October 10, 2006

Das Experiment Remake

(Posted In Continental Europe and Russia Cult Drama Exploitation Film News Horror USA and Canada )

das_experiment.jpgYes. I know you are not terribly interested in yet another example of an American remake of a recent film (That particular saw has pretty worn teeth these days). However, if for no other reason than the Prison Break TV show folks are remaking this film for American audiences, I ask that you to go and seek out Oliver Hirschbiegel's film version of the Stanford Prison Experiment, Das Experiment. The 2001 German film takes the creepy events around that psychology experiment as a starting point, and goes with it far enough for me to suspect that any attempt at a remake, even in light of ample opportunity for State-of-America commetary (a la Abu Ghraib), is not going to go to the places tread originally. Das Experiment is a very solid film, very much worth seeking out, remake or no remake:

'Tarek Fahd (Run Lola Run's Moritz Bleibtreu) participates with 19 other candidates in a prison-simulation experiment for two weeks advertised in a newspaper. The candidates are selected by a computer to be either prisoner or guard. The experiment begins smoothly, but quickly deteriorates as the guards develop megalomaniac tendencies. Prof. Klaus Thon, perceiving the deterioration as standard psychological reactions, refuses to end the experiment, despite the protests of his assistant. As time progresses, the guards go to great lengths to conceal their actions and keep the experiment running, and the prisoners resist as best they can.'

[Source: TimeOut via Filmstalker]

» Posted by Kurt at October 10, 2006 04:27 PM
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Reader Comments

This movie was incredible. It's thoroughly disturbing and, as often as this phrase gets thrown around, it really gets you to feel for these characters. By the time the movie was over, I hated and sympathized with these people as if they were my very own enemies and friends.

» Posted by evergreen at October 10, 2006 07:55 PM

This is ridiculous. I mean, yeah, it was a great movie but, as I remember, this movie was released in dubbed version in USA in theaters. So, why do they have to make a remake? Yeah, for cash but what are the others reasons (if there is)? But, maybe its very usefull to have american actors in an american jail. Which studio is going to remake it? Dreamworks?

» Posted by rpmasse at October 10, 2006 08:19 PM

Bah! I took some friends to this without realizing quite how intense it would be; after the show everyone was more than a little rattled. It's an amazing film - just watch the original!!!

» Posted by collin a at October 10, 2006 08:48 PM

An intense experience, I think everyone already knows how I feel about remakes by now...

» Posted by jon pais at October 10, 2006 09:23 PM

I don't expect it to be very good, but it should be interesting to see what they do with the particularly German elements of the original. I've got a review of it here.

» Posted by Jurgen Fauth at October 10, 2006 09:26 PM

One thing I didn't mention. Das Experiment has one of the best uses of the 'night-vision' DV artifact, the reflecting green eyes in a film.

» Posted by Kurt at October 10, 2006 10:04 PM

The original is great, especially cuz it is based on a true experiment, I'm not a film buff but I agree-just watch the otrignal!

» Posted by shane at October 11, 2006 02:42 AM

always watch the originals, spacialy this one!
and a dubbed version is not done, this movie must be in the German language, it gives it a nice touch.

» Posted by rohtop at October 12, 2006 02:58 PM

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