Das Experiment

REVIEW
A disparate group of men volunteer (with pay) to take part in a study, wherein some of them will be prisoners, some will be guards. Of course, human nature being what it is, things go horribly awry. Obvious parallels to Nazi-era Germany and extremely contrived, artificial character motivations really sink this would-be thriller, based on Mario Giordano's novel "Black Box," itself probably inspired by the 1971 Stanford University experiment. The film starts off well, with a palpable sense of "calm-before-the-storm"; unfortunately, the storm itself is predictable and overwrought. The film offers nothing of interest on its subject, and is, in fact, rather empty. None of this is Bleibtreu's fault; he's quite good and appealing as the lead. The absolutely gorgeous Eggert, in a thankless role as the woman waiting for him in the real world, also makes a decent impression in this otherwise disappointment. (German with English subtitles)