The Banality of Evil

There are serious ghosts in Cambodia. The Khmer Rouge regime killed an estimated 1.7 million people there from 1975 to 1979, according to Yale University. This was 21 percent of the country’s population. The leader of the communist regime was a clown named Pol Pot aka “Brother Number 1.” He died in 1998 without standing trial for his crimes against humanity.

In Enemies of the People, investigative journalist Thet Sambath tracks down and befriends “Brother Number 2,” Nuon Chea. Sambeth compiled the footage for this documentary over three years, at his own expense and on weekends away from his wife and children. His own parents were killed by the Khmer Rouge.

Sambeth journeys from city to countryside, squatting by the side of the road with former Khmer Rouge killers. They are wild-eyed old men now, but in the Khmer Rouge they were soldiers. They are shot decapitating chickens in one scene and in the next they explain how they performed similar acts on humans.

They explain how they drank wine to prepare before executions and how they drank from harvested human gall bladders.

The orders for the hundreds of thousands of deaths in Cambodia originated from the central leadership. If he didn’t contribute to Pol Pot’s madness, Nuon Chea was at least close enough to witness it. It is hard to believe that the frail grandfather on screen has been touched by that evil.

The little that Nuon Chea reveals is thrilling to watch. He seems to be aware of his shameful place in history, yet in several scenes he betrays his defiance. He quotes Buddha at one point, arguing that where there is no intention there is no sin.

This is obviously an important film. It represents a primary source to the Khmer Rouge regime’s crime of genocide. Nuon Chea is caught on film admitting to the execution of innocent people in the killing fields of Cambodia.

I do think the documentary could have been cut considerably. There are about 20 minutes of compelling interviews in the whole film. The rest includes a brief history of Cambodia, Thambet explaining his motivation and difficulties in the project, and before the credits roll, chilling archival footage of mass graves, work camps and ovens.

As a journalism student, it was interesting to watch Thambet work through an ethical dilemma brought up by his relationship with Nuon Chea. His diligence in working his source for three years only partially paid off. While Nuon Chea’s testimony was the big draw, I would have liked Thambet to interview more than the two or three former killers documented in the film. I left the movie feeling like I had more questions than I did when I walked in.

I give Enemies of the People a B+, mostly for its importance to history as a primary source. The tragedy in Cambodia should be remembered as a cautionary tale.