Effetto Lucifero

This film is a dramatization of a real psychological experiment that took place at the Stanford University in 1971. The motivation was to study the dynamics of individuals who were arbitrarily placed into roles as prisoners and guards at a simulated prison. Since none of the study participants were actual criminals or correction officers, the idea was to glean insight into the psychology of the power imbalance that arises from the situation, as opposed to the people involved.

Things famously degraded quickly and the experiment was terminated after only six days. Multiple guards displayed sadistic traits and performed acts of psychological and even (to a smaller degree) physical torture, all overseen, permitted, and arguably encouraged by "superintendent" Philip Zimbardo, the study's creator.

The conditions the participants were exposed to were reprehensible, but even worse is that ultimately this was simply bad science, making the whole endeavor a cruel waste of time. The experiment lacked much of the basic rigor required, as highlighted in the film by a verbatim repetition of an actual conversation Mr. Zimbardo had with a colleague who questioned some of the basic scientific methodologies being utilized in the study.

Zimbardo himself committed what I would consider borderline criminal acts such as initially denying "prisoner" participants the option to leave when requested (to instill in them the belief that their situation was, in fact, real), which came frighteningly close to converting the "study" into a criminal act of kidnapping in my opinion.

Zimbardo explains this as him getting "to close" to the experiment, but personally I'm not particularly sympathetic to that argument. When you watch the actual clips from the study and read the notes, I'm more inclined to think that Mr. Zambardo himself had a sadistic streak that he failed to control for a time. Honestly, I think the man should have faced criminal charges for his role in this fiasco.

In the end, some good did come out of this experiment in that it created a push for establishing standards and controls for psychological experiments in the future.

Despite knowing the actual outcome, I still felt anxious about the fates of the young men involved, a testament to the power of the acting and directing here. To me, this movie is a chilling and visceral reminder of how easy it is to create conditions that foster cruelty and dehumanization. A rewarding, if somewhat depressing, film to watch.

It's the sad truth but I hate how they have ended with a huge lie "no long time side effects have been observed" so Zimbardo continued his studies. Why did they "omit" that one tried to kill himself as a side effect of that experiment?

"Would you rather be a prison guard or a prisoner?" That question was put to young college men who answered a newspaper ad in "The Stanford Prison Experiment" (R, 2:02). The movie is based on a real-life psychology department study conducted at California's Stanford University in August 1971. After being screened using a questionnaire and an interview, 24 students were chosen as paid participants in the 14-day experiment (each making $15 per day). In spite of the above question being asked of all applicants, participants were assigned as either guards or prisoners by coin flips. Faculty offices in the basement of the university's psychology building were transformed into a mock prison wing. Dr. Philip Zimbardo, the psychology professor who led a team of graduate students and advisors in conducting the experiment, wanted to test the theory that conflicts between guards and inmates are caused by the men's individual personality traits. A documentary about the experiment was released in 1992 and a German film loosely based on the experiment came out in 2001, followed by an American remake in 2010, but this is the first feature film which attempts to dramatize the actual events that took place.

As we see Zimbardo (Billy Crudup) going through his selection process, we meet his team (James Wolk, Keir Gilchrist and Gaius Charles) and the student participants (including "prisoners" Ezra Miller, Tye Sheridan and Thomas Mann, along with Michael Angarano as a "guard" who based his authoritative persona on a sadistic captain in the movie "Cool Hand Luke"). The guards are briefed and given generic uniforms. The prisoners are "arrested" by actual local police officers and sent to the "prison" to "await trial". The guards process the prisoners, give them uniforms (crude smocks and stocking caps) and taught to only identify themselves by their prisoner number and to address all guards as "Mr. Correctional Officer". The guards initially perform their duties tentatively while there's a lot of eye-rolling by the prisoners. Then something happens.

Both the guards and the prisoners quickly adapt to their roles to a surprising degree and even internalize them. The guards become increasingly menacing and sadistic. The prisoners' actions vary, but all are in character as some comply while others resist the guards' authority and talk of escape and some are even pushed to their psychological limits. Zimbardo and his team watch and listen to all the goings-on via closed-circuit camera and hidden microphones. Even when the guards violate the rules they've been given and the experiment seems close to getting out of hand, Zimbardo repeatedly forbids his team from intervening. A former San Quentin inmate (Nelson Ellis) joins the team as an adviser and gets involved more than he's comfortable with. An actual priest (Albert Malafronte) speaks with each of the prisoners and the team even holds a mock parole board. When Zimbardo's girlfriend (Olivia Thirlby) stops by and observes parts of the experiment, she criticizes Zimbardo's methods and expresses concern for the well-being of the prisoners. The professor insists that his experiment could bring out positive change in prisons everywhere and wants to continue, convinced that he can keep things under control.

"The Stanford Prison Experiment" is a compelling dramatization that really sneaks up on you. Just when you're tempted to write off what you're seeing as a ridiculous exercise, you start to see what the professor sees – the remarkable transformation in the student participants from role-players to young men living and, in the case of the guards, actually relishing their roles. We also see what Zimbardo can't see – that he and his team are becoming part of the experiment themselves. The cast includes few, if any recognizable actors, but there is no weak link in this chain of performances and Crudup is particularly outstanding. Tim Talbot's script and the film's look realistically evoke the spirit of the early 70s, while the score and the cinematography are both creative and effective at drawing us into the film's narrative. Little-known director Kyle Patrick Alvarez does a great job of pulling these elements together.

Dr. Zimbardo's experiment made him an in-demand expert on the psychology of authority and on inmate-prison guard relations. He testified before Congress after major prison riots at San Quentin and Attica shortly after his experiment took place. After he noticed striking similarities between the results of his experiment and the abuse of prisoners at the hands of American soldiers in Iraq's Abu Ghraib prison in 2004, Zimbardo wrote a book discussing that connection. He has also lectured on his findings to audiences all over the world. None of this should be surprising to anyone who sees "The Stanford Prison Experiment". It's a dramatic depiction of a landmark psychology experiment and a startling window into human nature. It also happens to be a fascinating and entertaining film. "A-"

The plot is based on a true story, blah blah blah. It's a good one as well! Not the amazing ingenious movie and certainly not the thriller that "Das Experiment" was... If you can find it at your local video store, go and get it and watch this instead!

Don't get me wrong, the movie is a nice attempt, really interesting and raising all kinds of moral questions and dilemmas. The actors were true and professional all the way and overall, this is more than a movie for a pleasant afternoon...

The science behind the experiment was kind of crappy, but I guess back then, psychologists were a bit on the rough side and not too cautious with experimental parameters, etc.

Anyways, if you want the thrill and the tense, "Das Experiment" is what you should be looking for. This movie was unparalleled. Better yet, watch this one first and then "Das Experiment"...

I have to admit that my rating is conflicted between the quality of the film (the caliber of the acting and directing), and the enjoyment/watchability of the film itself. It was superbly acted and directed - exhibited by the fact that recognizable actors blended seamlessly with their characters and eliciting sincere feelings of contempt and sympathy. However, it was not an easy film to watch. Again, I think that's a testament to the talent of the artists involved.

I do think it should be required viewing for psychology students - unfortunately this film was released after my college years.

As another reviewer stated, I really would have liked to have seen more about the final repercussions: how it affected the participants once the study was over (one would imagine some could have been left with PTSD, if only short term). In fact the film was so immersive and believable that I wondered if any of the actors fell victim to the same tendencies as the original participants and got a little lost in their roles.

I had to go online to see if there were any legal or professional repercussions for Dr. Philip Zimbardo or any of the other parties involved. The post-notes at the end of the film could have been a bit more comprehensive, as I believe there were certain practices/rules put in place for psychological studies as a direct result of this experiment (among them being the establishment of the National Research Act as well as the creation of the Institutional Review Board).

So, yes, I would definitely recommend watching this movie with the caveat that you're not going to be left feeling upbeat or warm and fuzzy.