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tiggymalvern
The SIFF bonanza began on Friday, and yesterday I went to see two films to kick off my festival.
The Act of Killing. After the Indonesian military coup of 1965, gangs of paramilitary thugs were paid to murder the 'Communists' - mainly the country's ethnic Chinese population, but anyone who disagreed with the military was fair game. Around a million people were killed in the first year. The killers, now in their 60s or 70s, are still treated as patriotic heroes for what they did. In this documentary, one small group of killers are encouraged not to tell their story but to act it, to create and stage a film about the massacre. It's all one big party for the guys, as they play dress up as gangsters in shiny suits and fedoras, bring in family and friends as they start to rehearse, everyone laughing and cheering along. There's comedy drag, and Bollywood-style musical numbers.
I've seen documentaries about atrocities before. I've seen the men who committed them interviewed. This documentary's approach is exceptional - by giving the killers free rein to film whatever they want, however they want, they have more than enough rope to hang themselves, and they do. They hang themselves, the politicians, the government, the media, everyone who comes into contact with the making of the film. And then as the filming goes on, as the recreations become more real, a couple of the killers start to look at what the film means and what they did.
This film is both appalling and utterly mesmerising. For about half of the film, I thought it was going to be an 8, and then it became a 9, and then the last 15 minutes was simply one of the most intense cinematic experiences I have ever been exposed to. 10/10
The Japanese comedy I went to see immediately afterwards was something of a much-needed palate cleanser. Key of Life centres around 35-year-old Sakurai, who is broke, jobless and suicidal. In an impulsive moment of opportunity, he steals another man's belongings and assumes his identity. Unfortunately, the identity he takes belongs to a hit-man. Meanwhile, the amnesiac assassin is looking at life as an out-of-work actor.
This film was just pure fun. Some of the comedy comes from things you see coming a mile off, and can't help anticipating. Other plot twists hit you out of nowhere. 8/10.
The Act of Killing. After the Indonesian military coup of 1965, gangs of paramilitary thugs were paid to murder the 'Communists' - mainly the country's ethnic Chinese population, but anyone who disagreed with the military was fair game. Around a million people were killed in the first year. The killers, now in their 60s or 70s, are still treated as patriotic heroes for what they did. In this documentary, one small group of killers are encouraged not to tell their story but to act it, to create and stage a film about the massacre. It's all one big party for the guys, as they play dress up as gangsters in shiny suits and fedoras, bring in family and friends as they start to rehearse, everyone laughing and cheering along. There's comedy drag, and Bollywood-style musical numbers.
I've seen documentaries about atrocities before. I've seen the men who committed them interviewed. This documentary's approach is exceptional - by giving the killers free rein to film whatever they want, however they want, they have more than enough rope to hang themselves, and they do. They hang themselves, the politicians, the government, the media, everyone who comes into contact with the making of the film. And then as the filming goes on, as the recreations become more real, a couple of the killers start to look at what the film means and what they did.
This film is both appalling and utterly mesmerising. For about half of the film, I thought it was going to be an 8, and then it became a 9, and then the last 15 minutes was simply one of the most intense cinematic experiences I have ever been exposed to. 10/10
The Japanese comedy I went to see immediately afterwards was something of a much-needed palate cleanser. Key of Life centres around 35-year-old Sakurai, who is broke, jobless and suicidal. In an impulsive moment of opportunity, he steals another man's belongings and assumes his identity. Unfortunately, the identity he takes belongs to a hit-man. Meanwhile, the amnesiac assassin is looking at life as an out-of-work actor.
This film was just pure fun. Some of the comedy comes from things you see coming a mile off, and can't help anticipating. Other plot twists hit you out of nowhere. 8/10.
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no subject
Date: 2013-05-20 12:02 am (UTC)ETA: Key of Life was fantastic! I loved it. And it's an added bonus to know just enough Japanese to pick up a few places where the subtitles weren't right. And I did stay for the credits. :-)
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Date: 2013-05-20 07:31 am (UTC)no subject
Date: 2013-05-20 01:49 am (UTC)Key of Life sounds good too, in a very different way!
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Date: 2013-05-20 07:33 am (UTC)