Das Experiment (2001)

Director:

Oliver Hirschbiegel

Writers:

Mario Giordano (novel)
Mario Giordano (screenplay) ...

Release Date:

8 March 2001 (Germany)

Genre:

Drama | Thriller

Tagline:

Bist du stark genug?

Plot:

The movie is based on the infamous "Stanford Prison Experiment" conducted in 1971. A makeshift prison is set up in a research lab...

Plot Keywords:

Prison | Violence | Experiment | 1970s | Undercover Journalist

Awards:

13 wins & 15 nominations

Cast

Moritz Bleibtreu	...	Tarek Fahd - Häftling Nr. 77 / Prisoner #77
Christian Berkel	...	Steinhoff - Häftling Nr. 38 / Prisoner #38
Oliver Stokowski	...	Schütte - Häftling Nr. 82 / Prisoner #82
Wotan Wilke Möhring	...	Joe - Häftling Nr. 69 / Prisoner #69
Stephan Szasz	...	Häftling Nr. 53 / Prisoner #53
Polat Dal	...	Häftling Nr. 40 / Prisoner #40
Danny Richter	...	Häftling Nr. 21 / Prisoner #21
Ralf Müller	...	Häftling Nr. 15 / Prisoner #15
Markus Rudolf	...	Häftling Nr. 74 / Prisoner #74
Peter Fieseler	...	Häftling Nr. 11 / Prisoner #11
Thorsten Dersch	...	Häftling Nr. 86 / Prisoner #86 (as Thorsten J.H. Dersch)
Sven Grefer	...	Häftling Nr. 94 / Prisoner #94
Justus von Dohnanyi	...	Berus - Strafvollzugsbeamter / Guard (as Justus von Dohnànyi)
Nicki von Tempelhoff	...	Kamps - Strafvollzugsbeamter / Guard
Timo Dierkes	...	Eckert - Strafvollzugsbeamter / Guard

Also Known As:

The Experiment (International: English title) (USA)
Black Box (Germany) (working title)

MPAA:

Rated R for strong violence, disturbing situations, language, sexuality and nudity.

Runtime:

Canada:114 min (DVD) | South Korea:109 min (cut version) | Germany:120 min (uncut version)

Country:

Germany

Language:

German

Color:

Color

Aspect Ratio:

1.85 : 1

Sound Mix:

Dolby Digital

Certification:

Iceland:16 | Ireland:18 | Sweden:15 (DVD rating) | Argentina:18 | Australia:MA | Brazil:18 | Denmark:15 | Finland:K-15 | France:-16 | Germany:16 (w) | Italy:VM14 | Japan:PG-12 | Netherlands:16 | Norway:15 | Peru:18 | Portugal:M/12 | Singapore:R(A) | South Korea:18 (cut) | Spain:18 | Switzerland:16 (canton of Geneva) | Switzerland:16 (canton of Vaud) | UK:18 | USA:R

Filming Locations:

Cologne, North Rhine - Westphalia, Germany

Company:

Fanes Film

Trivia:

Although no one died in the Stanford Prison Experiment on which the movie was based, the experiment was prematurely ended after six days out of a planned two weeks. The college students assigned to be prisoners was "withdrawing and behaving in pathological ways" as a result of the degrading treatment they received. Quite a few scenes in the movie actually happened in the original experiment, including the early fire extinguisher scene and the prisoners being forced to clean the toilets by their bare hands.

Goofs:

Continuity: As the prisoners escape, they lock the door to the cell block and break off the key, forcing the guards to go another way. However when Doctor Thon returns the door is wide open.

Quotes:

[first lines]
Tarek Fahd, Häftling Nr. 77: [voiceover, reading newspaper ad] Test subjects wanted. Earn 4000 marks for a 14-day experiment in a simulated prison.

Movie Connections:

Referenced in Does Your Soul Have a Cold? (2007)

Soundtrack:

One Step Closer

A Fascinating and Disturbing Film

Based on a real psychological experiment at Stanford University in 1971, using a group of male students, the mood of this film captures the sense of disorientation and loss of reality that was experienced by the original volunteers. Acts of humiliation present a violent and effective method for stripping individuality and asserting power over prisoners. The psychological transformations into masochistic and submissive roles are fascinating when you consider that that the only real distinguishable difference between the characters, is that by a random selection process, some are labeled 'wardens' and others are labeled 'prisoners'. The levels of violence, brutality and humiliation in the film seem extreme but in the original experiment, humiliation tactics were also extreme – prisoners were also made to wear chains round their ankles and stockings on their heads at all times! The film's conclusion is carefully constructed and appears to bear an implicit reference to the real prison riot of San Quentin (which occurred the day after the Stanford experiment was prematurely halted), in which guards and informant prisoners were tortured and murdered during the prisoners' escape attempt. This film is a sensitive study into power relationships within an altered reality and is masterfully crafted to build tension and invite the viewer to question the character's morality and ethical codes. Far more relevant and interesting than the bland reality TV shows we are plagued by these days…highly recommended!