The Experiment

Psychological drama

Sony Pictures Home Entertainment

R4 DVD

This is a remake of the 2001 film Das Experiment, which is in turn based on the novel “Black Box”. I have not seen the earlier film but this version is an excellent examination of the psychology of power.

Twenty four people sign up for an experiment that will test how they react in a prison environment. They are warned at the start that the experiment will require that their civil rights be ignored for the duration. They will be paid well, but only if the experiment is completed. Any violence, failure to comply with the rules of the test, or early departure will finish the test and they will not be paid. Something they were not told is that six of them will have the position and authority of prison warders.

Conflict soon pops up with the food being inedible. One of the rules is that all food must be finished at the meal. Prisoner 77 refuses to eat his disgusting meal and the “warders” decide he must be punished commensurately, as the rules allow. Although he is naturally a pacifist he must work out how to fight back. His best friend is the head “warder” and their friendship soon turns to enmity as the warder enjoys the power he now has. As the warders become united and more violent, including the attempted rape of one of the prisoners, the prisoners are left disorganised and victimised. Their only recourse will be physical violence but that will, in theory, end the experiment prematurely and they won’t be paid. So the tension continues to build. Prisoner 77 is singled out for special attention as he is still the nominal ringleader, and his one-time friend has completely lost any sense of proportion and is now his main tormenter.

The warders have discovered that they have a lot of power within the rules but the prisoners simply won’t unite against them – until one popular prisoner dies after being struck by the head warder. It is a clear case of murder, but still the people who are running the experiment don’t stop it.

The film is superbly acted with Adrien Brody and Forest Whitaker leading the cast. Direction is perfect and the tension keeps building with one incident after another. As an example of “power corrupts” it is one of the best. The violence and deep psychological themes have apparently made it hard to sell so the film has gone direct to DVD and BluRay. It is definitely worth watching.

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