By reconstructing the events, the Pancasila members deconstruct their involvement in them. In one scene, a Pancasila leader is worried that a re-enactment makes the organization look too ruthless, despite admitting to its verity. In another, two men debate the semantics of sadism and cruelty; one insists they’re the same, but the other believes cruelty is the less severe of the two, and won’t accept that what they did to the communists was sadistic.
“The Act of Killing” challenges non-fiction by embedding Pancasila members in sometimes surreal retellings of their own truths. The discussions surrounding how to recreate events accurately are all the more fascinating because some of the folks have buried the purge beneath decades of denial.
It’s not surprising that the staged and real-life scenes are often difficult to tell apart. At its core, “The Act of Killing” is about the lies we tell ourselves to make the truth easier to swallow.
Tidaklah mengejutkan bahwa adegan dan kehidupan nyata sulit dibedakan. Pada intinya, "The Act of Killing" bercerita mengenai kebohongan yang kita paksakan karena lebih mudah diterima ketimbang kebenaran.
Tidak mengejutkan bahwa adegan yang telah dipersiapkan dan adegan nyata sering kali sulit dibedakan. Intinya, "The Act of Killing" bercerita mengenai kebohongan-kebohongan yang kita ceritakan pada diri kita sendiri untuk membuat kebenaran lebih mudah diterima.