Das Experiment (2001)

User Rating:

7.9/10   

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:

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

Oliver Stokowski (Schütte) is actually claustrophobic. In an early scene where the prisoners are crammed into the elevator, a hint of his genuine uneasiness is visible.

Goofs:

Continuity: Tarek took one of the prisoner's milk bottles with his left hand, then he's holding it in right hand. While giving back the milk bottle, it's in his left again.

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

A true experience

Now this is the kind of movie Hollywood should make!

Movie about an experiment gone all out of hand, with 20 men posing to be guards and prisoners for a period of 2 weeks. We follow the events mainly through the eyes of reporter/taxidriver Tarek, a 'prisoner', who thinks there's a good story to tell.

But things go all wrong when the guards really feel like they're God and things only get worse from that moment on. There's an amazing scene with Tarek in a 'black box', that scene is as scary as I have ever seen on screen.

Surely a movie you won't forget too soon. Terrifying, exciting, horrific, brilliant!

9/10.