Synopsis: A psychodrama based on the true story of a group of scientists who organized 20 people to carry out a psychological experiment for a cash reward. The chosen individuals are made to play the roles of both prison guards and prisoners to see how they behave in these positions. The guards are told to maintain order without the use of force, but once a revolt errupts, tragedy strikes.
Starring: Forest Whitaker, Adrien Brody, Cam Gigandet, Clifton Collins Jr., Travis Fimmel
Directed by: Paul T. Scheuring
U.S. Rating: R
I would start my review asking how it is possible to put in such an amazing thriller two Oscars winners (Forest Whitaker & Adrien Brody) and just release the film on DVD?! I must say that The Experiment was such an intense film with great acting performances and a pretty good plot. It would have been one of those great films to watch in theaters.
The Experiment is actually a film based on a true story. It is about a controversial study of the social behavior and psychological effects of becoming a prisoner or prison guard. The experiment was conducted from Aug. 14-20, 1971 by a team of researchers led by Psychology professor Philip Zimbardo at Stanford University. Twenty-four students were selected out of 75 to play the prisoners and live in a mock prison in the basement of the Stanford psychology building. Roles were assigned randomly. The participants adapted to their roles well beyond what even Zimbardo himself expected, leading the "Officers" to display authoritarian measures and ultimately to subject some of the prisoners to torture. In turn, many of the prisoners developed passive attitudes and accepted physical abuse, and, at the request of the guards, readily inflicted punishment on other prisoners who attempted to stop it. The experiment even affected Zimbardo himself, who, in his capacity as "Prison Superintendent," lost sight of his role as psychologist and permitted the abuse to continue as though it were a real prison. Five of the prisoners were upset enough by the process to quit the experiment early, and the entire experiment was abruptly stopped after only six days.
Here's a brief story of the film: Travis (Adrien Brody) has been laid off from his job. Desperate for money, he finds in a newspaper an ad for a twoo-week "behavioral experiment" job opportunity paying $1000 a day. He among other people respond to the ad, no matter how suspicious it could have sound. All the attendants have to face a serie of probing questions and a disturbing, mind-programming film before they were chosen for this study.
The director of this experiment informs the whole idea of this project. They will simulate a prison environment and they'd divide the selected group in two teams. One of the teams would play guards and the other group would play convicts. Michael (Forest Whitaker), a quiet and very polite man was chosen to be part of this project, and he would be part of the guards. Travis was chosen to be part of the convicts. Both of them shared a new very respectful and friendly relationship.
Directed by: Paul T. Scheuring
U.S. Rating: R
I would start my review asking how it is possible to put in such an amazing thriller two Oscars winners (Forest Whitaker & Adrien Brody) and just release the film on DVD?! I must say that The Experiment was such an intense film with great acting performances and a pretty good plot. It would have been one of those great films to watch in theaters.
The Experiment is actually a film based on a true story. It is about a controversial study of the social behavior and psychological effects of becoming a prisoner or prison guard. The experiment was conducted from Aug. 14-20, 1971 by a team of researchers led by Psychology professor Philip Zimbardo at Stanford University. Twenty-four students were selected out of 75 to play the prisoners and live in a mock prison in the basement of the Stanford psychology building. Roles were assigned randomly. The participants adapted to their roles well beyond what even Zimbardo himself expected, leading the "Officers" to display authoritarian measures and ultimately to subject some of the prisoners to torture. In turn, many of the prisoners developed passive attitudes and accepted physical abuse, and, at the request of the guards, readily inflicted punishment on other prisoners who attempted to stop it. The experiment even affected Zimbardo himself, who, in his capacity as "Prison Superintendent," lost sight of his role as psychologist and permitted the abuse to continue as though it were a real prison. Five of the prisoners were upset enough by the process to quit the experiment early, and the entire experiment was abruptly stopped after only six days.
Here's a brief story of the film: Travis (Adrien Brody) has been laid off from his job. Desperate for money, he finds in a newspaper an ad for a twoo-week "behavioral experiment" job opportunity paying $1000 a day. He among other people respond to the ad, no matter how suspicious it could have sound. All the attendants have to face a serie of probing questions and a disturbing, mind-programming film before they were chosen for this study.
The director of this experiment informs the whole idea of this project. They will simulate a prison environment and they'd divide the selected group in two teams. One of the teams would play guards and the other group would play convicts. Michael (Forest Whitaker), a quiet and very polite man was chosen to be part of this project, and he would be part of the guards. Travis was chosen to be part of the convicts. Both of them shared a new very respectful and friendly relationship.
The chosen team (guards and prisoners) are given a few basic rules that should be followed at all time. The most important one is that violence wouldn't be tolerated at any time. If any of the rules was broken, the red light would flash and the experiment would be immediately terminated. No one would get paid if this would happen.
Initially, things are lighthearted, but both the crimes and the punishments become increasingly serious by the day. All rules go out the window as the guards, under Michael's command, turn to brutality and the prisoners, led by Travis, teeter on the breaking point. Michael seems to be one of the first victims of this experiments, when he suddenly takes over the convicts' disobedience with an increasing violence that should be contained sooner than later, but the red light never flashes... pushing things to the limits, and I mean, to the very limits.
The experiment was initially designed to last 14 days, but things turned really, really ugly in just 6 days, when the experiment had to be cancelled and everyone pulled out of the fake prison.
This controversial experiment from 1971 had a huge impact and discussions after the embarrasing incidents faced in Iraq, during the Abu Ghraib torture and prisoner abuse, in 2004.
I would rate this movie with a high 4/5
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