Das Experiment (2001)

Director:

Oliver Hirschbiegel

Writers:

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

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
Antoine Monot Jr.	...	Bosch - Strafvollzugsbeamter / Guard
Lars Gärtner	...	Renzel - Strafvollzugsbeamter / Guard
Jacek Klimontko	...	Gläser - Strafvollzugsbeamter / Guard
Markus Klauk	...	Stock - Strafvollzugsbeamter / Guard
Ralph Püttmann	...	Amandy - Strafvollzugsbeamter / Guard
Edgar Selge	...	Professor Dr. Klaus Thon - Wissenschaftler / Scientist
Andrea Sawatzki	...	Dr. Jutta Grimm - Wissenschaftler / Scientist
Philipp Hochmair	...	Lars - Wissenschaftler / Scientist
Klaus Spinnler	...	Assistent / Assistant
Tristan Vostry	...	Assistent / Assistant
Maren Eggert	...	Dora - Die Anderen / The Others
André Jung	...	Ziegler - Die Anderen / The Others
Uwe Rohde	...	Hans - Die Anderen / The Others
Heiner Lauterbach	...	Dennis - Die Stimmen / The Voices (voice)
Fatih Akin	...	Taxifahrer / Taxi Driver - Die Stimmen / The Voices (voice)
Christiane Gerboth	...	Nachrichtensprecher / Newscaster - Die Stimmen / The Voices (voice)

Directed by
Oliver Hirschbiegel

Writing credits
Mario Giordano		(novel "Black Box")
Mario Giordano		(screenplay) &
Christoph Darnstädt		(screenplay) &
Don Bohlinger		(screenplay)

Produced by
Marc Conrad	....	producer
Philip Evenkamp	....	executive producer
Benjamin Herrmann	....	co-producer
Ulrike Leibfried	....	associate producer
Norbert Preuss	....	producer
Friedrich Wildfeuer	....	producer (as Fritz Wildfeuer)

Original Music by
Alexander Bubenheim		(as Alexander van Bubenheim)

Cinematography by
Rainer Klausmann

Film Editing by
Hans Funck

Casting by
An Dorthe Braker

Production Design by
Andrea Kessler

Art Direction by
Uli Hanisch

Costume Design by
Claudia Bobsin

Makeup Department
Mary May	....	makeup artist
Sylvia Reusch	....	makeup artist

Production Management
Stephan Bechem	....	assistant unit manager
Alexander Dominitzki	....	unit manager
Klaus Spinnler	....	unit production manager

Second Unit Director or Assistant Director
Uli Hampeter	....	second assistant director (as Ulrike Hampeter)
Isabel Kleefeld	....	first assistant director

Art Department
Markus Baum	....	carpenter
Uwe Belke	....	carpenter
Uwe Brauer	....	painter
Laura Engels	....	art department intern
Stefan Isfort	....	property master
Kai Koch	....	assistant art director
Oliver Koch	....	carpenter
Fee Kolb	....	painter
Markus Krüll	....	metalworker
Elmo Langenberg	....	metalworker
Uli Langenberg	....	construction coordinator
Lenny Lehmann	....	carpenter
Daniel Peeck	....	construction coordinator
Doriano Quintavalle	....	carpenter
Thorsten Sabel	....	set dresser
Katja Schlömer	....	set dresser
Dieter Schmidt	....	carpenter
Ricky Stecker	....	props buyer
Christoph Steeger	....	sketch artist
Jo Teh	....	painter
Saskia Trixa	....	prop intern
Dagmar Wessel	....	stand-by props (uncredited)

Sound Department
Achim Böcking	....	sound intern
Christof Ebhardt	....	sound editor
Lisa Geffcken-Reinhard	....	foley editor (as Lisa Geffcken)
Florian Gross	....	sound production manager
Monika Gussner	....	adr editor
Magda Habernickel	....	supervising sound designer
Hans Hohenwarter	....	technical director: sound
Frank Lehner	....	boom operator
Peter Notz	....	adr mixer
Jörn Poetzl	....	foley artist (as Joern Poetzl)
Annette Prey	....	sound editor
Max Rammler-Rogall	....	sound re-recording mixer
Thomas Schwenke	....	technical director: sound
Philipp Sellier	....	foley mixer
Marcel Spisak	....	sound editor
Wolfgang Wirtz	....	production sound mixer

Special Effects by
Karl-Heinz Bochnig	....	special effects technician

Visual Effects by
Thilo Gottschlich	....	film recording
Lutz Lemke	....	composite layouts
Marian Mavrovic	....	digital compositor
Verena Pohlmann	....	assistant datacine operator
Angela Reedwisch	....	visual effects producer
Rainer Schmidt	....	datacine operator
Jürgen Schopper	....	visual effects supervisor
Christoph Steeger	....	modeler
Steven Stueart	....	scanning supervisor
Christian Zeh	....	digital compositor

Stunts
Ernst Reimann	....	stunt coordinator
Randy Wittur	....	stunts

Camera and Electrical Department
Thomas Balder	....	second assistant camera
Stefan Biebl	....	additional camera operator
Moritz Bleibtreu	....	camera operator: special glasses camera
Holger Fleig	....	additional assistant camera
Uwe Fuchs	....	electrician
Udo Heinz	....	electrician
Ingo Hilden	....	grip
Wolfram Koch	....	video technician
Peter Krammer	....	gaffer
Bernd Mayer	....	key grip
Ralf M. Mendle	....	additional camera operator (as Ralf Mendle)
Axel Näther	....	video technician
Jens Piotrowski	....	first assistant camera
Roland Scheidt	....	assistant electrician
Bernd Spauke	....	still photographer
Dominik Stöcker	....	additional assistant camera
Jürgen Tomadini	....	electrician
Tom Trambow	....	property photographer (uncredited)

Casting Department
Tanja Schwichtenberg	....	extras casting

Costume and Wardrobe Department
Martina Geddicke	....	costumer
Ursula Münstermann	....	assistant costume designer

Editorial Department
Sabine Allerdisse	....	assistant editor
Katja Birklein	....	assistant editor
Christa Garmeier	....	negative cutter (as Christine Garmeier)
Nicholas Goodwin	....	assistant editor
Traudl Nicholson	....	color timer

Music Department
Alexander Bubenheim	....	orchestrator (as Alexander van Bubenheim)
Tommy Eberhardt	....	musician: drums
Alexandre Frank	....	music supervisor
Alex Klier	....	musician: bass
Woepf Lechenmayr	....	music editor
Woepf Lechenmayr	....	music scoring mixer
Olaf Mierau	....	music production supervisor
Georg Naschke	....	music supervisor (as George Naschke)
Max Rammler-Rogall	....	musician: trumpet
Max Schaefers	....	assistant music engineer
Hanno Simons	....	musician: cello
Günter Strebl	....	music recordist

Transportation Department
Jochen Behle	....	driver
Diana Schwieger	....	driver
Marcel Winterscheidt	....	driver

Other crew
Regine Baschny	....	unit publicist
Marika Dornbusch	....	production accountant
Christl Druxeis	....	production accountant: Fanes Film (as Christl Druxeis-Chawki)
Friederike Jacob	....	unit publicist
Otto Kiefer	....	legal affairs: Typhoon Film
Hermann Koenen	....	caterer
Christina Kügelgen	....	unit manager intern
Claudia Lehmann	....	electronic press kit
Heike Manzke	....	script supervisor
Frank Meter	....	location scout
Michael Otto	....	title designer
Bettina Plasdick	....	assistant production accountant
Gottfried Reisecker	....	consultant: film laboratory
Maria Sobecki-Grimm	....	caterer
Jochen Strate	....	legal advisor
Ariane Thiede	....	production coordinator: Fanes Film
Ulrike Thiede	....	production coordinator
Rolf Thissen	....	unit publicist
Peter Vit	....	projectionist
Tristan Vostry	....	production intern
Oliver Wissmann	....	production coordinator
Anke Zindler	....	unit publicist

Thanks
Helmut Dietl	....	thanks
Stefan Gärtner	....	thanks
Alfred Holighaus	....	thanks

Production Companies

• Fanes Film
• Senator Film Produktion
• Seven Pictures (co-production)
• Typhoon

Distributors

• Senator Film (2001) (Germany) (theatrical)
• EuroVideo (2002) (Germany) (DVD)
• IDP Distribution (2002) (USA) (theatrical)
• Samuel Goldwyn Company, The (2002) (USA) (theatrical)
• Samuel Goldwyn Films (2002) (USA) (theatrical) (subtitled)
• Ascot Elite Entertainment Group (2001) (Switzerland) (theatrical)
• Belga Films (2001) (Belgium) (theatrical)
• Belga Films (2001) (Luxembourg) (theatrical)
• Future Film (2002) (Finland) (theatrical)
• GAGA (2002) (Japan) (theatrical)
• Independent Films (2002) (Netherlands) (theatrical)
• Metrodome Distribution (2002) (UK) (theatrical)
• Metropolitan Filmexport (2003) (France) (theatrical)
• Nexo (2002) (Italy) (theatrical)
• Nu Visión de Argentina (2003) (Argentina) (theatrical)
• Oro Film A/S (2002) (Norway) (theatrical)
• Prooptiki (2001) (Greece) (theatrical)
• Argentina Video Home (Argentina) (DVD)
• Argentina Video Home (Argentina) (VHS)
• Central Partnership (Russia)
• Madman Entertainment (2004) (Australia) (DVD)
• Manga Films (Spain)
• Sherlock Media S.L. (Spain)
• Universal Pictures Video (200?) (Netherlands) (video)

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: After the car crash in the beginning of the film, the right rear of the taxi has been damaged, including the rear light. When Tarek drives Dora to his place, it's just the other way around.

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 "Het glazen huis: Eigen agenda (#1.52)" (2005)

Soundtrack:

Wouldn't It Be Nice

One of the Best and Most Powerful Movies of the Year

In Germany, a group of men is invited to participate in an experience promoted by the Army. They would receive DM 4,000.00 for fourteen days performing the roles of guards and prisoners in a prison, under certain predetermined rules and monitored by a team of doctors. A journalist infiltrates in the team looking for a great matter. However, problems happen and the experience looses control, jeopardizing the integrity and the safety of the prisoners.

This movie is amazing: just released on DVD in Brazil, it is certainly one of the best films of the year. Tense, powerful, having a wonderful screenplay and outstanding direction and performances, it is another great example of how the absolute power corrupts. All the cast is magnificent, but I would like to highlight the role and the acting of Justus Von Dohnanyi, as the sadistic Berus. A must-see movie, which will certainly provoke a reaction of the viewer! It is almost impossible not to make a comparison of the situation presented in this film with the abuse and humiliation of the prisoners of Iraq recently showed on TV and newspapers. My vote is ten.

Title (Brazil): 'A Experiência' ('The Experience')