Analyzing Joshua Oppenheimer's The Act Of Killing

able to effectively create conversation about the show and make the viewers seek out information for themselves,become more critical towards not just law enforcement but other documentaries.

On the topic of counter points of view, the drama and somewhat ambiguous features of true crime documentaries are catalysts for audiences to think critically and be absorbed by the shows atmosphere. At times, the line between what is considered morally correct and not is blurred and shifted as a viewer is drawn into the world of people who experience or commit crimes themselves. A more fringe example of a true crime documentary that exemplifies this is Joshua Oppenheimer’s The Act of Killing, a story that follows Anwar Congo who had reported to have killed

But the key to the audiences insight and interest into his mind is his disturbed psyche which, “provides a key narrative thread for the film, which at times seems to venture into a personal journey of seeking redemption, or at the very least, of some for of release from the nightmares that have been haunting him” (Kendall 23). One interesting aspect of the documentary is that Oppenheimer allows Congo to reenact any scene that he wishes and allows him to creatively express the guise that he wants to convey and can create all the grandiose drama for the audience. As the film progresses, the viewer faces an odd dilemma and cauldron of mixed emotions as the mass murderer who had shown little remorse for his actions, is dry heaving at the end of the film thinking about what he had done. A twisted sense of seemingly unwarranted sympathy is developed as the audience is drawn along into Congo’s disturbed and troubled world. By the end, one does not feel as distant from this genocide killer as one would hope to believe. His

Reflecting on the invasion of privacy caused by Serial, it makes a viewer wonder why such extreme measures and effort are taken upon because of a podcast. Are people so fascinated by intrigued by macabre events that they feel as if they can treat victims as if they were movie characters? Or is everyday life so bland and saturated with violence that viewers seek satisfaction in actually learning more about victims of crime? As the true crime genre grows exponentially from viewer interest, the difficult stability between entertaining and informing is constantly shifted from each additional film. Although these dramatized programs could one day be able to strike a balance between a sensational story and informing piece that causes viewers to introspect while conveying holistic information, from an audience’s standpoint, it could just be another television