A few thoughts on The Act of Killing

Last night I went to see Joshua Oppenheimer's documentary The Act of Killing, which invites death squad executioners from Indondesia's 1965 mass murder of those identified as Communists to reminisce about their deeds. It was a pretty surreal experience.

Anwar Congo (right), who killed hundreds, getting made up to look like one of his victims



I came to it with maybe slightly more background than most American viewers because I'm interested in and have read about Indonesian history, but only in...