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Based on the infamous Stanford Experiment that was conducted in Palo Alto, CA back in 1971, Das Experiment is a German film that adapts elements of the true-life story and turns them into a fictionalized psychological thriller. In the actual experiment, two dozen young men were randomly assigned to be either prisoners or guards in a makeshift prison. Those assigned to be guards were told that they must maintain order in the prison without resorting to violence of any form. On day two, the prisoners staged a revolt and things got exciting, forcing researchers to remind the guards of their restrictions and, in certain cases, some subjects were released early. A number of individuals seemed to undergo a complete transformation in personality, and a researcher who arrived a few days into the experiment was actually so sickened by what had transpired that she put a stop to the research one week earlier than scheduled.

The plot of the movie is fairly simple in that it follows the general events that occurred in 1971, but as the story gets deeper and more involved, the action up to the finale is largely fictionalized, with more tragic results for dramatic effect and greater shock value. Audiences who have had the opportunity to see the film in Europe have almost universally praised the film's complex themes and deep atmosphere.

Based on outstanding critical and audience reaction, Das Experiment should be fairly visible on the film festival circuit in addition to its planned limited theatrical release, which means fans of psycho-thrillers and German film might have to work a bit to seek out this particular motion picture. (Kim Hollis/BOP)

Vital statistics for Das Experiment Main Cast Moritz Bleibtreu, Christian Berkel, Oliver Stokowski, Wotan Wilke Mohring Supporting Cast Stephan Szasz, Polat Dal, Danny Richter, Ralk Muller, Markus Rudolf, Peter Fieseler, Thorsten Dersch, Sven Grefer Director Oliver Hirschbiegel Screenwriter Don Bohlinger, Christoph Darnstadt, Mario Giordano Distributor IDP Trailer Click Here for Trailer Official Site http://www.dasexperiment.de/ Rating R Running Time 120 minutes Screen Count 11 Awards Audience Award, 2001 German Film Awards Audience Award, 2001 Bergen International Film Festival People's Choice Award, 2002 Istanbul Film Festival Nominee, Best Film, 2001 European Film Awards Nominee, Best Film, Fantasporto 2002 Nominee, Film Award in Gold, 2001 German Film Awards Awards page for Das Experiment Talent in red has entry in The Big Picture