Based on the real-life research of Dr. Zimbardo, Kyle Patrick Alvarez's The Stanford Prison Experiment is an intense and fascinating film about the corruptive nature authority can have over the individual, exploring the shortcomings and raising interesting questions about the United States prison industrial complex. Dr. Zimbardo's research involves an experiment, where twenty-four male students are randomly assigned roles of prisoners and guards in a mock prison. Chronicling the research study from the selection process through its conclusion, The Stanford Prison Experiment is a film that much like the study it's based on, raising interesting questions about the nature of the individual in prison system, providing a wealth of discussion topics and ideas associated with the shortfalls of such a system and how it effects human behavior. Well-crafted and extremely well acted, The Standford Prison Experiment is a film thats raw power is hard to deny, but the film lacks the nuance and subtlety necessary to become something truly special. Starting strong, this is a film that solely runs out purpose during its running time, beginning to wallow in the horrific conditions these characters are going through instead of having anything significant to say. The way Dr. Zimbardo is portrayed in The Stanford Prison Experiment is unfocused and odd, as if the filmmakers themselves couldn't decide how to handle this man, demonizing him for letting the experiment go to far but then simultaneously patting him on the back for bringing such valuable research to the table. The film is at its best when it captures the corruptive nature of power and authority, showing how even those conducting the experiment themselves, Dr. Zimbardo included, begin to be seduced by their new-found control over individuals well being. We see the dependency the system creates over its prisoners and how it slowly strips away individuality, but the whole film simply runs out of ideas over its two hour running time.
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AuthorLove of all things cinema brought me here. Archives
June 2023
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