Today I watched The Experiment.
Anyone who’s taken a psychology class should remember the Stanford Prison Experiment by Philip Zimbardo, and if you’re like me you found it pretty interesting.
The study looked at the extent to which our roles dictate our behaviour by putting regular men into a mock prison, randomly assigned as either prisoners or guards. The guards were instructed to maintain order as they saw fit; asserting their authority, doling out punishments, and even harassing or humiliating the prisoners. All of this was done to ensure both the continuation of the experiment, and their reimbursement for participation. Although the prison was fake, the men were all equal outside of the experiment, and anyone was free to discontinue at any time, events quickly turned ugly. With behaviour and negative effects on the participants spiraling out of control, the intended two-week experiment was terminated after just six days.
If that wasn’t interesting enough, The Experiment brings things to a whole new level. Director Paul Scheuring (creator, writer, and producer of Prison Break) presents a take on this experiment that is both gritty and compelling. Not only does the film ignite this textbook information with emotion, Scheuring does an incredible job of staying true to the real story. Besides the fact that the movie’s experiment runs to completion at the full two weeks, the story closely follows the actual events and is rich with accurate details, for example: prisoners being stripped and deloused upon entry, pushups given as punishments, guards spraying the prisoners with fire extinguishers, and one outspoken prisoner fighting to maintain his independence.
Said prisoner is Travis, played by Adrien Brody (The Jacket, The Village, Predators), a young man who starts as a peaceful activist but soon turns into a hardened animal that refuses to break within the prison walls. Travis stands up to the guards and protects others, which only makes him a target for the guards’ mistreatment. Brody is excellent; watching him test his limits provides a gripping performance, as he quickly becomes the besieged hero. The breakdown exhibited in the actual participants of Zimbardo’s experiment is clear and saddening in this film; depicted by the inmates, the mental and physical toll on them is obvious and devastating.
Playing opposite Brody is Forrest Whitaker (Street Kings, Vantage Point, The Last King of Scotland) as Barris, a man appointed to a guard position who quickly moves up as leader of a sadistic, violent group of guards. Although Barris and Travis are friendly to each other prior to the experiment, prison quickly turns them against each other. Viewers will quickly be disgusted at Whitaker’s performance; his creepy portrayal of a man slipping into insanity, drunk with too much power, makes him the perfect villain.
While studying the original experiment in school, I wondered how ordinary people could let this madness extend to such lengths. Here The Experiment provides keen insight, as it’s easy to see events and people progress from innocent participation to brutal, animalistic behaviour. Although guards start out simply trying to continue the experiment in order to get paid, step by step their actions get sicker the more desperate for control they become.
Of course, as with all movies, The Experiment differs from the original subject material in some ways. One guard for example, deprived of women within the prison, drifts towards pansexuality, beating and humiliating one prisoner in an attempted rape. While this no doubt adds to the drama and inspires more hatred for the guards, there is no evidence of such behaviour in the original experiment.
Overall, The Experiment provides a view of a classic study that’s both insightful and visceral to watch. It supplements the psychology with emotion, making this experiment a personal experience. You should try this Experiment.
For more information on the Stanford Prison Experiment, check out its website at
Watch The Experiment’s trailer here:
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