War & Genocide in Night and Fog (1956) and The Act of Killing (2012)
Oppenheimer’s The Act of Killing (2012) and Resnais’ Night and Fog (1956) both address genocide, but they take different approaches. Night and Fog presents the Holocaust through archival footage and present day images of abandoned concentration camps, showing the lasting effects of Nazi crimes. The Act of Killing looks at the 1965 and 1966 Indonesian mass killings and instead of using historical footage, it shows the perpetrators reenacting their crimes in staged film scenes. Both films explore violence and memory, but they do so in different ways.
Both films show how genocide leaves lasting scars. Night and Fog contrasts past horrors with peaceful and colorful landscapes, showing how evidence of genocide remains even when people try to move on. It shows footage of bodies in mass graves, the inside of gas chambers, and Nazi records documenting executions. The film also shows modern day images of concentration camp ruins, with overgrown grass and empty buildings, giving a reminder that these places and people were real.
The Act of Killing reveals that Indonesia has not fully confronted its past. The killers remain in power and see themselves as heroes. Anwar Congo is outwardly proud about his role in the killings, describing how he strangled victims with wire to avoid excessive blood. His reenactments range from crime film style executions to musical sequences that portray the killings in a bizarrely celebratory way. Both films argue that genocide does not end when the killing stops. Its effects continue.
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The way each film presents the perpetrators is different. Night and Fog does not focus on individual Nazis. Instead, it looks at the large system that allowed genocide to happen. It highlights how concentration camps were built with precise planning, showing blueprints and the infrastructure that made mass murder efficient. The film’s narrator speaks in a serious tone, making the audience reflect. The Act of Killing puts the killers at the center. It lets them tell their own story and stage elaborate reenactments. This approach exposes their lack of remorse and how they justify their crimes.
At first, Anwar Congo treats the killings as entertainment, proudly demonstrating how he murdered people. However, as the film progresses, his confidence slightly weakens. In one scene, he watches a reenactment of a torture scene he directed, then admits that he now feels what his victims felt. Near the end of the film, he returns to the rooftop where he committed many killings and dry heaves obviously overwhelmed by guilt.
The films also differ in how they relate to history. Night and Fog was made just over a decade after the Holocaust when many people still struggled to face its reality. It includes footage of concentration camps immediately after liberation, showing bulldozers pushing piles of corpses and survivors who appear
skeletal. The Act of Killing looks at a genocide that remains largely ignored in Indonesia. Many of the perpetrators still hold power. In one scene, Anwar and his associates visit a talk show where they proudly discuss their crimes while the audience applauds. The film reveals how the official narrative in Indonesia glorifies the killers rather than condemning them. While Night and Fog calls for remembering the past, The Act of Killing shows how those in power shape the way history is told.
Genocide does not end when the killing stops. Night and Fog shows the importance of remembering, while The Act of Killing exposes how those in power control history. Both films show why facing the past matters.
I really liked your analysis. I think you effectively highlight how both films confront genocide but take distinct approaches in portraying its aftermath. I liked your insight into how Night and Fog uses archival footage and present-day imagery to emphasize the enduring presence of the Holocaust, while The Act of Killing exposes how perpetrators in Indonesia continue to shape history to justify their crimes. What I really found interesting was your discussion on the portrayal of the perpetrators in both films. The contrast between Night and Fog’s focus on systemic atrocities versus The Act of Killing’s personal, unsettling look at Anwar Congo’s psyche is striking. Overall, I think your response thoughtfully explores how these films shape historical memory, reminding us that genocide’s impact extends far beyond the moment of violence.