"Are you a faggot, Nr. 82?”
Gets you thinking, if I were locked in a cell... Who would I most enjoy being imprisoned with?
For two weeks, in a scientific experiment, 20 male participants are hired to play prisoners and guards in a simulated prison environment.
Having a wish list on Amazon is extremely useful but it can sometimes be a painful reminder of how many films you want to see but haven't got round to yet. Now and again it's nice to rectify this and splash out a bit and buy a whole bunch of new films. 'Das Experiment' had been on my list for quite some time and I got it cheap without thinking too much about it.
I don't think I had thoroughly prepared myself for what I was about to watch. This horrific and mind bending film has the power to shock, agitate and unsettle you in a whirlwind social experiment that goes horribly wrong.
There's an ever-present feeling of dread as you venture into this dark examination of human emotion, endurance and psychology. There are details and traits in the characters that give you information as you piece together who they are and, quite terrifyingly, what they're capable of.
I love the way the film is constructed. It utilises so many different elements, one of which being hidden cameras. You get a real gritty sense of reality as the world is realistically created and you are drawn into the prison alongside the prisoners and the guards. You become the scientists as you watch on, through the glass, and see the effects of the experiment. Almost like holding up a mirror and letting us see what we are.
On top of this, it's a pretty violent film. Not only is it physically violent but it is psychologically violent as well. It's shocking and it can be nauseating at times but this is all part of the experience. You get a dark glimpse into the human psyche through how the men react to the experiment from both sides. I would not like to take part in this experiment, no matter what the money was like... Well maybe for a couple of million... Screw it, I'd do it for a couple of hundred quid for sure.
It's mostly a male cast which is a deliberate decision driven by motives that you learn about in the film. It examines the primal nature of human beings and how easily we can be corrupted. It takes advantage of male testosterone and masculinity and embeds that in the story.
The cast are strong, they all do a solid job of portraying realistic and relatively believable characters. It's a tough job to handle such extreme and intense scenes while keeping it within the realms of reality and within the confines of their established characters.
Apparently it's based on a true story and there is an American remake that was made in 2010. I haven't seen this remake but, based on 90% of American remakes of foreign films, I think I'll probably just stick with the original. It stars Adrien Brody and Forest Whitaker, who are both great actors, but I don't imagine it translating.
Overall, 'Das Experiment' is a ride that will stay with you for a while, it's still playing in my head days after seeing it for the first time. It's not diluted in any way and hits you really hard in the face.
Not a film for the faint hearted but if you can get through it it's a rewarding, yet harrowing, experience that will make you feel like you were actually involved in the experiment.
Morgan Freeman.
Morgan Freeman is who I'd like to be locked in a cell with.
I'd be his Andy Dufresne, I'd call him Red and we'd be friends after we got out.
No comments:
Post a Comment