So the first Fortnight Film is done and dusted. We had a fair few people watch True Romance and drop us a review and film voted for during the second vote is The Experiment.
Decided to not mess around and went straight into watching this tonight. Here’s my review :
Name : Dave Woollin
What type of viewing was this for you? : Watched once or twice before
When the film was chosen what was your feeling? : Seen it before – glad it got picked
Did you watch the film specifically for this review? : Yes I watched it for Fortnight Film
How would you rate the Fortnight Film? : 4 stars – Great
“Firstly I would like to thank Sian Davidson for selecting this film and also to everyone who voted for it to be picked. It’s been a few years since I saw this but I love it.
The film tells the story of 26 strangers who volunteer to take part in an experiment over the course of 2 weeks which will pay them $1,000 a day.
They take up the roles of Prisoners and Guards. The guards are given specific rules that the prisoners must abide by and are told that they must issue necessary punishments for anything done wrong.
What starts off pretty civil, with both sides not really taking things seriously begins to descent into utter chaos as the guards begin to use their new-found power to their advantage, bringing out the worst qualities in themselves whilst also attempting to hold back an uprising from the “”prisoners””.
What I love about the film is the slow burn of the carnage that is about to unfold as we see the internal struggle of people battling against authority, as well as the flip side of seeing those in power exercising their right to use it to their advantage and prey on the vulnerable.
Do any of the guards want things to turn around as badly as they do? Probably not, but driven by greed and power, things go the wrong way pretty quickly.
Forest Whitaker puts in a great performance as Barris, the ultimate head of the guards who begins to lead the charge of disciple.
One thing I do feel like the film lacks however is the personalisation of many of the characters. We see Adrian Brody’s character and what drives him to want the $14,000 that is up for grabs, but we never really know whether the “”guards”” are in it for the cash or are more interested in just flipping out. It would have been good to see some motivation for their antics.
Great film though. 2nd time I have watched and thoroughly enjoyed…and it won’t be the last time ever I watch this.”
Leeds United Prediction League 