Sick Product of a Sick System

The film creates a perfect balance between action and depth of basic needs, in the midst of an infertile atmosphere.

After playing with our expectations, this turns out to be a very different sort of film.

Story: It's very simple but honestly that is fine.

This German take on the Stanford prison experiment has additional layers of authenticity. Well made and interesting, masterfully acted and is much preferred to the Hollywood version.

I wasn't too sure what to expect when I first placed this movie in my 'watchlist' some days ago. Needless to say, however, i'm more than glad I did. 'The Experiment' was a rather harsh movie which really makes you feel helpless while watching. It's a story of insanity, fear and psychosis, all brought on by a poorly managed experiment. It was a very entertaining movie and I could really feel the emotions of each character and felt like I could somehow relate to their plight. My only complaint would have to be a lack of character development at points, because even though you felt for the characters in the movie, it still didn't really feel like you knew them. I would have especially liked more background on #77s cell-mate (that's not a spoiler now, is it?). Anyways, overall it was a great movie. I would definitely recommend this movie to a lover of violence and psychological suspense, as well as to someone who is captivated by cognitive experimentation.

To begin I am going to say that "Das Experiment", a film from Germany, is in fact based on actual events, even so don't expect so much realism in the film. I know this had to be made in order to add tension and entertainment to the film, etc. But believe me, when a story is already interesting it is better not to change it."Das Experiment" begins when Tarek Fahd, a taxi driver, discovers an advertisement in the newspaper in which people will be paid 4000 German marks by participating in a experiment for 2 weeks. The experiment consists in a simulated prison, in which 12 of the 20 participants will assume the role of guards and the rest will act like prisoners, who have to be oppressed and controlled, but with the only condition of not recurring to violence. All of this is made in order to investigate the human behavior in a different environment and under the control of an authority. At first the prisoners, aware of the fact that is just an experiment, take their roles lightly, as well as the guards. But as soon as the guards lose the control of the prisoners they begin to embody their roles, as if they were real guards and in a number of days everything becomes chaos.The suspense in the film is effective and at the first minutes the events are well presented, but early in the film an unnecessary subplot is developed in which Fahd, after a car accident before the experiment, meets a woman called Dora. When the experiment starts Fahd can't stop thinking about Dora and she can't stop thinking about him. In my opinion this adds nothing fundamental to the plot, but seem more like the typical cliché in which romance is involved but not important to the story.Another problem I had was the character development. About Fahd we only know that he works as a taxi driver and wants to win some money (not just by participating in the experiment but by filming everything for a newspaper). In the rest of the film, and considering the amount of characters, no clear motivation is given to each character to behave like they do, and there is also the fact that the guards become very quickly in sadists. In the final act, when all is chaos, characters' actions become exaggerated in comparison to the real events, and the movie starts to feel like a typical thriller as the final events unfold.But all this aside "Das Experiment" proves to be an effective, though average thriller, with good acting, full of thought-provoking questions and critiques (in some sense), and with a good and interesting story. Anyways I have to admit that when the film finished I got the feeling that reading the original story was more entertaining that watching the film.My Score: 7.1

The best group psychological behavior movie since long, or how would act/do most human under the Authority agreement, considering the fact that most people have sadistic and/or submissive potentials (under certain circumstances), as long as there is a strong leader in any group.The Stanford Experiment is the basis of this movie, and even though the conclusions of the S.E. were contested, with comprehensive reasons from a scientific point of view, for my humble understanding of human nature, I unfortunately have to agree the conclusions are definitively true.Many comments do take in consideration Abu Graib, or the last WW2, but it's only because we know nothing about what is still going on every day of the year, in too many countries.Newspapers make a big thing every once a few years, but it's only because the Freedom of Knowledge is quiet under control on this Earth, as long there are only very few courageous journalist/politicians/legal actors/banking or industry leaders/and/or individuals that really act/shout against Unjustice, because most of them live and make money on it ! (except last category)And second (the possible main point), they are mostly friends, even apparently and publicly they disagree with each other.I remember an incredible thing that happened in Madagascar in 1992, or 1993; I was working there 4 months a year (for 8 consecutive years), and since 1991, there was a big clash between the then actual President ("elected dictator") Ratsiraka and the opposition of most malagasy people, politicians included.For the background, that year there was a manifestation and one million people marched against the president palace. My malagasy friends told me to come... I just replied that was may be not the best way to do, because president's were no good boys... However this day according to the government, there were about 12 officially dead, killed in a "self-defensive response" from the guards, but it was from an helicopter gun machine and the more reality there were about 200 persons who were killed this day (according Red Cross)... Sad you'd say... obviously me too !But coming back to the "Newspapers paragraph" above, what really puts me down is that a few time later there was a direct TV show between two representatives of the government and two from the "opposition" party, and a journalist. As the talks went on, they all started quiet politely, but more and more it went on were really becoming aggressive, to almost shout against each other at the end, I mean government and opposition people.The only one who tried to cool it down was the TV showman... who at the end of the official program thanked every one...This was the end of the program... BUT the camera continued to shoot on live...After about 30 seconds everyone started to chat and laugh to each other very friendly, and pleasant again ! The show was supposed to be off program, no more shooting...This very day, I will never forget !2 minutes ago they were all together apparently showing a real and true disagreement, talking about how many were killed, arguing, and so on, almost fighting...Then laughing and chatting...If you consider this story, this is not exactly the topic of this movie... but close to what I'm saying : most people collaborate, even though it possibly does not please them entirely.Following other "happenings" I've seen before I thought I was no more so naive...For everything what is in The Experiment, it's brilliant, the only weakling thing is the woman flashback, but it's a very minor thing, to cut down the tension, but finally helps to reinforce it afterward. The escalate is real, the acting and script and filming is all together compact, for real !At the end, I just cried, not for the movie, I know it's one !But because this could help many to realise and behave differently...The "Authority" is always a bad thing, unless it's not due to self respect to the authority's kindness and knowledge which should only be taken as a positive example.For me, may be only the Dalai Lama is a worldwide known person (to me) who really is a true example, and as for he's not invited in a main ecclesiastic conference, I just laugh : one of the Only !To kill someone, is a bad thing, an horrible thing, but if you do it under the Authority consent because it tells you have the obligation and right to do it otherwise you'll be the next one on the list to be killed and not ONLY because YOU are sincerely convinced you must do it for your deepest belief AND for your personal soul justice (if it does possibly exist), then you may enter in doing things how we see in this movie.Of course, it's not easy : self respect is a difficult thing to deal with, for everyone...It reminds me another brilliant must see movie : Closet Land (1991), which deals too with the topic, beautifully shots, but only with an inmate and a woman prisoner.I wonder if any movie maker could translate and adapt the topic... for a children movie !It seems, since a few years, in Europe and particularly in Germany, they are again excellent directors, who deals with the notion of Autority or Power abuse...Die Welle (The Wave) (2008) is also a damned good example.Anyway for The Experiment, just take the helicopter for you next dealer... (but just don't shoot him :-)or easier, take the phone to buy/rent/steal (for the last word, I do sincerely discourage it:-) this must see movie ! *** a film is never really good unless the camera is an eyes in the head of a poet Orson Welles ***