Evaluating Creative Art for Social Commentary - Donna Backues ARTS 575

Description
Name of Art Work
Artist
Medium
Date Created
Historical Context
Cultural Context
Method of Diffusion
Segmented Audience Target Intended
Name of Social Movement
Stage of Social Movement
Coalescing

Result of Movement & Arts

Success

Type of Social Movement

Reformative

Content (based on worldview analysis)

Comment
The Act of Killling
Joshua Oppenheimer
Documentary Film
2012
The Indonesian military-backed 1965 Massacre of more than one million alleged communists, ethnic
Chinese, and intellectuals in less than a year.
Indonesia, specifically on the islands of Sumatra, Java & Bali
Shown in Cinemas/Received Accolades/Nominated for Best Documentary Film/considered ground-breaking
The Indonesian society and the whole world
Crimes Against Humanity
There are more and more people interested in this movie and it's revelations not only in Indonesia but also
in other parts of the world. There is still a great deal of controversy over this film and it is still banned in
Indonesia. The government still refuses to apologized for the 1965 massacre stating at the time, it had to
be done. However, as more people are talking about the film, the history and such, there is probably going
to be more pressure put on the president to do something about it. The CIA reports that the 1965
massacre was one of the worst mass murders of the 20th century and there have been many Indonesian
articles about the film.
The film has done more to educate and reveal the secrets about the 1965 Indonesian Massacres than any
other art form. It "challenges the Indonesian national narrative and the public discourse" and audiences
believe that "younger generations had to see this film so they could build a society with values far different
from the ones Suharto established"(Bjerregaard, 2014).

The film seeks to change the way Indonesian society feels about the 1965 tragedy, to shed light, bring truth
and ultimately to bring peace and reconciliation with the hope that history would not repeat itself.

Emotional Appeal (Emotions Evoked)

Emotions of horror mixed strangely with humor/macabre/feelings of anger, betrayal and frustration on the
part of the Indonesian audience. Revelatory experience for younger Indonesians and non-Indonesians.
Primary Value Targeted
Belief Statements Implied or Stated

Revelation on the part of the audience.

The film shows how human beings can be manipulated into believing that violence is necessary and be
blinded by the truth - Humans are complex (in the film the killers both celebrate their killing and are at the
same time horrified and ashamed).

Broader Result
Normative (culturally, politically)
The film is attempting to challege the normative cultural and political views of Indonesian society that have
been shaped by the rhetoric of polititians and the revisionist history put forth in national school text books.
Creative Intent
Proactive (instructive)

Artistic Analysis
Symbols (including text) used

Style

Refinement

The film seeks to look at a dark side of humanity - to make the audience think about the wrongs that were
committed. It is also an examination of the nature of memory and of history.

Old ganster films, film noir and cowboy movies from the USA. A chair, piano wire,& a stick wire used to kill
victims. The fake blood makeup.
The actors guide the content and direction.Macabre humor is used. Outrageous costuming (in-drag). Like
theatre of the absurd.
Historical Reinactment at a new level (like a film within a film)- possibly a groundbreaking method.

Basic Artifactual Information:

"The filmmakers examine a country where Indonesian death squad leaders are celebrated as heroes,
challenging them to reenact their real-life mass-killings via musical numbers, action and comedy sequences
and other genres of the American movies they love. The hallucinatory result of Oppenheimers daring idea
is a cinematic fever dream, an unsettling journey deep into the imaginations of mass murderers and the
shockingly banal regime of corruption and impunity they inhabit" (Drafthouse Films, 2016)

Discussion: Based on your discussions

above and other information you may
have discovered, what gives this work
credibility as a socially transformative
example?

This work has already proved to be a socially transformative work. No one who sees it can deny the truth.
Some people don't like the style (especially Indonesians who are unfamiliar with this kind of experimental
film work) but they admit that it is very moving and makes one think. For Americans, who are familiar
with the US involvement in Indonesia during the 1960s, can ask "Is this a story about Indonesia or also a
story about us?....Oppenheimer had said that the killings were facilitated by the State Department and the
CIA. Was this true?"(Morris, 2013).

References

Bjerregaard, M. (2014, March 5). What Indonesians really think about The Act of Killing. Retrieved from The
Guardian: (http://www.theguardian.com/film/2014/mar/05/act-of-killing-screening-in-indonesia)
Drafthouse Films. (2016). 2014 Academy Award Nominee Best Documentary Feature. Retrieved from
Drafthouse Films: http://drafthousefilms.com/film/the-act-of-killing
Morris, E. (2013, July 10). The Murders of Gonzago. Retrieved from The Slate:
http://www.slate.com/articles/arts/history/2013/07/the_act_of_killing_essay_how_indonesia_s_mass_killi
ngs_could_have_slowed.html