Das Experiment is a German film directed by Oliver Hirschbiegel. It was released as The Experiment in the United States. The film was inspired by the events of the Stanford prison experiment in the US. It is based on the novel Black Box by Mario Giordano.

Plot

Tarek Fahd (Moritz Bleibtreu) participates with 19 other candidates in a prison simulation experiment for two weeks. The candidates are selected by a computer to be either prisoner or guard. The experiment begins smoothly, but quickly deteriorates as the guards develop authoritarian tendencies. Prof. Klaus Thon (Edgar Selge), perceiving the deterioration as standard psychological reactions, refuses to end the experiment, despite the protests of his assistant, Dr. Jutta Grimm (Andrea Sawatzki). As time progresses, the guards go to great lengths to conceal their actions and keep the experiment running, and the prisoners resist as best they can.

Similarities with real events

Although in the opening credits the movie claims to not be based on any real events, it is clear that the Stanford Prison Experiment provided the basis for the plot. However, the time period in the film is protracted and many events fictionalized in comparison to the real situation, in order to provide a proper storyline. The experiment in Stanford was aborted after six days following concerns from one of the scientists that the guards were abusing the prisoners, and that the prisoners were undergoing psychological trauma and becoming increasingly withdrawn. These concerns are echoed in the film by Dr. Grimm, but Prof. Thon decides not to act on them, forming the basis for an extended story and a more intense climax. Nonetheless, a number of events from the real experiment are mirrored in the film. The prisoners were indeed sprayed with fire extinguishers and prisoners were also forced to clean the toilets with their bare hands, although in the original experiment several were forced to do this, whereas in the film only Tarek is forced to do so.

Remake

The Experiment, an American remake of the film, is currently in production. It will be directed by Paul Scheuring and star Adrien Brody, Forest Whitaker, Cam Gigandet and Channing Tatum.AFM: First Still from The Experiment Remake Filming begins in Iowa in July 2009. According to reports in The Des Moines Register, Elijah Wood, who was previously set to star in the film, is no longer involved with the project.