[Movie] A Mirror Reflecting the Stanford Prison Experiment: "Das Experiment"
*This article contains spoilers regarding the plot of the film. Please be aware if you have not seen it.
Chapter 1: When Roles Consume People
The 2001 German film "Das Experiment" was produced by director Oliver Hirschbiegel. The story is based on a famous psychology experiment actually conducted in the United States: the Stanford Prison Experiment. In 1971, Professor Philip Zimbardo led an experiment in which ordinary college students were divided into "prisoners" and "guards" and made to live in a simulated prison. Within just a few days of starting, the situation became uncontrollable, and the students playing the guards escalated their violent behavior toward those playing the prisoners. The experiment was cut short much earlier than planned, and today it is widely known as a symbolic example of how "humans are surprisingly influenced by the roles they are given."
"Das Experiment" is not a documentary that directly recreates this experiment. Rather, it expands on the idea to craft a tense thriller. The protagonist is Tarek, a former journalist turned taxi driver. He participates as a prisoner to get a scoop and earn money. The applicants are randomly divided into "guards" and "prisoners" and spend a set period living in a simulated prison equipped with surveillance cameras. At first, it seems like nothing more than an "experimental game," but as the days pass, the situation gradually tilts toward madness.
What is noteworthy is how the film gradually depicts the "transformation of humans." The subjects playing the guards initially perform their roles jokingly. However, they gradually begin to assert their positions, enforce discipline, and eventually start using violence. The prisoners, too, despite having a spirit of rebellion at first, are eventually forced into submission and obedience, losing their sense of self. Roles consume the human heart, and the boundary between acting and reality disappears. This process approaches the viewer with suffocating cinematic expression.
The director's staging thoroughly binds the audience to the enclosed space. Dark, cramped sets, surveillance cameras placed everywhere, and inorganic uniforms—these visually emphasize a situation where humans have lost their escape and are constantly exposed to the gaze of others. The audience themselves cannot help but imagine, "What if I were a prisoner?" or "What if I were a guard?" That is where the thrill of this work resides.
When we watch such a situation, we cannot simply dismiss it as "someone else's problem." This is because what the film confronts us with is the cold, hard truth that "it is not special people who are consumed by roles, but anyone can become that way." "Das Experiment" is not a horror or action movie, but rather a highly realistic thriller that uses "human behavior" itself as its material.
Chapter 2: From the Perspective of the "Banality of Evil"
Essential to a deeper reading of "Das Experiment" is the concept of the "banality of evil" presented by political philosopher Hannah Arendt. Arendt covered the trial of Nazi war criminal Adolf Eichmann and portrayed him not as a "monstrous villain" but as an "ordinary bureaucrat who had abandoned thought." He defended his actions by saying he was "just following orders," and Arendt pointed out that this very attitude demonstrated the terrifying "banality of evil."
The subjects playing the guards in "Das Experiment" are truly a microcosm of this "banality of evil." They did not have cruel personalities from the start. When the experiment began, they were just playing "guard" while laughing. However, as the situation escalated over time, they began to find pleasure in controlling the prisoners and gradually came to justify violence and humiliation.
What is important here is that they did not have any special malice. "It's my role," "It's the rules," "The person in charge said so"—the accumulation of such excuses makes cruel acts possible. It is precisely this "suspension of thought" that gives birth to violence.
In the film, the protagonist Tarek tries to resist the guards' tyranny. However, that resistance is often seen as "interfering with the experiment" and is suppressed by force by those playing the guards. The guards believe, "I am not doing anything wrong. I am doing what is necessary to make the experiment a success." What Arendt saw was that this "suspension of thought carried out in the name of justice or duty" is what makes evil banal.
With this perspective, the horror of "Das Experiment" becomes even clearer. What the film depicts is not the runaway of abnormal psychology, but a "structure that anyone might fall into if placed in it." The people playing the guards are just ordinary people as individuals. However, when they surrender themselves to their roles, they become terrifying precisely because they are ordinary.
Arendt's concept of the "banality of evil" deepens the allegorical nature of the film. "Das Experiment" emerges not just as a prison thriller, but as a work that illuminates the dangers lurking in everyday life. When we stop thinking in our daily lives, saying "my boss told me to" or "it's a social custom," what kind of violence might sprout from those actions? The film asks us this sharply.
Chapter 3: Humans as "The They"—Heidegger's "Das Man"
To read "Das Experiment" more deeply, I would like to take up the concept of "Das Man" (the They) presented by Martin Heidegger in "Being and Time." Heidegger pointed out that human existence often has a tendency to behave not as "oneself," but like the general "people" in society. It is a way of being where an individual abandons self-judgment and is absorbed into an anonymous crowd, in the form of "everyone is doing it" or "this is how it's normally done."
In this mode of existence of "the They," the subject can let go of responsibility. The basis for action is replaced not by "because I want to," but by "because people do it." The individual erases themselves and begins to speak for the voice of the crowd.
The process by which the subjects playing the guards transform in the film clearly reflects this way of being of "the They." They were not violent from the start, but they escalate their actions by convincing themselves that "it is natural to behave as a guard" or "it is the rules." Acts of humiliating prisoners are also supported by the excuse that "the role requires it" rather than individual malice. There is no subject taking responsibility for themselves there, only anonymous actions as "the They" remain.
What is terrifying about this depiction is that the guards are not "especially bad people." Before participating in the experiment, they were just ordinary people living their daily lives. Nevertheless, once given a role, they immediately sink into the anonymity of "the They" and lose sight of themselves. Here, the danger of human existence that Heidegger depicted is vividly recreated.
Chapter 4: Cinematic Expression and Group Psychology
It is director Oliver Hirschbiegel's skillful direction that visually reinforces this philosophical theme. The simulated prison that serves as the film's setting is a space so enclosed that it makes the audience feel suffocated. Narrow corridors, thick iron doors, and the inorganic light of fluorescent lamps—these elements visually embody the psychological pressure on the characters.
Furthermore, the insertion of surveillance camera footage throughout the film amplifies the sensation of being watched by someone. The participants playing the guards become conscious of that gaze and attempt to perform the 'expected role.' Conversely, those playing the prisoners are made to realize that they cannot escape from anywhere. The presence of the camera is also a symbol of the anonymous gaze of 'the they' (das Man).
It is also worth noting that many of the scenes where violence occurs are depicted as a 'group.' When several guards cooperate to pin down a prisoner, it becomes ambiguous who threw the first punch. Responsibility is diffused, and individual judgment dissolves into the crowd. This is a scene that visually expresses how the anonymity of 'the they' drives people toward violence.
The sound design also supports the intensity of this film. The sound of metal doors closing, the echo of footsteps, and the static of radios make the prison space feel visceral. Here, humans are transformed not into individuals, but into objects to be managed. The audience, too, is made to share in the suffocation as if they were entering the screen themselves.
Such visual expression goes beyond mere thriller direction. Rather, it is a mechanism to make the audience 'experience' the psychology of humans dominated by roles. Unconsciously, the audience is made to imagine, 'What would I do if I were placed in this situation?' The pressure created by the visuals and sound serves as a device to make the philosophical theme felt more intensely.
Chapter 5: Tarek's Resistance and the Audience's Question
The protagonist, Tarek, is the one who attempts to resist this situation. As a former journalist with an eye for observing society, and currently working as a taxi driver while still retaining his reporter's spirit, he is the first to sense the abnormality of the experiment. He encourages his fellow prisoners and tries to raise his voice against the guards' tyranny. His actions can be said to embody the figure of a 'thinking human.'
However, Tarek's resistance is always crushed. The guards view him as a 'troublemaker' and attempt to force his compliance through violence. At that moment, they are not conscious that they are 'committing violence.' They are convinced that they are 'enforcing the rules' or that it is 'necessary for the success of the experiment.' This structure of excuses is the very point where Arendt's 'banality of evil' and Heidegger's 'the they' intersect.
While empathizing with Tarek, the audience cannot help but ask, 'If I were a prisoner, could I really resist?' It is not easy to be the only one to raise a voice while the majority chooses silence and obedience. Tarek looks brave, but at the same time, he is lonely and powerless. His figure symbolizes the difficulty of dissenting in society.
What is thrust upon the audience at this moment is by no means a question confined to the movie. The same structure is repeated in our workplaces, schools, and local communities. When we stop thinking because 'my boss said so' or 'everyone else is doing it,' we choose to live as 'the they.' Tarek's resistance is a mirror that asks the audience, 'What will you do?'
Tarek does not achieve a complete victory in the end. However, the very fact that he resisted holds significant meaning in the film. It demonstrates that 'humans do not always sink into being 'the they,' but possess the potential to rethink.' While 'Das Experiment' is a desperate thriller, it is also a work that depicts a small hope for human freedom.
Chapter 6: The Prison Lurking in Daily Life
When finishing 'Das Experiment,' many in the audience might first feel, 'This is an extreme situation.' They think that a limited space, forced roles, and life under surveillance are what drove people to madness. However, what is terrifying about the film is that the mechanisms depicted are by no means from a distant world. Rather, they lurk in the extension of our daily lives.
Whether it is a corporate organization, a school classroom, or a local community, people take on roles and act according to those frameworks. Following a boss's instructions, conforming to custom, or remaining silent in the face of the majority opinion—it is no exaggeration to say that we place ourselves in small 'prisons' every day. There, anyone can become a guard or a prisoner. If positions change due to circumstances, those who were oppressed yesterday may stand on the side of oppressing others today.
What the film reflects is this plasticity and danger of human existence. The participants playing the guards were by no means evil people. However, by stopping their thinking with excuses like 'it's my role' or 'it's the rules,' they escalated the violence. This is nothing other than what Arendt called the 'banality of evil.' And that attitude is also the mode of existence of 'the they' described by Heidegger. In the anonymity of 'not me, but because everyone else does it,' people lose sight of themselves.
So, knowing this structure, how can we behave? The film does not give us an answer. However, it seems to offer several hints. One of them is the existence of the protagonist, Tarek. He resists the majority and attempts to resist alongside his fellow prisoners. His actions are often crushed, but he does not stop standing up as a 'thinking human.' Tarek's lonely struggle overlaps with the figures of those who raise their voices as a minority in real society.
Of course, we in reality are not always as brave as Tarek. In most situations, we would likely choose silence or obedience. Even so, through this film, the audience is confronted with the question, 'What would I do?' Will you participate in violence as a guard, submit as a prisoner, or look for room to rethink? 'Das Experiment' creates an experience where the audience themselves is held responsible for responding to this question.
Thinking further, the changes in society since the film's release in 2001 have made the work's meaning even heavier. With the spread of social media, we have been placed in a situation where we are constantly 'being watched by someone.' Metrics like 'likes' and follower counts act like the surveillance cameras of a prison, binding people's behavior. Everyone conforms to the voices of the majority as 'the they' and attempts to exclude dissent. That structure is surprisingly similar to the prison depicted in 'Das Experiment.'
In other words, this film is a work based on a past experiment, but at the same time, it is a mirror reflecting modern society. Roles and rules, surveillance and conformity, the banality of evil and 'the they'—these are the realities we face every day. The suffocation felt while watching the film is not just the tension of fiction, but a reflection of the very world we live in.
Conclusion: The Question Left by 'Das Experiment'
Oliver Hirschbiegel's 'Das Experiment,' while based on the Stanford Prison Experiment, goes beyond a mere psychological thriller to pose fundamental questions about human existence. It reveals how assigned roles consume individuals and give birth to the banality of evil. At the same time, it vividly depicts the anonymous way of being as 'the they' (das Man) described by Heidegger.
When the film ends, the audience will likely be left with two feelings. One is despair. People are so easily swallowed by their roles, abandoning thought and resorting to violence. A shudder remains at how fragile humanity truly is. Yet, the other is hope. It is the fact that individuals like Tarek, who resist and rethink, do indeed exist. Even if he does not achieve total victory, his stance of resistance offers a possibility to the audience.
This ambiguity is the power of 'Das Experiment.' The audience is not merely consuming a story, but is given an opportunity to reflect on their own way of being. When we become conscious of the prisons lurking in our daily lives, will we be swept away by the banality of evil or the anonymity of 'the they,' or will we, like Tarek, stop and reclaim our ability to think? The answer must be taken up by us, outside the film.
'Das Experiment' is not just a piece of entertainment, but a device that prompts ethical self-reflection. Even after the audience leaves the screen, the question remains. That is precisely why this film has not faded even more than 20 years after its release; rather, it has gained increasing weight in considering modern surveillance society and collective psychology.
Ultimately, this film poses a quiet challenge to the audience. Will you live as one of 'the they,' swallowed by the banality of evil? Or will you live as a human who rethinks and resists? When forced to make that choice, we can no longer remain mere bystanders. 'Das Experiment' transcends the boundaries of film and is, in itself, a question directed at each and every one of us.
↓ A remake has also been released.