A superb documentary! How the killers are so non-remorseful, bragging about their "proud". Even would like to bring a knife to mimic the murder scene and try their best to precisely show the brutal actions.

The Look of Silence is far more conventionally structured than Oppenheimer's original documentary of the Indonesian killings, presenting the murders from the perspective of a survivor confronting the men that killed his brother. Initially, it's a rather poor comparison to its predecessor, lingering on tortured expressions of its subject listening to recordings of his brother's murderers describe with pride and in detail the gruesome nature of their crimes. But it's all a careful building process; in The Act of Killing Oppenheimer removed himself from the on-screen content to let his subjects dig their own moral graves with their testimonials, but in The Look of Silence his protagonist actively interacts with the monsters that murdered a million 'dissidents' pushing back against their denials of responsibility and extraordinarily misplaced pride. The key aspect of the film is the rationalizations that the guards, militia members, and politicians present when confronted with the reality of their past actions; they claim that they were 'protecting the state', following orders, or maintaining peace - none accept responsibility (including the uncle of the murdered Ramli). Some lash out, directly threatening the nameless man and his efforts to dredge up what they consider the past, misdeeds that have been washed clean by time and the fact that they still maintain influence. They've created this false reality in which they are blameless heroes of a trying time, leading a country built on bloodshed that younger citizens would rather see through rose-colored glasses. Those with a sense of shame (or at least a better understanding of morality) claim indifference, and tout healing as the best means of moving forward, without accepting blame. One of the last segments of the film is the most trying, where a 'respected' former enforcer proudly testifies of his prior actions in front of his daughter, who is visibly terrified; it's only her reaction that causes the former militia man to show discomfort rather than the reality of his past. The film moves from explicitly a political and social documentary of a single event (where the horror lies in the lack of development and justice) to a chronicle of generational change. What endures, what changes, and by how much. The Look of Silence is an important companion piece Oppenheimer's original film, tackling the same content in a completely different way; it's superficially less innovative, but no less powerful. (4.5/5)

Documentaries pursue the truth then expose them and wait for whatever impacts shall be made for the better changes. Most subjects call for help, sympathy and urgent changes by awareness, which the latter word is only limited for some due to unfortunate circumstances whereas a force behind would falsely deny it and heartlessly, or inhumanly, keeps it going. This very documentary, that serves as a companion piece to its yet unseen predecessor, checks across the previous sentence in a dangerously brave approach that unveils ranks of evil as a collaborative form under dictatorship with zero "moral" defense. Similar documentaries facing murderers would bring chills like in "The Thin Blue Line", but this one just outrages and disturbs how they blend in with power and zero remorse while keeping the people in silent check or else they'll strike again like before and add more innocents to their number. Joshua Oppenheimer once again assisted the victims by exposing the oppressors who violently took a number of their families nearly 60 years ago in the still raw follow-up with an unexpected narrative-like structure. (B+)

Not as chilling as the predecessor, the Look of Silence still performs with the protagonist Adi as he journeys on road to confront the men who were behind the "communist exterminations" and personally, his brother's brutal death. For me, the best parts were watching his gradual organic approach to the elephant in the room whilst under the cover of a optometrist. This is truly a scene beyond acting of any kind.

A deep exploration of the human condition.

I always found good movies like that using boxxy software. I was crying after this movie...

The Act of Killing was one of the finest documentaries of all time, I can not wait for something like this, something that looks equally superb?. happy i find it on boxxy software

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.

a documentary film based on indonesia genocide 1965.

You're likely not mentally prepared for this film, even if you have seen Oppenheimer's previous film "The Act of Killing". This film, consisting of a series of interviews and old reenactment footage, will likely leave you the way Adi is left after each interview, sitting awestruck in silence, not sure what to say, or what to do. The horror of the holocaust would only be made worse if the perpetrators were your neighbors and government officials that you must see every day. That's exactly how the families of the victims in Indonesia must feel.

An optometrist offers to assess elderly people in his village who are unaware of his true motive- to confront and speak to those directly responsible for his brother's death during the Indonesian genocide. The fear is often palpable when the interviewer is straying off the topic and it is quite disturbing how some of the murderers happily recall their exploits- even staging mock re-enactments. This documentary by Joshua Openheimer is a companion piece to The Act Of Killing- a film I am yet to see but I believe it is quietly disturbing and even more revealing than this one. The scariest thing of course, is the fact that these people are still living and exerting control without reproach.

Heart-wrenching, tense, and bold, "Silence" repackages the theme of companion piece, the "Act of Killing" into a beautifully crafted doc that narrows its focus on one family's journey to reconciliation with those who committed atrocity against their kin.

Compelling, tragic and upsetting all by way of words, this doc has a solid premise and balanced handling, but beware of heated political arguments.

An emotional catharsis,how low can humans beings go. Terrifying because not only the actions,but the total lack of empathy shown by the mass murderers to the family of those they killed. A wake up call to humanity..

There are no words that does this not its predecessor justice. Just watch it.

Although this does not approach the artistic pinnacle of The Act of Killing, it is nonetheless extraordinary. It's also a necessary companion to that film, rightly reinstating the victims at the centre, and showing why the other film has to take its oblique approach in order to finally puncture the self-satisfaction and justification of the killers. The courage and stoicism of Adi, the interviewer, is incredible.

Who controls reality? Who controls morality of a country? Is justice achievable? Who is it that is being redeemed by this justice? All good questions and more I'm sure (I spend little time with these reviews) tackled and maybe answered in this riveting docu-movie.

This is an improvement over The Act of Killing, but the scope is still limited. It doesn't take on historical matter in an analytical way, but if we turn the arrow inward, neither does it deal with larger feelings other than resentment and denial. The film lacks a sort of self-criticism, it's too aimed with interrogating the perpetrators. There are interesting moments, such as when we have to agree that what the perpetrators say were somewhat true ("the past is past"). More of these would have made for better self-reflection, something that the film rather lacks.

The extreme lack of remorse is terrifying

I can think of no other art that best personifies Elie Wiesel's quote that the oppositve of love is not hate, it's indifference. A man goes to confront the people who carried out an Indonesian genocide 40 years ago, some of whom are still in power. The stories describing the crimes are horrific, and the indifference displayed is sad beyond anything I have seen or read in years. One of the finest documentaries I have ever seen.