grantss
20 male participants take part in a social experiment. For two weeks they will be housed in a prison, with a portion of them being guards and the remainder prisoners. Initially things go well, but after a while matters relations start to deteriorate.Superb movie. Great insight into the human psyche, herd instinct, how power corrupts and the depths to which we can sink. So good, it got remade by Hollywood, though to far less effect.
Horst in Translation (filmreviews@web.de)
"Das Experiment" is a German thriller movie from almost 15 years ago. It runs for 2 hours and was directed by Oliver Hirschbiegel. This is not the only very famous German film he made, because he is also responsible for "Der Untergang". Hirschbiegel and lead actor Moritz Bleibtreu, around the age of 30 here, received awards recognition on really a lot of occasions and Justus von Dohnányi had his big breakthrough with this movie as well and received a German Film Award just like Bleibtreu. There are more German actors in here who are still somewhat famous quite some time later today. This includes Möhring, Gärtner, Monot Jr., Sawatzki and Berkel.The premise is simply: 20 men are recruited to take part in a role play, in which 10 of them are prison guards and the other 10 are inmates. It does not take long until authority, testosterone and power turn the whole scenario into a complete mess that results in 2 casualties in the end and many more heavily injured, all of them emotionally basically. Early on, there is some joking about the whole situation, but things get far more serious pretty quickly. I thought this was a good thriller, very tense from start to finish, but very graphic as well, so this may not be for the easily offended. Violence is only psychological for almost the entire movie until it escalates physically towards the ending. I personally think that the way things turned out here is not too realistic, but it is not a problem at all to enjoy this as a fictional film, even if it is based on a real experiment. This film was so successful that there is an American movie from 2010 based on this one starring Oscar winners Adrien Brody and Forest Whitaker. And, even more recently, there is another new American movie based on this one here with rising star Ezra Miller in the lead role. Overall, I recommend it, but be warned: This film is pretty tough to digest. Little final note to close this review: "Das Experiment" was Germany's submission to the Foreign Language Oscars, but did not score a nomination. One year later, Caroline Link's "Nowhere in Africa" won the Award.
ifasmilecanhelp
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 ***
