WATCH THE TRAILER HERE
First, the Recap:
So you want to know what it’s like to be in prison? Really? What it is to be locked up in a cell, with no permission to do anything but what those in authority tell you to do, as well as how, when, where, and why to boot? It sounds like a real party. Yet, in August 1971, a group of 24 college males attending Stanford University were chosen out of 75 who answered an ad in a local paper to interview, get paid, and become part of a psychological experiment conducted by the school’s Psychology professor, Dr. Phillip Zimbardo (Billy Crudup). The test–what the effects would be on a person’s state of mind while being incarcerated. With half the candidates being guards and the other half prisoners, in a controlled environment, what could go wrong?
Set up in the basement of the Psychology building on campus, beginning with a set of rules to be followed by both guards and prisoners, and all events unfolding under the watching eyes of Zimbardo and his team, things initially begin as well as could be expected, with everyone playing their roles as they should. But as more time wears on, those playing guards begin to take their authority more and more seriously, and soon, the prisoners are starting to question the validity of their actions, the experiment, and what lengths those playing guards go for effect.
Tensions heighten, circumstances take some violent, intellectual, and verbally abusive turns, and soon, prisoners are starting to break under the mental pressure. As Zimbardo continues to let things play out, his own team begins to question what they are truly doing, and the line between experiment and simulation grows dangerously blurred.
Next, my Mind:
The “experiment” spoken of above was to last weeks, but ultimately expired in just six days. To say viewing this characterization based on actual events was at minimum curiosity would be accurate, but what the events became was nothing short of disturbing as the viewer watches the abuse of power take over the “guards” while the strain of captivity and verbal abuse tears down the “prisoners” to the point of rebellion, fear, panic, ending in almost utter mental collapse for several of them. The whole time, Zimbardo watched and assessed. This won’t be a film for everyone, that is for certain.
Crudup does an impressive job at playing Zimbardo, who, at one point, we’re not sure if HE isn’t the one losing his mind for the sake of getting the results he has been looking for. Likewise, acting kudos must be given to all the young actors who played the voluntary guinea pigs in this endeavor, as what was displayed at times had to actually BE emotionally taxing for them depicting the stresses and chaotic atmosphere that was created in the basement of a college Hall. Director Kyle Patrick Alvarez most certainly delivers this material in the most straight-forward and hard-hitting way possible, which only serves to drive home the point that it may not be what we don’t think we can do, but more what darkness we’re capable of.
As always, this is all for your consideration and comment. Until next time, thank you for reading!
