13 Odds & ends and clearing the boar...The Woodsman (2004)Russia House (1990)Color of the Chamelon (2012) New Directors New FIi...The Emperor Visits Hell (2013) New Directors New F...BLOODY FIGHT IN IRON ROCK VALLEY is the next free ...Blue Caprice (2012) New Directors New Films 2013Pam Grier Grindhouse Triple Feature: BLACK MAMA WH...Pam Grier at Lincoln Center in image and videoPeter Greenaway asks is cinema dead? (A nightcap w...Poison Ivy (1953)The Big Bluff (1957)Chocko meets Pam GrierWho's afraid of Song of the South? And other Forbi...Treasure Planet (2002)Lincoln Center presents: Old Ghosts, New Dreams: T...Twice Upon a Time (1983)From Up on Poppy Hill (2011) NYICFF 2013 (revised)...Mouse and His Child (1977)Nightcap 3/10/13: God bless faded black and white ...Broadways Deadly Gold (1969)Suicide Shop at Rendez-Vous with French Cinema or...Death and Diamonds (1967)Tuesday at the free Korean Cultural Service screen...Murderers Club of Brooklyn (Dead Girl in Central P...Hey Krishna (2012) NYICFF 2013Tip Not Included (1966)NYICFF 2013: Shorts 2 and Heebie JeebiesTraps Snaps Shut at Midnight (1966)The Day of the Crows (2012) NYICFF 2013 and Rendez...Murder Night in Manhattan (1965)Ernest and Celestine (2012) NYICFF 2013Violin Case Murders (1965)It's not why doesn't Oscar notice horror, it's why...Neon Gen A Short Review (1995) An Animation on DVD...A Few Words on NYICFF Day 1 and 2 (Revised)Patlabor 1(1989) An Animation on DVD ReviewBrit Crime: Better on TV or Film? ‘The Sweeney’ an...Short Bus (2006) ►  February(66) ►  January(63) ►  2012(801) ►  December(54) ►  November(64) ►  October(83) ►  September(53) ►  August(53) ►  July(81) ►  June(88) ►  May(56) ►  April(82) ►  March(65) ►  February(52) ►  January(70) ►  2011(683) ►  December(62) ►  November(50) ►  October(62) ►  September(52) ►  August(48) ►  July(81) ►  June(56) ►  May(56) ►  April(55) ►  March(54) ►  February(49) ►  January(58) ►  2010(506) ►  December(44) ►  November(54) ►  October(53) ►  September(45) ►  August(55) ►  July(47) ►  June(46) ►  May(44) ►  April(49) ►  March(51) ►  February(18)Labels3D(15)7x7 award(1)acrtion(1)actio(1)action(152)adam curtis(5)adaptation(6)adult swim(1)adventure(53)africa(2)Alfred Hitchcock(1)ambivalent post(80)american(606)animation(111)animation on dvd(2)anime(6)anthology(1)architecture(1)argentina(1)art(8)asia(1)asia society(1)asian film(2)australia(14)austria(1)b-movie(2)balkan(1)BAM(8)bamkids fest(1)beyond the black rainbow(1)biography(25)black comedy(15)book(2)bosnia(1)bowery boys(5)boxing day(3)brazil(3)Britian(1)british(2)BrooklynFF(4)bruce lee(1)bulgaria(1)bully(21)buster keaton(13)cabaret(1)cambodia(2)canada(18)caper(2)capsule reviews(44)celebrity(1)chile(4)china(118)chinese new year 2012(14)chinese new year 2013(26)chocko(3)chow yun fat(2)christmas(8)christopher doyle(1)cineawesome(1)cinekink(1)cinemania(1)classic film(1)columbia(3)comedy(199)comic(59)contest(1)creatures(1)crime(135)criterion(1)crowdfunding(1)czech republic(1)dance(2)dave mckean(3)David Morrissey(1)daytime drinking(1)denmark(11)detachment(1)detective dee(1)dinosuars(1)disability(1)disney(4)DOCNYC 2012(22)documentary(294)donnie yen(1)drama(313)dvd(1)dvd extra(18)eddie constantine(7)eden(18)edgar and bryan wallace(10)editorial(1)egypt(3)eihi shiina(1)England(126)epic(5)essay(14)estonia(2)experimental(2)exploitation(8)fairy tale(2)fantasy(57)farce(1)fcs 2011(6)fcs 2012(1)festival(7)film comment selects(1)film comment selects 2012(1)film comment selects 2013(4)film festivals(1)film on film(4)filmlinc(3)Filmsruss(1)finland(8)first time fest(1)found footage(3)france(106)free(3)french(6)friars club comedy film festival(1)german(1)germany(66)Giallo(1)godspeed you black emperor(1)Gold Coast Film Festival(2)GSYBE(1)guatemala(1)Halloween(3)hammer(1)Heat(1)helldriver(3)hip hop(1)hiphop(2)historical drama(105)history(4)hoax(1)hong kong(44)horror(187)housekeeping(18)human rights watch 2012(2)hungary(4)iceland(4)independent(3)india(12)indonesia(6)interview(13)iran(2)ireland(6)Irish(4)israel(6)italian(4)italy(48)jackie chan(1)japan(180)japan cuts(24)japan cuts 2012(24)japan society(18)jerry cotton(7)john(24)john pilger(3)jonathan chance(1)kaffny(2)kaffny 2012(12)Karl Lemieux(1)kcs(58)ken(36)kickstarter(3)korea(130)korean american film festival(1)korean blogathon(3)korean blogathon 2012(14)korean cultural service(8)kuwait(1)latin beat 2012(1)latinbeat 2011(3)latvia(1)lemmy caution(3)let the bullets fly(1)lincoln center(26)lists(2)live performance(1)love will tear us apart(2)lovejoy(1)lucy mulloy(1)Luther(1)mad museum(1)made-for-tv(3)magic(2)malaysia(5)manga(4)Marathi(1)marriage(1)martial arts(10)mental illness(2)mexico(27)midnight movie(2)miike takashi(3)moebius(9)moma(1)mondocurry(84)mountie(4)mounties(4)Mr C(41)mst3k(24)mst3k material(2)murder(6)music(19)musical(63)mystery(115)ndnf 2011(5)ndnf 2012(10)ndnf 2013(5)nepal(1)Netherlands(7)new korean cinema(1)new york asian film festival(10)new york asian film festival 2012(11)new york comic con 2011(6)new york comic con 2012(1)New York Korean Film Festival(3)New York Korean Film Festival 2013(1)new yorker festival 2011(4)new zealand(2)nightcap(53)nishimura yoshihiro(3)noir(7)norrway(3)norway(2)not a movie(8)not on imdb(10)not worth the effort(34)nyaff(36)nyaff 2010(40)nyaff 2011(72)nyaff 2012(69)nyc(21)nycc 2010(6)nycc 2011(1)nycc 2012(5)nyccc 2012(1)nychff(11)nychff 2012(2)nyciff(2)nyff(10)nyff 2010(19)nyff 2011(48)nyff 2012(53)nyff50(4)nyicff(11)nyicff 2010(8)nyicff 2011(12)nyicff 2012(12)nyicff 2013(9)nyjff 2012(1)nyjff 2013(3)Oliver Stone(1)on further review(32)one armed swordsman(1)Open Roads 2012(6)Oscar Nominated films(1)pakistan(1)pam grier(4)panel(1)pen to paper(1)peter greenaway(5)Peter Gutierrez(7)philippines(9)philosophy(1)photos(2)pinku(2)poland(1)polemic(1)Polisse(1)politics(5)portugal(1)posters(1)production designer(1)psychological thriller(2)punk(3)puppets(3)q and a(4)Random Thoughts(1)reg(6)reign of assassins(1)religion(3)remake(14)Rendezvous with French Cinema 2012(5)Rendezvous with French Cinema 2013(5)renfrew(8)review(1)revisit(2)revist(1)ricky jay(1)robert(16)Robert Boyle(1)Robert De Niro(1)rock music(2)romance(73)romania(4)romantic comedy(5)russia(22)rwanda(1)RYOO Seung-wan(1)saiff 2012(5)samurai(3)san diego comic con(1)satire(6)scary movies(1)scary movies 5(3)scary movies 6(1)scenes of the crime blogathon(2)science fiction(125)scotland(2)segundo de chomon(1)serbia(2)serial(8)sex(1)shakespeare(9)Shaw Brothers(2)sherlock holmes(1)shorts(35)silent films(13)silverdocs(2)slasher(3)social issues(2)society(1)something like a phenomenon(1)sources(1)south africa(3)south korea(6)soviet(1)spain(18)spanish cinema now 2012(1)sports(18)spy(10)steampunk(1)subway cinema(39)suggested title(27)summer(1)sundance(1)sushi typhoon(2)suspense(4)sweden(6)swords and sandals(7)tae-kwon do(1)taiwan(19)tarantino(1)tarzan(6)television(1)Thai(15)thailand(2)theater(5)Thorne(1)thriller(48)tony kaye(1)trailer(25)trailers(2)trash(9)tribeca(25)tribeca 2011(32)tribeca 2012(70)tribeca talks(2)tsui hark(3)turkish(14)tv(7)twitter(2)una noche(1)underwater love(1)unseen turkey day(12)updates(56)Uruguay(1)V/H/S(1)vicious brothers(1)video(5)vietnam(2)wales(1)Walking Dead(1)walter reade theater(15)war(67)warner archive(15)warner brothers(1)welcome(1)wen jiang(1)Werner Herzog(7)western(37)wholphin(1)wip(3)women in prison(2)wrestling(2)wtf(77)wu xia(31)year end 2011(4)year end 2012(4)yugoslavia(2)FollowersUpTweet 

View the Original article
0 Comments and Thoughs for "Putting The Act of Killing: The Director's Cut (2012) on to your radar New Directors New Films 2013"

Subscribe to: Post Comments (Atom)