The Look of Silence (2014)

☆ ☆ ☆ ½

The Look of Silence (2014) – J. Oppenheimer

This is a documentary in which an Indonesian man of my generation confronts the now-elderly members of the previous generation who were responsible for the Communist purges of 1965 where one million died (the focus of Peter Weir’s The Year of Living Dangerously, 1982).  It is telling that Errol Morris and Werner Herzog were listed as executive producers – alongside a large number of crew members who chose to be “anonymous” in the credits (another telling fact about politics in Indonesia).  Morris and Herzog are famous for their revealing documentaries and Joshua Oppenheimer has taken a leaf from their books to show us the unflinching and brave confrontations that Adi undertook– and the defensive responses he received.  The title refers to Adi’s intense reaction to the killers’ answers to his questions about what they did and whether they feel regret, guilt, or moral responsibility – he just stares silently, which allows the men time to reflect…and squirm.  It seems incredible that the leaders of the death squad allowed these interactions to be filmed – but many had previously appeared in Oppenheimer’s companion film, The Act of Killing (2012), in which they were encouraged to act out the atrocities that they committed for the camera in Hollywood genre styles – I haven’t seen it but presumably the footage that Adi watches in the current film comes from the earlier film or its outtakes.  What we do see here is heartbreaking enough; none of the men show any remorse.  Oppenheimer surrounds the interviews with footage of Adi and his aged parents and young daughter, all of whom must now fear for their safety due to possible reprisals from those who are still in power (or the relatives of those still in power) in Indonesia today.  Although the film focuses on Aceh province in North Sumatra, the genocide and its impact occurred across the country; when I lived in East Java briefly in 1991-1992, the gentle people I knew were cautious to never say anything negative about their government (and were surprised that I could voice my views about George H. W. Bush so publicly).  As a documentary, The Look of Silence is incredibly important for what it reveals and its contribution to the Indonesian healing process (apparently it is shown and discussed over there) but the cumulative effect of the many interviews on the viewer is brutal.  The only (mortifying) conclusion one can draw is that human nature makes the underlying events a perennial possibility.