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Students of high school or university psychology classes are probably familiar with the Stanford Prison Experiment. Run in 1971 at the behest of the U.S. Navy, the experiment intended to investigate the cause of conflict between guards and prisoners in military correctional facilities. Dr. Philip Zimbardo and his team chose 24 male Stanford students and divvied them up into guards and prisoners. Turning the basement of one of the student halls into a makeshift prison, Zimbardo placed his subjects under surveillance and watched as the prisoners became passive and the guards exhibited authority by way of sometimes sadistic psychological torture. Zimbardo ended the experiment 6 days into its 2-week run, mostly due to the objections of his fiancée. She felt Zimbardo had become an unhealthy part of his own experiment.

A documentary about this could potentially be fascinating, as some of the actual experiment exists on film. Unfortunately, “The Stanford Prison Experiment” is a dramatization, and no matter how much it may adhere to the well-documented specifics of Zimbardo’s work, it is a massive failure. It prefers to abstract the experiment from any psychological theories or details, opting instead to merely harp on endless, repetitive scenes of prisoner abuse. One particular guard, who thinks he’s Strother Martin in “ Cool Hand Luke ,” abuses the prisoners. The prisoners take the abuse, rebelling once or twice before becoming passive. Zimbardo glares at a TV screen doing nothing while his guards break the rules of the contract everybody signed at the outset. Repeat ad nauseum.

These scenes are supposed to shock the viewer, but they did not work for me, because I just didn’t care. The film reduces the entire experiment to a Dead Teenager movie whose slasher just roughs them up. Prisoners are referred to by numbers in order to strip them of their personal identities, and the film keeps them at this level of distance. We never get to know any subject outside of brief sketches, so the victims become disposable. Despite the best efforts of the actors on both sides of the law, the film is completely clinical in its depiction, striking the same note for over 2 hours. It gets real dull, real fast.

I didn’t care because this isn’t remotely like an actual prison; it’s a bunch of privileged kids playing dress-up for $15 a day. Even a priest Zimbardo hires as a prison chaplain tells the doctor “it’s good that these privileged kids experience prison life.” The actual reasons for the experiment (and its military involvement) are never expressed in Tim Talbott ’s screenplay, so the priest’s comment almost serves as the reason for these tests. And the film takes great pains to tell us that nobody in the experiment suffered “long term psychological damage” after it was abruptly cancelled. I’m sure someone who has experienced the harsh realities of actual prison life would feel relieved that these young men weren’t scarred.

The best scene in “The Stanford Prison Experiment” deals with an actual prisoner and serves to highlight my disdain for how the film trades emotion and details for exploitative shocks. The fantastic Nelsan Ellis (last seen in “ Get On Up ”) plays Jesse, an ex-con brought in by Zimbardo’s team as an expert witness to their proceedings. At a mock parole board hearing, Jesse rips into an inmate, treating him as inhumanely as possible while verbally shredding the inmate’s explanation for why he should be paroled. After the stunned inmate is sent back to his cell, Jesse reveals that he was recreating his own parole board treatment. He tells Zimbardo that playing the role of his own tormentor “felt good, and I hated that it did.” This, in a nutshell, is what the actual experiment sought to explore, that is, the nature of even the nicest human beings to commit evil. Jesse’s revelation, and the psychological toll it takes on him, is more effective than anything else the film conjures up. If only the movie had spent more time interacting with the Strother Martin-wannabe’s own thoughts rather than trudging him out only for sadism.

The film reduces Zimbardo to some kind of megalomaniac who doesn’t know what he is doing. This makes his research seem half-assed and unethical. He watches the guards strike the prisoners (a direct violation of the rules) and the film paints him as the biggest villain of all. He challenges anyone who questions his methods and authority, and at one point, he absurdly sits in a hallway like a low-rent Charles Bronson hoping for the return of a subject who might jeopardize his research. (In the actual case, Zimbardo simply moves the prison to a location unknown by the subject.) And though his intentions are to “feminize” the prisoners by giving them “dresses” that barely hide their genitalia, “The Stanford Prison Experiment” implies that Zimbardo’s sole reason for stopping the experiment was the moment when his guards forced the inmates into a gay sex pantomime. Violence and hog-tying inmates were OK, but none of that gay stuff, the movie seems to say.

Billy Crudup deserves some kind of medal for his attempt to breathe life into his one dimensional character, as do actors like Ezra Miller and Olivia Thirlby . But they are undermined by a poor script, horror movie-style music and ripe dramatizations that exist solely to make the viewer feel superior. I despise movies like this and “ Compliance ” because they pretend to say something profound about their scenarios but are, at heart, cynically manipulative trash designed to make audiences pat themselves on the back for not being “like those people.” Had we been forced to identify with anyone, prisoner or guard, the film might have achieved the palpable discomfort of forcing us to look at ourselves. That was one of the goals of the actual Stanford Prison Experiment. This movie just wants to superficially disturb, and it’s not even successful at that.

Odie Henderson

Odie "Odienator" Henderson has spent over 33 years working in Information Technology. He runs the blogs Big Media Vandalism and Tales of Odienary Madness. Read his answers to our Movie Love Questionnaire here .

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The Stanford Prison Experiment movie poster

The Stanford Prison Experiment (2015)

Rated R for language including abusive behavior and some sexual references

122 minutes

Billy Crudup as Dr. Philip Zimbardo

Ezra Miller as Daniel Culp - Prisoner '8612'

Michael Angarano as Christopher Archer

Tye Sheridan as Peter Mitchell - Prisoner 819

Olivia Thirlby as Christina Zimbardo

Johnny Simmons as Jeff Jansen

Gaius Charles as Banks

James Wolk as Penny

Thomas Mann as Prisoner 416

Moisés Arias as Actor

Keir Gilchrist as John Lovett

Nelsan Ellis as Jesse Fletcher

Kyle Patrick Alvarez
Tim Talbott

Director of Photography

Jas Shelton

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The Stanford Prison Experiment

Where to watch.

Watch The Stanford Prison Experiment with a subscription on Paramount+, rent on Prime Video, Apple TV, or buy on Prime Video, Apple TV.

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As chillingly thought-provoking as it is absorbing and well-acted, The Stanford Prison Experiment offers historical drama that packs a timelessly relevant punch.

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Kyle Patrick Alvarez

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Dr. Philip Zimbardo

Michael Angarano

Christopher Archer

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The Stanford Prison Experiment

In 1971, twenty-four male students are selected to take on randomly assigned roles of prisoners and guards in a mock prison situated in the basement of the Stanford psychology building.
The Stanford prison experiment was ostensibly a psychological study of human responses to captivity and its behavioral effects on both authorities and inmates in prison. It was conducted in 1971 by a team of researchers led by Philip Zimbardo of Stanford University. Undergraduate volunteers played the roles of both guards and prisoners living in a mock prison in the basement of the Stanford psychology building. Within one day things got out of hand, and the "guards" used unmonitored brute force on many of the inmates. The experiment was cancelled after 6 days instead of the planned 14.

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Review: ‘The Stanford Prison Experiment’ Revisits the Psychology of Power and Abuse

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By Neil Genzlinger

July 16, 2015

Fine ensemble acting brings a notorious psychological study to life in “The Stanford Prison Experiment.” The research, now 44 years old, may today seem as if it merely confirmed the obvious, but the film, by Kyle Patrick Alvarez, certainly makes you feel the claustrophobic intensity of what went on.

The film is about a 1971 study done by a Stanford University professor, Philip Zimbardo, in which students were recruited to play either guards or inmates in a make-believe prison. Guess what? People put in positions of authority, like prison guards, sometimes abuse that authority, and in startlingly cruel ways.

Anatomy | The Stanford Prison Experiment

In this anatomy of a scene, kyle patrick alvarez narrates a sequence from his film..

Billy Crudup, playing Dr. Zimbardo, is the most recognizable name in the cast, and he does nice work portraying a man who, as the experiment spirals out of control, is torn between protecting the students and protecting his research. But it’s the young actors playing the students who really make an impression.

Michael Angarano is downright terrifying as a guard who patterns his behavior after a particularly nasty character in the prison movie “Cool Hand Luke,” which had come out in 1967. The students playing prisoners adopt attitudes ranging from rebellious to meek, but none are immune to the brutal treatment of their overseers.

The experiment’s methodologies and meanings have been analyzed endlessly over the years, and the film doesn’t delve deeply into these interpretations and critiques. It doesn’t need to; this stark and riveting version of events speaks for itself.

“The Stanford Prison Experiment” is rated R (Under 17 requires accompanying parent or adult guardian) for language and intensity.

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THE STANFORD PRISON EXPERIMENT PRETITLE

from Kim Duke

'The highlight of a weekend of prison documentaries'. The Times

BBC documentary on one of the most controversial experiments in the history of psychology, invoked to shed light on everything from the abuse of prisoners at Abu Ghraib, to prison rioting and police brutality. In 1971 Professor Philip Zimbardo recruited students to play prisoners or guards in a makeshift jail to examine the nature of good and evil. Due to last two weeks, within days four prisoners suffered breakdowns and a fifth was on hunger strike. With testimony from the original participants, the film uncovers why the behaviour of all involved, including its instigator, became so extreme that the experiment had to be abruptly terminated in less than a week.

International Premiere

The stanford prison experiment: unlocking the truth, documentary.

A groundbreaking look at the infamous Stanford Prison Experiment, through the first-hand accounts of the original prisoners and guards. Their stories unravel a new narrative that interrogates the motives of the man pulling the strings, Dr. Philip Zimbardo, while exploring larger questions of human nature and the power of perspective. Utilizing Rashomon -style reenactments and an Act of Killing- inspired reunion component, the project brings the layers of storytelling to unexpected levels.

After the Screening: A conversation with Director and EP Juliette Eisner, EP Alex Braverman, Supervising Editor Mohamed El Monasterly, and participants Doug Korpi, Dave Eshleman, and Jerry Shue.

Cast & Credits

Executive producer (main credit), cinematographer, co-executive producer, supervising editor, showrunner/executive producer, main contact, press contact, technical contact, amc 19th st. east 6, tribeca festival partners, presenting partner, signature partners.

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The Stanford Prison Experiment

Revisits a landmark experiment with no new hypotheses

Time Out says

Here’s a vivid but crushingly literal dramatisation of an event that appears as a case study in every psychology textbook published in the past 40 years. In the late summer of 1971, US academic Philip Zimbardo (Billy Crudup) designed an experiment in which 24 male students simulated a prison environment for two weeks. The subjects were randomly assigned one of two roles: prisoner or guard. Barely 24 hours passed before violence erupted and the project was cut short after just six days. Adapted from a book Zimbardo wrote in 2007, ‘The Stanford Prison Experiment’ unfolds with all the drama and insight of a Wikipedia page. Despite assembling a top-tier cast of buzzy young talent (including Ezra Miller and Tye Sheridan), the film can’t overcome the feeling that its actors have less conviction in their parts than Zimbardo’s original subjects did. It’s hard to shake the thought that a documentary about the making of this movie would have been a more insightful way of re-examining Zimbardo’s work, particularly as front-page atrocities like Abu Ghraib continue to affirm his findings.

Release Details

Release date: Friday 10 June 2016
Duration: 122 mins

Cast and crew

Director: Kyle Patrick Alvarez
Billy Crudup
Michael Angarano
Ezra Miller

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Play Trailer

.cls-1 { fill: #ffffff; }, the stanford prison experiment.

Billy Crudup
Ezra Miller
Michael Angarano
Tye Sheridan
Johnny Simmons
Olivia Thirlby
Thomas Mann

So disturbing, intense and believable that it's easy to forget we're watching a movie. — Justin Gerber, Consequence of Sound

A masterful film. Director Kyle Patrick Alvarez deserves all the praise in the world for the way he cranks up this pressure cooker script. — Jordan Hoffman, The Guardian

One of the best, most harrowing films of the year. — Brent McKnight, Cinema Blend

Chilling. A riveting, powerful, provocative film. — Kyle Smith, New York Post

Presented by IFC Films | United States | Jul 17th, 2015 | 122 MINS | R

What happens when a college psych study goes shockingly wrong? In this tense, psychological thriller based on the notorious true story, Billy Crudup stars as Stanford University professor Dr. Philip Zimbardo, who, in 1971, cast 24 student volunteers as prisoners and guards in a simulated jail to examine the source of abusive behavior in the prison system. The results astonished the world, as participants went from middle-class undergrads to drunk-with-power sadists and submissive victims in just a few days. Winner of two awards at the Sundance Film Festival, including Best Screenplay, and created with the close participation of Dr. Zimbardo himself, The Stanford Prison Experiment is a chilling, edge-of-your-seat thriller about the dark side of power and the effects of imprisonment. Featuring an extraordinary cast of rising young actors, including Ezra Miller, Olivia Thirlby, Tye Sheridan, Keir Gilchrist, Michael Angarano, and Thomas Mann.

Kyle Patrick Alvarez
Brent Emery
Karen Lauder
Lizzie Friedman
Greg Little
Lauren Bratman
Tim Talbott

Waldo Salt Screenwriting Award

Sundance Film Festival

Alfred P. Sloan Feature Film Prize

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The Takeaway

The true story behind the stanford prison experiment.

The Stanford Prison Experiment

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13 Comments

The Stanford prison experiment was a study of the psychological effects of becoming a prisoner or prison guard. The experiment was conducted from August 14 to 20, 1971 by a team of researchers led by Psychology professor Philip Zimbardo at Stanford University. It was funded by a grant from the U.S. Office of Naval Research and was of interest to both the US Navy and Marine Corps in order to determine the causes of conflict between military guards and prisoners.

Twenty-four students were selected out of 75 to play the prisoners and live in a mock prison in the basement of the Stanford psychology building. Roles were assigned randomly. The participants adapted to their roles well beyond what even Zimbardo himself expected, leading the “Officers” to display authoritarian measures and ultimately to subject some of the prisoners to torture. In turn, many of the prisoners developed passive attitudes and accepted physical abuse, and, at the request of the guards, readily inflicted punishment on other prisoners who attempted to stop it. The experiment even affected Zimbardo himself, who, in his capacity as “Prison Superintendent,” lost sight of his role as psychologist and permitted the abuse to continue as though it were a real prison. Five of the prisoners were upset enough by the process to quit the experiment early, and the entire experiment was abruptly stopped after only six days. The experimental process and the results remain controversial.

The results of the experiment are said to support situational attribution of behavior rather than dispositional attribution. In other words, it seemed the situation caused the participants’ behavior, rather than anything inherent in their individual personalities. In this way, it is compatible with the results of the also-famous Milgram experiment, in which ordinary people fulfilled orders to administer what appeared to be agonizing and dangerous electric shocks to a confederate of the experimenter.

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https://skeptoid.com/episodes/4102

Go to Skeptoid.com and search for this episode and you will see this experiment and it’s results are a load of bollocks. The film was also crap too.

Be careful are of your words for they become your thoughts be careful of your thoughts for they become your actions, be careful of your actions for they become your character, be careful of your character for it becomes your destiny.

I am reminded of the underlying message of Kurt Vonnegut’s “Mother Night”: “Be careful what you pretend to be, because you are what you pretend to be.”

Very interesting to see the power of identities. When we take our identities as who we are, what then are we capable of. Not just identities of prisoners or guards, but identities in any part of society.

I took from this that we should not define ourselves with the roles that society give us. They are not who we are.

I can tell you now , and im only 1 minute in, I went to a catholic boarding school , we were innocent children , we couldnt get use to the long hour punishments…… SO YOUR ANSWER IS NO!!!!!!!!!!!

“we couldnt get use to the long hour punishments”

So, you accepted the punishments and acted in accord with the institution – in this case, the formal structure of your circumstances? So, when you say “NO!!!!!!!!!!!”, I take it you mean ‘yes’ instead.

what was the question?,

“What happens if you put good people in an evil place? Does the situation outside of you meaning the institution, come to control your behavior? or the other question was… Or do the things inside of you (moral, value, etc) allow you to become above? I’m not sure to which part she is answering NO, héhé

37 Facts About The Movie The Stanford Prison Experiment

Written by Karine Doe

Modified & Updated: 09 Jun 2024

Reviewed by Jessica Corbett

37-facts-about-the-movie-the-stanford-prison-experiment

The Stanford Prison Experiment is a gripping and thought-provoking movie that delves deep into the dark and disturbing realm of human behavior. Based on the infamous 1971 psychological study of the same name conducted by Stanford psychologist Philip Zimbardo, this film takes viewers on a harrowing journey as it explores the depths to which ordinary people can descend when placed in positions of power and control.

Directed by Kyle Patrick Alvarez, The Stanford Prison Experiment boasts a stellar cast including Billy Crudup, Ezra Miller, and Michael Angarano, who deliver exceptional performances that bring the intense story to life. This movie not only captivates viewers with its raw and unsettling portrayal of the experiment, but it also raises important ethical and moral questions about the nature of authority, conformity, and the inherent darkness that may lurk within us all.

Key Takeaways:

The Stanford Prison Experiment movie, based on real events, explores the dark side of human behavior and raises important ethical questions about scientific research and human subjects.
The film’s realistic portrayal and thought-provoking themes sparked renewed interest in the original experiment, highlighting the influence of situational factors on behavior and the potential dangers of unchecked power dynamics.

The Stanford Prison Experiment was released in 2015.

The film depicts the infamous psychological study conducted at Stanford University in 1971.

The movie is based on real events.

The storyline closely follows the actual events that took place during the experiment.

The film was directed by Kyle Patrick Alvarez.

Alvarez expertly captured the tension and psychological dynamics of the experiment .

The screenplay was written by Tim Talbott.

Talbott’s script delves deep into the ethical and moral implications of the study.

The movie stars Billy Crudup as Dr. Philip Zimbardo.

Crudup’s portrayal of the renowned psychologist is captivating and thought-provoking.

The cast also includes Michael Angarano, Ezra Miller, and Tye Sheridan.

These talented actors bring the roles of the prisoners and guards to life.

The film explores the dark side of human behavior.

It delves into the psychological effects of power and authority on individuals.

The Stanford Prison Experiment was met with critical acclaim.

It received positive reviews for its realistic portrayal and thought-provoking themes.

The movie won the Alfred P. Sloan Feature Film Prize at the 2015 Sundance Film Festival.

This award recognizes films with a scientific or technological theme.

The Stanford Prison Experiment was shot in just 21 days.

The production team worked tirelessly to recreate the prison environment.

The film conveys a sense of claustrophobia and tension.

The confined setting adds to the intensity of the story and the psychological pressure experienced by the participants.

The movie raises important ethical questions.

It challenges the boundaries of scientific research and the treatment of human subjects.

The Stanford Prison Experiment received numerous accolades.

It was recognized for its screenplay, direction, and ensemble cast.

The film’s release sparked a renewed interest in the original experiment.

Many viewers sought out the documentary and other materials related to the study.

The movie unfolds in a documentary-style format.

This adds to the authenticity of the story and creates a sense of realism.

The events portrayed in the movie shocked the public in real life.

They brought attention to the potential dangers of unchecked power dynamics.

The Stanford Prison Experiment highlights the influence of situational factors on behavior.

It demonstrates how individuals can be easily influenced by their environment.

The movie’s production design accurately recreates the prison setting.

The attention to detail enhances the film’s authenticity and immersion.

The Stanford Prison Experiment has a runtime of 122 minutes.

This allows for a thorough exploration of the experiment and its consequences.

The film’s soundtrack enhances the suspenseful atmosphere.

The music intensifies the psychological tension and creates an unsettling mood.

The Stanford Prison Experiment received positive audience reactions.

It sparked discussions about human behavior and the impacts of authority.

The movie showcases the emotional toll the experiment had on the participants.

It reveals the psychological distress caused by the simulated prison environment.

The Stanford Prison Experiment portrays the controversial methods used in the study.

It raises questions about the boundaries of ethical research practices.

The film presents the role of Dr. Philip Zimbardo in a complex light.

It explores his motivations, decisions, and the ethical dilemmas he faced.

The Stanford Prison Experiment offers a chilling commentary on human nature.

It shows how easily individuals can be drawn into abusive roles and behaviors.

The movie delves into the psychological effects of deindividuation.

It examines how individuals can surrender their personal identities in a group setting.

The Stanford Prison Experiment emphasizes the power of social roles.

It demonstrates how people can be influenced to conform to assigned roles.

The film’s cinematography adds to the feeling of unease.

The use of close-ups and low lighting contributes to the film’s unsettling atmosphere.

The Stanford Prison Experiment aims to provoke thought and discussion.

It encourages viewers to reflect on the darker aspects of human behavior.

The movie remains faithful to the core findings of the original study.

It stays true to the psychological principles and dynamics observed during the experiment.

The Stanford Prison Experiment challenges traditional notions of good and evil.

It shows how circumstances can influence individuals to act in cruel or compassionate ways.

The film’s performances have been praised for their authenticity.

The actors effectively convey the emotional turmoil experienced by the participants.

The Stanford Prison Experiment shines a light on the dark side of human psychology.

It reveals the potential for cruelty and abuse that lies within all individuals.

The movie explores the concept of individual identity within a group setting.

It examines how the experiment blurred the boundaries between self and role.

The Stanford Prison Experiment serves as a cautionary tale.

It reminds us of the dangers of unchecked power and the need for ethical safeguards.

The film’s conclusion leaves viewers contemplating the lasting effects of the experiment.

It raises questions about the long-term psychological impact on the participants.

The Stanford Prison Experiment is a thought-provoking and unsettling film.

It shines a spotlight on the dark aspects of human nature and the power of situational factors.

The Stanford Prison Experiment is a thought-provoking and deeply disturbing film that offers a chilling insight into the dark side of human nature. The movie explores the psychological effects of power and authority, raising important questions about the ethics of conducting experiments on human subjects. With its gripping storytelling and powerful performances, The Stanford Prison Experiment leaves a lasting impact on viewers, forcing them to confront uncomfortable truths about the potential for both good and evil within us all.

Q: Is The Stanford Prison Experiment based on a true story?

A: Yes, the movie is based on the true events of a psychological experiment conducted at Stanford University in 1971.

Q: What is the premise of The Stanford Prison Experiment?

A: The film depicts the experiment in which a group of college students were divided into prisoners and guards to simulate a prison environment, highlighting the effects of power dynamics on human behavior.

Q: Who directed The Stanford Prison Experiment?

A: The movie was directed by Kyle Patrick Alvarez.

Q: Which actors starred in The Stanford Prison Experiment?

A: The film features an ensemble cast, including Billy Crudup , Michael Angarano, Ezra Miller, and Tye Sheridan.

Q: What is the significance of The Stanford Prison Experiment?

A: The experiment and subsequent movie shed light on the potential for ordinary individuals to succumb to abusive behavior when placed in positions of power and authority.

Q: Are there any ethical concerns surrounding The Stanford Prison Experiment?

A: Yes, the experiment faced significant ethical criticism for the psychological harm it caused to the participants, leading to the discontinuation of the study.

Q: Can The Stanford Prison Experiment be viewed as an accurate portrayal of the actual events?

A: While the movie provides a dramatized version of the experiment, it captures the essence of the events and the psychological implications of the study.

Q: Is The Stanford Prison Experiment a documentary or a fictional film?

A: The movie is a fictionalized account of the real-life experiment, blending elements of drama and psychological thriller.

Q: How does The Stanford Prison Experiment provoke discussion and debate?

A: The film ignites conversations about the effects of power, human behavior, and the ethical considerations when conducting experiments on human subjects.

Q: Where can I watch The Stanford Prison Experiment?

A: The movie is available for streaming on various platforms, such as Netflix and Amazon Prime.

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Intel plans massive layoffs that will slash 15,000 workers worldwide, things to do, stanford prison experiment: how accurate is the movie philip zimbardo weighs in.

Michael Angarano as Christopher Archer, Ki Hong Lee as Gavin Lee/3401, Brett Davern as Hubbie Whitlow/7258, Tye Sheridan as Peter Mitchell/819, Johnny Simmons as Jeff Jansen/1037, Ezra Miller as Daniel Culp/8612,and Chris Sheffield as Tom Thompson/2093 in 'The Stanford Prison Experiment.' (Steve Dietls/IFC)

In August 1971, male undergraduates at Stanford University subjected one another to psychological abuse, sleep deprivation and sexual degradation in the basement of Jordan Hall. This wasn’t some sick fraternity hazing ritual, but a university-approved study about prison behavior headed by Philip Zimbardo, a 38-year-old professor in the psychology department.

The Stanford Prison Experiment has since became famous — or infamous — and is seen either as a dangerous exercise in academic hubris or a groundbreaking demonstration on the nature of evil. Over the years, its lessons have been applied to everything from bullying in schools to societies swept up in war and genocide.

On Friday, the feature film “The Stanford Prison Experiment” opens in the Bay Area, potentially reigniting debate about the experiment’s lessons — especially in light of President Obama’s calls for prison reform and renewed concerns about abuse of authority in law enforcement.

Critics, including other psychologists and some participants, continue to question the validity of the study, which Zimbardo insists demonstrates that the dynamics of certain situations can lead ordinary people to behave badly. They also fault Zimbardo for inserting himself into the experiment and not stopping the mistreatment until challenged by his colleague and future wife Christina Maslach.

Zimbardo, whose professional fame is largely tied to the study, acknowledges its flaws but stands by his thesis.

In an interview at a San Francisco cafe, the retired Stanford professor says the new film offers a chilling, accurate re-creation of the experiment. Now 82, Zimbardo still sports his signature black goatee. Speaking in a soft, friendly voice that carries a hint of his South Bronx childhood, he notes that the film doesn’t spare him from judgment. This is true in one particular scene that’s “seared” into his memory in which his on-screen counterpart, played Billy Crudup, has become so caught up in an authoritarian mentality that he dismisses a visiting mother’s concerns about her son’s haggard appearance.

“Without thinking, I turn to the husband and ask, ‘Do you think your boy can handle it? Do you think he’s tough enough?'”

Later that night, the student broke down emotionally and had to leave the experiment, Zimbardo recalls, almost shuddering at the memory.

In his 2007 book “The Lucifer Effect,” Zimbardo focused on the study’s relevance to dehumanizing practices in U.S. prisons and says it illuminates systemic factors that led U.S. soldiers to abuse detainees at Iraq’s Abu Ghraib prison.

“Abu Ghraib was the Stanford experiment on steroids,” says Zimbardo, who served as a defense expert for one of the U.S. soldiers.

Zimbardo admits he didn’t know much about prisons before launching his study.

The subjects were 24 psychologically healthy male college students, paid $15 a day to participate and randomly assigned to play prisoners or guards. Zimbardo outfitted the guards in khaki uniforms and mirrored sunglasses and told them to create an atmosphere in which the prisoners felt “powerless.” The experiment took place in Jordan Hall’s basement where offices, vacated for the summer, were transformed into the Stanford County Prison.

For audiences watching the movie filmed in a studio facsimile the claustrophobic environment Zimbardo created is palpable. With no windows or clocks, the setting contributed to prisoners’ losing their sense of time, identity and connection to the outside world.

For the prisoners, that sense began almost immediately when cooperating Palo Alto police officers “arrested” and blindfolded them, and transported them to the mock prison. Once there, what appears in the film to be teenage boys playing guards, order a prisoner to strip and tell him he will only be known by the number on the dress he’s given to wear.

But things didn’t get truly ugly until Day Two, when some prisoners revolted by tearing the numbers off their dresses and barricading themselves in their cells.

With Zimbardo’s permission, the guards stepped up their aggressive tactics. One guard, nicknamed John Wayne, adopted the persona of a Southern prison guard, a la “Cool Hand Luke,” forcing prisoners out of bed in the middle of the night and ordering them to complete arbitrary tasks. Toward the end, he ordered prisoners to feign sexual contact.

“John Wayne” is Dave Eshelman, then the 18-year-old son of a Stanford engineering professor.

Eshelman, now a successful mortgage broker in Saratoga, denies that the situation intoxicated him with power. Rather, the former star of his high school plays says he felt obligated to earn his $15 a day.

“I decided I was going to make something happen and be the nastiest guard possible,” he says in a phone interview. He borrowed his intimidation tactics from his freshman fraternity hazing rituals. He knows that his teenage self was insensitive to the discomfort he caused others and is grateful that no one was permanently harmed. Because he says he was giving Zimbardo’s team what he believed they wanted, he says the study “was good theater,” but notes, “It’s an open question if it was good science.”

Another student, Douglas Korpi, also featured prominently in the film as Daniel Culp, has described a mix of reactions to participating in the experiment over the years. As prisoner 8612, Korpi became the first to leave the study after breaking down crying and screaming.

In an interview for “Quiet Rage,” the 1992 documentary about the experiment, Korpi, now an East Bay forensic psychologist, validates some of Zimbardo’s assertions. He said the Stanford prison was “benign” compared with real prisons he’s worked in. Still, he said, “It promoted everything a regular prison promotes. The guard role promotes sadism. The prisoner role promotes confusion and shame.” In later interviews, however, Korpi said he exaggerated his distress in order to be released from the experiment early.

While Zimbardo and director Kyle Alvarez hope the film adds to a new national discussion about prison reform, Alvarez says its messages about the abuse of power will “be relevant 40 years later.” The film’s messages aren’t all “grim,” he says. It also highlights the ways ordinary people can be “heroes.”

To him, the film’s hero is his wife, the only person to openly question his ethics after she saw student prisoners, wearing paper bags on their heads, being led to the toilet. He says she’s the one who got him to see it was wrong to cause suffering to “boys, not experimental subjects.” He suspended the study the next morning.

“It’s not enough to not do a bad thing,” says Zimbardo. “The question is how we can use situational power for good and transform bystanders into what you call proactive agents of change.”

Meet Philip Zimbardo

Retired Stanford psychology professor Philip Zimbardo and director Kyle Patrick Alvarez will answer questions following screenings of “The Stanford Prison Experiment” this weekend.

Friday, 7:30 p.m. at the Embarcadero Center Cinema, Embarcadero 1, San Francisco.

More information can be found at:

www.prisonexp.org
www.zimbardo.com
www.lucifereffect.com
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Feature Film - The Stanford Prison Experiment (Documentary)

Subtitles info
0:07 - 0:10 [Man] I was the first one to be picked up, so they put me in a cell
0:10 - 0:12 they locked me in there
0:12 - 0:16 in this degrading little outfit.
0:16 - 0:18 [Guard] Hey! I don't want anybody laughing!
0:18 - 0:20 My way is the rule!
0:20 - 0:22 [unintelligible yelling]
0:25 - 0:27 [Man] I've gotta go to a doctor, anything.
0:28 - 0:31 [Man] Jesus Christ, I'm burning up inside dontcha know!
0:32 - 0:33 I want out!
0:33 - 0:34 I want out now!
0:36 - 0:39 [Man] I've never screamed so loud in my life,
0:39 - 0:40 never been so upset in my life.
0:41 - 0:44 It was an experience of being out of control.
0:45 - 0:47 [Man] I just fucking can't take it.
0:50 - 0:54 [Narrator] Stanford University, Northern California.
0:54 - 0:57 One of America's most prestigious academic institutions
0:57 - 1:02 and in 1971, the scene of one of the most notorious experiments
1:02 - 1:04 in the history of psychology.
1:08 - 1:13 [Zimbardo] I was interested in what happens if you put good people in an evil place.
1:16 - 1:21 Does the situation outside of you, the institution, come to control your behavior
1:21 - 1:23 or does the things inside of you,
1:23 - 1:26 your attitudes, your values, your morality
1:26 - 1:31 allow you to rise above a negative environment?
1:33 - 1:36 [Narrator] The negative environment Zimbardo chose to test his ideas,
1:36 - 1:38 was a prison.
1:38 - 1:41 He would convert the basement of the university psychology department
1:41 - 1:44 into a subterranean jail.
1:44 - 1:47 [Zimbardo] We put prison doors on each of three office cells.
1:47 - 1:50 In the cells, it was nothing but three beds
1:50 - 1:54 and there was actually very little room for anything else because they're very small.
1:54 - 1:59 And here we had solitary confinement, which we call "the hole."
1:59 - 2:03 And in the hole was where the prisoners would be put for punishment.
2:03 - 2:05 It was a very very small area.
2:05 - 2:08 When you close the door, it was totally dark.
2:15 - 2:17 All the guards wore military uniforms
2:17 - 2:21 and we had them wear these silver reflecting sunglasses.
2:21 - 2:23 And what it does is, you can't see someone's eyes
2:23 - 2:26 and that loses some the humanness, the humanity.
2:27 - 2:30 In general, we wanted to create a sense of power.
2:30 - 2:34 That the guards as a category, are people who have power over others.
2:34 - 2:36 And in this case, power over the prisoners.
2:39 - 2:40 [Narrator] A decade earlier,
2:40 - 2:45 psychologist Stanley Milgrim had also looked at how we respond to authority.
2:46 - 2:51 In order to understand how people were induced to obey unjust regimes
2:51 - 2:56 and participate in atrocities such as the holocaust, he set up an experiment.
2:56 - 3:01 Volunteers were told they were taking part in scientific research to improve memory.
3:02 - 3:05 [Experimenter] Would you open those and tell me which of you is which please?
3:05 - 3:07 [First man] Teacher. [Second man] Learner.
3:08 - 3:10 [Narrator] Separated by a screen,
3:10 - 3:14 the teacher would ask the learner questions in a word game
3:14 - 3:18 and administer an electric shock when the answer was incorrect.
3:18 - 3:21 He was told to increase the voltage with each wrong answer.
3:22 - 3:28 [Teacher] Cloud, horse, rock, or house? Answer?
3:28 - 3:30 [buzz] [Teacher] Wrong.
3:31 - 3:35 150 volts. Answer: horse.
3:35 - 3:41 [Learner] Ow! That's all! Get me out of here! Get me out of here, please!
3:41 - 3:43 [Experimenter] Continue please. [teacher gesturing, unsure]
3:43 - 3:45 [Learner] I refuse to go on! Let me out!
3:45 - 3:48 [Experimenter] The experiment requires you continue, teacher. Please continue.
3:48 - 3:52 [Narrator] Participants didn't know that the learner was really an actor
3:52 - 3:55 and the so-called shocks, were harmless.
3:55 - 3:59 [Teacher] Now you'll get a shock. 180 volts.
3:59 - 4:04 [Learner] Ow! I can't stand the pain, let me out of here!
4:04 - 4:06 [Teacher] He can't stand the pain, I'm not going to kill that man.
4:06 - 4:09 Who's going to take the responsibility if anything happens to that gentleman?
4:09 - 4:13 [Experimenter] I'm responsible for anything that happens here. Continue please.
4:13 - 4:19 [Teacher] Alright, next one. Slow, walk, dance, truck, music.
4:19 - 4:23 [Narrator] 2/3 of volunteers were prepared to administer potentially fatal electric shock
4:23 - 4:28 when encouraged to do so by what they perceived to be a legitimate authority figure.
4:28 - 4:32 In this case, a man in a white coat.
4:32 - 4:37 [Teacher] 375 volts. I think something's happened to that fellow in there.
4:37 - 4:40 I got no answer, he was hollering at all this voltage.
4:40 - 4:43 Can you check him to see if he's alright please?
4:43 - 4:45 [Narrator] Milgrim's findings horrified America.
4:45 - 4:48 They showed that decent American citizens were as capable of committing acts
4:48 - 4:50 against their conscious
4:50 - 4:52 as the Germans had been under the Nazis.
4:54 - 4:56 Like Milgrim, Zimbardo was interested
4:56 - 5:00 in the power of social situations to overwhelm individuals.
5:01 - 5:05 His experiment would test people's responses to an oppressive regime.
5:05 - 5:08 Would they accept it? Or act against it?
5:10 - 5:14 Zimbardo's experiment was conducted against a backdrop of Civil Rights activism
5:14 - 5:17 and protests against the Vietnam war.
5:17 - 5:20 [Zimbardo] It was a sense of student power, student dominance
5:20 - 5:23 and student rebellion against authority in general.
5:25 - 5:29 [Narrator] It was from the student body Zimbardo selected his participants.
5:29 - 5:33 After passing tests, to screen out anyone with a psychological abnormality,
5:33 - 5:37 they were paid $15 a day.
5:37 - 5:40 Each was randomly assigned the role of guard or prisoner.
5:41 - 5:44 [Man] It was a prison to me, it still is a prison to me.
5:44 - 5:46 I don't look at it as an experiment or a simulation.
5:46 - 5:51 It was just a prison that was run by psychologists instead of run by the state.
5:52 - 5:56 [Ramsay] I was 20, and that September I was going to college.
5:56 - 6:02 And it would be nice to have a summer job, but there sure wasn't a lot of time left.
6:02 - 6:06 And I looked in the want ads and I found this thing which was just going to fit.
6:06 - 6:09 It was just two weeks.
6:09 - 6:13 [Man] You put a uniform on, and are given a job
6:13 - 6:14 to keep these people in line.
6:14 - 6:18 You really become that person once you put on that khaki uniform,
6:18 - 6:21 you put on the glasses, you take the nightstick.
6:21 - 6:24 [Eshleman] I was on summer break from my first year of college
6:24 - 6:25 and I was looking for a job.
6:26 - 6:29 Had to chose between that or making pizzas.
6:29 - 6:31 And that sounded like a lot more fun.
6:31 - 6:33 [Narrator] As well as running the experiment,
6:33 - 6:36 Zimbardo took on the role of prison superintendent.
6:36 - 6:38 He began by briefing the guards.
6:38 - 6:41 [Zimbardo] I said, "We have to maintain law and order.
6:41 - 6:46 "If prisoners escape, the study is over. And you can't use physical violence."
6:46 - 6:48 [Zimbardo] You can create a sense of fear in them.
6:48 - 6:53 You can create a notion that their life is totally in control by us.
6:53 - 6:54 There will be constant surveillance,
6:54 - 6:58 we have total power of the situation and they have none.
7:01 - 7:03 [Narrator] Prisoners were brought to the basement prison,
7:03 - 7:06 blindfolded to confuse them about their whereabouts.
7:06 - 7:09 They were stripped and deloused.
7:09 - 7:11 [Zimbardo] of course the guards started making fun of their genitals
7:11 - 7:15 and humiliating them and really it starts what's known as a degradation process.
7:15 - 7:22 Which not only prisons, but lots of military type outfits use that process.
7:26 - 7:30 [Prisoner ] When I first got there, even though I had to strip,
7:30 - 7:32 and they would call me names, I still didn't feel at all like it was a prison.
7:32 - 7:34 I just looked at it like a job.
7:35 - 7:39 [Eshleman] I recall sort of walking up and down the very short hallway,
7:39 - 7:42 which was the prison hall and looking in on the prisoners.
7:42 - 7:45 And they're basically lounging around on their beds.
7:45 - 7:47 I felt it was like a day in summer camp.
7:49 - 7:50 [Zimbardo] The first day I said,
7:50 - 7:55 "This might be a very long and very boring experiment,"
7:55 - 7:58 because it's conceivable nothing will ever happen.
8:00 - 8:02 [Eshleman] I arrived independently at the conclusion
8:02 - 8:04 that this experiment must have been put together
8:04 - 8:09 to prove a point about prisons being a cruel and inhumane place.
8:09 - 8:15 And therefore, I would do my part, to help those results come about.
8:16 - 8:20 I was a confrontational and arrogant 18 year old at the time
8:20 - 8:24 and I said "somebody outta stir things up a bit here."
8:25 - 8:29 [Prisoner] Fuck this experiment and fuck that Zimbardo!
8:31 - 8:35 [Narrator] On the second morning, prisoners decided to stir things up as well.
8:36 - 8:40 The guards found some of them had used their beds to barricade their cell.
8:40 - 8:44 Prisoner 8612 was one of the ring leaders of the rebellion.
8:44 - 8:49 [yelling] ...Fucking simulation! It's a fucking simulated experiment!
8:49 - 8:53 [Indistinct yelling]
8:54 - 8:56 [Zimbardo] Initially I was stunned.
8:56 - 8:58 I didn't expect a rebellion because not much happened.
8:58 - 9:01 And it wasn't clear what they were rebelling against,
9:01 - 9:03 but they were rebelling against the status,
9:03 - 9:04 rebelling against being anonymous,
9:04 - 9:09 against having to follow orders from these other students.
9:10 - 9:12 [Narrator] As punishment for the rebellion,
9:12 - 9:17 prisoner 8612 was put in the hole and the guards turned on the other prisoners.
9:19 - 9:22 [Zimbardo] The guards felt that they now had to up the ante of being tough.
9:22 - 9:27 The prisoners made the mistake of beginning to use profanity against the guards
9:27 - 9:30 in a very personalized way.
9:30 - 9:34 So not against the guards, but now "you little punk" "you big shit" and stuff.
9:34 - 9:36 And the guards got furious.
9:37 - 9:41 [Guard] Everybody up! Everybody get up!
9:41 - 9:43 Well gentlemen, here it is time for count.
9:43 - 9:46 [Narrator] Prisoners were repeatedly woken in the middle of the night.
9:46 - 9:49 The guards made them do menial physical tasks
9:49 - 9:52 and clean out toilets with their bare hands.
9:52 - 9:56 [Eshleman] We made it a point not to give them any sense of comfort
9:56 - 9:58 or what to expect.
9:58 - 10:00 Anything could happen to them at any time,
10:00 - 10:04 including being rousted from their sleep at any hour.
10:04 - 10:08 And forced to stand up in a line and have me hurl insults at them
10:08 - 10:12 and make them do exercises.
10:12 - 10:16 When you interrupt people's sleep, they tend to become a little disoriented.
10:16 - 10:20 And since there was no daylight in the prison, they had no idea whether it was night or day.
10:22 - 10:25 I think that I was the instigator of this
10:25 - 10:29 whole schedule of harrassment.
10:30 - 10:34 [Narrator] The harassment of the guards took it's toll on rebellion leader 8612.
10:34 - 10:38 He told Zimbardo he wanted to leave the experiment.
10:38 - 10:43 Zimbardo responded not as a psychologist but as a prison superintendent.
10:43 - 10:47 [Zimbardo] I said, "Well, I can see to it the guards don't hassle you personally
10:47 - 10:51 and in return all I would like is some information from time to time
10:51 - 10:53 about what the prisoners are doing."
10:53 - 10:57 So essentially I'm saying "I'd like you to be a snitch, an informant."
10:57 - 11:00 And I said "think it over and if you still want to leave, fine."
11:00 - 11:05 [Narrator] Confused, prisoner 8612 returned to his cell
11:05 - 11:08 and told the other prisoners that no one could leave.
11:13 - 11:17 [Zimbardo] He believed we wouldn't let him go, although we never said that.
11:17 - 11:19 But the fact that he was the ring leader of the rebellion
11:19 - 11:23 and he told the other prisoners "they won't let you leave,"
11:23 - 11:27 that really transformed the experiment into a prison.
11:27 - 11:32 [Prisoner] I was told I couldn't quit. And at that point, I just felt totally hopeless.
11:32 - 11:34 More hopeless than I had ever felt before.
11:36 - 11:38 [Narrator] Soon after returning to his cell,
11:38 - 11:42 prisoner 8612 started showing signs of severe distress.
11:42 - 11:46 [Prisoner 8612] Goddammit. Fucked up! You don't know, you don't know.
11:46 - 11:50 I mean, God, I mean Jesus Christ, I'm burning up inside, don't you know?
11:54 - 11:59 [Zimbardo] He came up with a plan that if he acted crazy,
11:59 - 12:00 we would have to release him.
12:02 - 12:05 [Prisoner 8612] I feel fucked up inside, I feel really fucked up inside. You don't know.
12:05 - 12:10 I gotta go to a doctor, anything. I can't stay here, I'm fucked up.
12:10 - 12:13 I don't know how to explain it, I'm fucked up inside! And I want out!
12:16 - 12:20 [Zimbardo] It starts with make-believe and then he's doing it and cursing and screaming.
12:20 - 12:24 You know, whatever that little boundary is, he moved across,
12:24 - 12:29 not that he became really crazy, but he became excessively disturbed.
12:29 - 12:32 So much so, we immediately said, "We have to release him."
12:33 - 12:36 [Korpi--prisoner 8612] As an experience, it was unique.
12:36 - 12:38 I've never screamed so loud in my life.
12:39 - 12:41 Never been so upset in my life,
12:41 - 12:45 and it was an experience of being out of control.
12:47 - 12:49 [Narrator] The boundary between reality and make-believe
12:49 - 12:52 was to become blurred even for Zimbardo.
12:52 - 12:57 A rumor circulated that released prisoner 8612 would return with friends
12:57 - 12:59 to liberate the remaining prisoners.
12:59 - 13:02 [Zimbardo] I quickly convinced myself that
13:02 - 13:08 my most important function was not to allow this prison liberation to occur.
13:08 - 13:11 And what could I do to keep my prison going?
13:11 - 13:12 Not the experiment going.
13:14 - 13:15 [Narrator] The prison was dismantled
13:15 - 13:18 and the prisoners were moved another part of the building.
13:19 - 13:24 Zimbardo waited in the empty corridor preparing to tell 8612
13:24 - 13:26 and his friends that the study was over.
13:26 - 13:27 When a colleague appeared
13:27 - 13:30 and began asking questions about the scientific basis of the research.
13:31 - 13:33 [Zimbardo] I'm trying to get rid of him and then he says,
13:33 - 13:35 "What's the independent variable?"
13:36 - 13:42 I got furious, because he doesn't understand that there's a riot about to take place,
13:42 - 13:44 that this prison is about to erupt.
13:44 - 13:50 I had totally lost this whole other identity of scientist, researcher, psychologist.
13:51 - 13:54 [Narrator] The rumored jailbreak never materialized.
13:54 - 13:57 The guards had dismantled the prison for nothing
13:57 - 13:58 and had to rebuild it.
13:58 - 14:01 They took their frustration out on the prisoners.
14:02 - 14:05 [Zimbardo] They escalated again the level of control.
14:05 - 14:09 the level of dominance, the level of humiliating behavior.
14:14 - 14:18 [Narrator] 819 was the next prisoner to rebel against the harassment of the guards.
14:18 - 14:22 He barricaded himself in his cell and refused to take part in the count.
14:22 - 14:24 [Guard] You're not only not getting cigarettes,
14:24 - 14:26 but for as long as this cell's blockaded
14:26 - 14:28 you're going to be in solitary when you get out.
14:28 - 14:33 [Narrator] For 819's disobedience, the guards made his cellmates do mindless work.
14:33 - 14:37 This undermined any vestige of solidarity amongst the prisoners
14:37 - 14:39 who now chose to accept the tyranny of the guards
14:39 - 14:41 rather than risk further harassment.
14:42 - 14:45 [Eshleman] That was one of the surprising things to me was that
14:45 - 14:50 there was so little that the prisoners did to support one another
14:50 - 14:54 after we started our campaign of divide and conquer.
14:56 - 14:59 [Narrator] Isolated and distraught, prisoner 819
14:59 - 15:01 told Zimbardo he wanted to leave.
15:01 - 15:05 [Zimbardo] While I'm interviewing 819, and saying,
15:05 - 15:09 "Okay, it's all over, thank you for your participation.
15:09 - 15:13 I'll give you money for the whole two weeks, even though you're leaving early."
15:13 - 15:18 He hears the prisoners shouting: "819 did a bad thing."
15:18 - 15:23 [Prisoners] Prisoner 819 did a bad thing. Prisoner 819 did a bad thing.
15:25 - 15:27 And he said, "I can't leave." And he's crying.
15:27 - 15:28 And he said, "I can't leave."
15:28 - 15:29 And I said, "What do you mean you can't leave?"
15:29 - 15:33 And he said, "No, I have to go back because I don't want them to think I'm a bad prisoner."
15:33 - 15:37 And that's when I really flipped out that in such a short time
15:37 - 15:43 a college student's thinking could become so distorted.
15:43 - 15:45 I said, "You're not a bad prisoner.
15:45 - 15:47 "You're not a prisoner. And this is not a prison."
15:47 - 15:48 And it was just this thing where
15:48 - 15:51 he opened up his eyes, really like a cloud being lifted.
15:52 - 15:58 [Narrator] Seeing things clearly, prisoner 819 reverted to his original request and was released.
15:58 - 16:03 To replace him, the experimenters called in one of their reserves from the standby list.
16:04 - 16:08 [Ramsay] I got a phone call saying, "Are you still available as an alternate?"
16:08 - 16:11 Kind of a cheery, female secretary voice.
16:11 - 16:13 And I said, "Yes, sure."
16:13 - 16:16 And so she said, "Could you start this afternoon?"
16:16 - 16:19 And I said, "Yes, sure."
16:19 - 16:22 And my role in the experiment really began.
16:27 - 16:32 I was blindfolded and then stripped and supposedly deloused.
16:35 - 16:39 [Zimbardo] He came into a madhouse, full blown.
16:39 - 16:43 All of us, had gradually acclimated to the increasing level of aggression,
16:43 - 16:45 increasing powerlessness of the prisoners,
16:45 - 16:48 increasing dominance of the guards.
16:48 - 16:52 And he comes in and says, "What's happening here?" to the other prisoners.
16:52 - 16:53 And they said "Yeah, you better not make trouble,
16:53 - 16:56 it's really terrible, it's a real prison."
16:56 - 17:01 And he says, "I'm out of here, I don't want this."
17:01 - 17:02 And they said "No, you can't leave.
17:02 - 17:04 Once you're here, you're stuck. This is a real prison."
17:04 - 17:08 [Guard] 416 put your hands in the air or why don't you play Frankenstein?
17:08 - 17:12 293 you can be the bride of Frankenstein, you stand here.
17:12 - 17:16 [Narrator] Prisoner 416 was soon subjected to the harassment of Dave Eshleman,
17:16 - 17:19 nicknamed John Wayne because of his macho attitude.
17:19 - 17:24 [Guard] 416 I want you to walk over here like Frankenstein and say that you love 2093.
17:26 - 17:28 That ain't a Frankenstein walk!
17:28 - 17:30 [Eshleman] I made the decision that I would be
17:30 - 17:35 as intimidating, as cold, as cruel as possible.
17:35 - 17:38 [Prisoner 416] I love you 2093. [Guard] Get up close! Get up close!
17:38 - 17:42 [Prisoner 416] I love you 2093. I love you 2093.
17:42 - 17:46 [Guard] You get down here and do ten pushups!
17:48 - 17:50 [Eshleman] I had just watched a movie called Cool Hand Luke
17:50 - 17:56 and the mean intimidating southern prison warden character in that film
17:56 - 17:59 really was my inspiration for the role that I created for myself.
18:10 - 18:12 [Zimbardo] He was creative in his evil.
18:12 - 18:18 He would think of very ingenious ways to degrade, to demean the prisoners.
18:18 - 18:23 [Guard] What if I told you to get down on that floor and fuck the floor
18:23 - 18:25 what would you do then?
18:26 - 18:30 [Zimbardo] One of the best guards, was also on that shift
18:30 - 18:34 and instead of confronting the bad guard, the sadistic guard
18:34 - 18:36 essentially, because he didn't want to see what was happening,
18:36 - 18:40 he became the gofer, he went out to get the food and things of this kind.
18:40 - 18:46 And that left the John Wayne guard and the other guard on that shift to be dominant.
18:46 - 18:49 [One of the guards] We were continually called upon to act
18:49 - 18:53 in a way that is contrary to what I really feel inside.
18:53 - 18:55 Just continually giving out shit.
18:55 - 18:59 It's really just one of the most oppressive things you can do.
19:01 - 19:06 [Guard] 416, while they do pushups, you sing Amazing Grace.
19:06 - 19:08 Ready? Down.
19:08 - 19:14 [prisoner singing]
19:14 - 19:16 [Guard] Keep going.
19:16 - 19:20 [Narrator] The madness of the experiment started to affect 416.
19:20 - 19:23 [prisoner singing]
19:23 - 19:25 [Guard] Keep going!
19:25 - 19:30 >>[Prisoner 416] I began feeling like, I was losing my identity, until I wasn't Clay.
19:30 - 19:32 I was 416.
19:32 - 19:36 I was really my number and 416 was going to decide what to do.
19:37 - 19:42 [Narrator] Prisoner 416 decided to go on a hunger strike.
19:42 - 19:45 [Ramsay] They were pushing my limits,
19:45 - 19:47 but here was the thing that I could do,
19:47 - 19:50 that could push their limits.
19:53 - 19:55 After I had missed a couple meals,
19:55 - 19:59 I saw this was not a matter of indifference to the guards.
19:59 - 20:02 I was making headway, they were upset.
20:05 - 20:09 [Eshleman] I thought, "How dare this newcomer come in and try to change
20:09 - 20:12 everything that we had worked for the first three days to set up.
20:12 - 20:15 And by God, he's going to suffer for that."
20:16 - 20:20 [Narrator] Frustrated by his continued defiance,
20:20 - 20:23 John Wayne threw prisoner 416 into the hole.
20:23 - 20:26 After punishing the other prisoners, for his disobedience,
20:26 - 20:30 John Wayne encouraged them to vent their anger at 416 directly.
20:30 - 20:31 [Prisoner] Thank you, 416. [bangs on door]
20:33 - 20:37 [Guard] Ok, 209. [Prisoner] Thank you, 416.
20:37 - 20:41 [Eshleman] We would use our nightsticks to bang on the door and we would kick the door
20:41 - 20:46 so hard it must've shaken him very seriously inside.
20:46 - 20:48 Scared the life out of him.
20:49 - 20:53 [Ramsay] He yelled at me, and threatened me and actually sort of
20:53 - 20:58 smashed a sausage into my face to try to get me to open up.
20:58 - 21:03 But I didn't have any intention of eating until I was out.
21:05 - 21:08 [Zimbardo] 416 should've been, at some level, a hero
21:08 - 21:11 'cause he's willing to oppose the authority of the system.
21:11 - 21:16 In fact, the prisoners accept the guards definition of him as a troublemaker.
21:16 - 21:20 [Eshleman] I remember some of them saying: "Would you eat goddammit!"
21:20 - 21:23 "We're sick and tired of this."
21:23 - 21:31 And that was proof that there was no solidary, there was no support between the prisoners.
21:31 - 21:33 [Narrator] While 416 was still in the hole,
21:33 - 21:36 John Wayne made a final attempt to break him
21:36 - 21:38 by giving his fellow prisoners a choice.
21:38 - 21:42 They could vote to release him by making small sacrifice.
21:42 - 21:48 [Guard] You can give me your blankets and sleep on the bare mattress
21:48 - 21:53 or you can keep your blankets and 416 will stay in another day.
21:55 - 21:57 What will it be?
21:57 - 21:59 [Prisoners] I'll keep my blankets.
21:59 - 22:00 [Guard] What will it be over here?
22:00 - 22:01 [Prisoners] I'll keep my blankets.
22:02 - 22:04 [Guard] How about 536?
22:05 - 22:07 [Prisoners] I'll give you my blankets Mr. Correctional Officer.
22:07 - 22:08 [Guard] We don't want your blankets
22:09 - 22:09 [Guard] We got 3 in favor of keeping their blankets.
22:10 - 22:12 We got 3 against 1.
22:12 - 22:13 Keep your blankets.
22:13 - 22:19 416 you're going to be in there for a while, so just get used to it.
22:19 - 22:21 [Eshleman] The study showed that power corrupts
22:21 - 22:27 and how difficult it is for people who are the victims of abuse to stand up and defend themselves.
22:27 - 22:33 Why doesn't anybody who is being abused by a spouse or something like that
22:33 - 22:35 just say "stop it?"
22:35 - 22:38 And we realize now that it's not as easy as it sounds.
22:41 - 22:46 [Narrator] By the end of the 5th day, 4 prisoners had broken down and been released.
22:46 - 22:48 416 was on the second day of his hunger strike
22:48 - 22:51 and the experiment still had another 9 days to run.
22:54 - 22:58 At this point, a fellow psychologist visited Zimbardo's basement prison
22:58 - 23:01 and would witness the brutality of the experiment first hand.
23:02 - 23:05 [Zimbardo] The guards had lined up the prisoners to go to the toilet.
23:05 - 23:08 They had bags over their heads, chains on their feet,
23:08 - 23:10 and were marching by and I looked up.
23:10 - 23:13 And I saw this circus, this parade,
23:13 - 23:15 and I said, "Hey Chris, look at that."
23:15 - 23:19 [Christina Maslach] I looked up, and I began to feel sick to my stomach.
23:19 - 23:22 I had this just... chilling, sickening feeling
23:22 - 23:25 of watching this and you know, I just turned away.
23:26 - 23:29 And I just let loose in this emotional tyranny.
23:29 - 23:31 I just lost it.
23:31 - 23:34 I was angry, scared, I was in tears.
23:34 - 23:36 [Zimbardo] And I'm furious,
23:36 - 23:38 saying you know, we had a big argument.
23:38 - 23:39 You're supposed to be a psychologist.
23:39 - 23:43 This is interesting dynamic behavior and I'm going through this whole thing
23:43 - 23:45 the power of the situation.
23:45 - 23:48 And she says "No, no, it's that young boys are suffering
23:48 - 23:52 and you're responsible. You're letting it happen."
23:52 - 23:55 I said "Oh my god, of course you're right."
23:56 - 23:59 [Narrator] The next day, Zimbardo ended the experiment.
24:01 - 24:07 Studies like his stimulated heated debate about the ethics of using human subjects.
24:07 - 24:11 [Zimbardo] Really young men suffered verbally, physically.
24:11 - 24:13 Prisoners felt shame in their role.
24:13 - 24:15 Guards felt guilt.
24:15 - 24:17 So in that sense, it's unethical.
24:17 - 24:22 That is, nobody has the right, the power, the privilege to do that to other people.
24:23 - 24:26 [Narrator] In the wake of experiments like Zimbardo's and Milgrim's
24:26 - 24:32 ethical guidelines changed, introducing greater safeguards to protect participants.
24:32 - 24:36 In the Standford experiment, Zimbardo might have sped his volunteers distress
24:36 - 24:40 had he not taken on a dual role in the study.
24:40 - 24:42 [Zimbardo] If I was going to be the prison superintendent,
24:42 - 24:45 I should have had a colleague who was overseeing the experiment.
24:45 - 24:51 Who was in a position to stop it at any point.
24:51 - 24:53 Or I should've been the principal investigator
24:53 - 24:56 and get somebody who was going to be the prison superintendent.
24:56 - 24:59 I realized that was a big mistake, to play both those roles.
24:59 - 25:00 And by shifting back and forth.
25:03 - 25:07 [Narrator] After the experiment, Zimbardo brought all the participants together
25:07 - 25:09 to talk about their experiences.
25:09 - 25:12 John Wayne would now come face to face
25:12 - 25:14 with the hunger striker that he had tormented.
25:15 - 25:16 [Eshleman] I was a little worried.
25:16 - 25:19 I said "Oh my god, he's really gonna come down on me hard now."
25:19 - 25:22 Now that we're on equal footing.
25:22 - 25:24 [Ramsay] It harms me.
25:24 - 25:26 [Eshleman] How did it harm you? How does it harm you?
25:26 - 25:29 Just to think ((cross talk)) you know people can be like that?
25:29 - 25:32 [Ramsay] Yeah, it let me in on some knowledge
25:32 - 25:34 that I've never experienced first hand.
25:34 - 25:37 Because I know what you can turn into,
25:37 - 25:39 I know what you're willing to do.
25:39 - 25:42 [Eshleman] When I look back on it now, I behaved appallingly.
25:42 - 25:45 You know, it was just horrid to look at.
25:45 - 25:48 I think I tried to explain to him that at the time,
25:48 - 25:51 what you experience and what you hated so much
25:51 - 25:54 was a role that I was playing, that's not me at all.
25:54 - 26:00 [Ramsay] He was trying to dissociate himself from what he had done.
26:00 - 26:03 That did make me angry.
26:03 - 26:06 Everyone was acting out a part and playing a role:
26:06 - 26:08 prisoners, guards, staff,
26:08 - 26:11 everyone was acting out a part.
26:11 - 26:16 It's when you start contributing to the script,
26:16 - 26:21 that's you and thus it's something you should take responsibility for.
26:21 - 26:24 [Eshleman] Uh, I didn't see where it was really harmful.
26:24 - 26:27 It was degrading and that was part of my particular little experiment
26:27 - 26:30 to see how I could--
26:30 - 26:32 [Ramsay] Your particular little experiment?!
26:32 - 26:33 Why don't you tell me about that.
26:33 - 26:36 [Eshleman] Yes, I was running... I was running a little experiment of my own.
26:36 - 26:38 [Ramsay] Tell me about your little experiments, I'm curious.
26:38 - 26:43 [Eshleman] I wanted to see what kind of verbal abuse that people can take
26:43 - 26:47 before they start objecting, before they start lashing back.
26:47 - 26:49 [Eshleman] If I have any regret, right now,
26:49 - 26:53 it's that I made that decision, because it would've been interesting
26:53 - 26:59 to see what would have happened had I not decided to force things.
27:01 - 27:06 It could be that I only accelerated them, that the same things would've happened.
27:06 - 27:08 But we'll never know.
27:08 - 27:12 [Narrator] If the extreme nature of Dave Eshleman's behavior tested the prisoners,
27:12 - 27:15 it also presented the other guards with the choice:
27:15 - 27:17 to intervene, or not.
27:17 - 27:19 [Eshleman] It surprised me that no one said anything to stop me.
27:19 - 27:21 They just accepted what I'd say.
27:21 - 27:23 And no one questioned my authority at all.
27:23 - 27:27 And it really shocked me, why didn't people say when I started to get so abusive?
27:27 - 27:33 I started to get so profane, and still people didn't say anything.
27:34 - 27:38 [Zimbardo] There were a few guards who hated to see the prisoners suffer,
27:38 - 27:42 they never did anything that would be demeaning of the prisoners.
27:42 - 27:45 The interesting thing is, none of the good guards ever intervened
27:45 - 27:50 in the behavior of the guards who gradually became more and more sadistical over time.
27:52 - 27:56 We like to think there is this core of human nature that good people can't do bad things.
27:56 - 28:01 And that good people will dominate over bad situations.
28:01 - 28:04 In fact, one way to look at this prison study is that
28:04 - 28:06 we put good people in an evil place
28:06 - 28:08 and we saw who won.
28:08 - 28:12 And the sad message in this case is, the evil place won over the good people.
28:14 - 28:17 [Eshleman] It did show some very interesting and maybe some unpleasant things
28:17 - 28:20 about human behavior.
28:20 - 28:24 It seems like every century, every decade that we go through,
28:24 - 28:30 we're suffering the same kind of atrocities and you need to understand
28:30 - 28:31 why these things happen,
28:31 - 28:34 you need to understand why people behave like this.

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English subtitles

Revision 6 Edited Pamela Pascali

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Feature Film
Thank youIn the 1970's there was a test done where the people were told they were either prison guards or prisoners.This is that story and how it came to be....
The Stanford Prison Experiment (2015)
The Stanford Prison Experiment: Directed by Kyle Patrick Alvarez. With Billy Crudup, Michael Angarano, Moises Arias, Nicholas Braun. In 1971, twenty-four male students are selected to take on randomly assigned roles of prisoners and guards in a mock prison situated in the basement of the Stanford psychology building.
The Stanford Prison Experiment (film)
The Stanford Prison Experiment is a 2015 American docudrama psychological thriller film directed by Kyle Patrick Alvarez, written by Tim Talbott, and starring Billy Crudup, Michael Angarano, Ezra Miller, Tye Sheridan, Keir Gilchrist, Olivia Thirlby, and Nelsan Ellis.The plot concerns the 1971 Stanford prison experiment, conducted at Stanford University under the supervision of psychology ...
The Stanford Prison Experiment: A Film by Kyle Patrick Alvarez
In this tense, psychological thriller based on the notorious true story, Billy Crudup stars as Stanford University professor Dr. Philip Zimbardo, who, in 1971, cast 24 student volunteers as prisoners and guards in a simulated jail to examine the source of abusive behavior in the prison system. The results astonished the world, as participants ...
The Stanford Prison Experiment movie review (2015)
Despite the best efforts of the actors on both sides of the law, the film is completely clinical in its depiction, striking the same note for over 2 hours. It gets real dull, real fast. I didn't care because this isn't remotely like an actual prison; it's a bunch of privileged kids playing dress-up for $15 a day.
The Stanford Prison Experiment
Opening in theaters July 17th and VOD July 24thExperience the Experiment: http://www.stanfordprisonexperimentfilm.com/Starring: Olivia Thirlby, Ezra Miller, ...
The Stanford Prison Experiment
The Stanford Prison Experiment is an utterly gripping, chilling narrative... Oct 4, 2021. It's an important film to watch for anyone interested in criminal justice, social justice or simply the ...
The Stanford Prison Experiment
Now Playing in Select Theaters & On Demand.Experience the Experiment: http://www.stanfordprisonexperimentfilm.com/Starring: Olivia Thirlby, Ezra Miller, Jess...
The Stanford Prison Experiment (2015)
The Stanford prison experiment was ostensibly a psychological study of human responses to captivity and its behavioral effects on both authorities and inmates in prison. It was conducted in 1971 by a team of researchers led by Philip Zimbardo of Stanford University. Undergraduate volunteers played the roles of both guards and prisoners living ...
Review: 'The Stanford Prison Experiment' Revisits the Psychology of
Fine ensemble acting brings a notorious psychological study to life in "The Stanford Prison Experiment." The research, now 44 years old, may today seem as if it merely confirmed the obvious ...
Quiet Rage: The Documentary
ABOUT. Guaranteed to stimulate critical thinking and discussion, the film features archival footage, flashbacks, post-experiment interviews with the prisoners and guards, and comparisons with real prisons. It documents the surprise arrests by city police and vividly shows the pathology that developed among participants, forcing the two-week ...
THE STANFORD PRISON EXPERIMENT PRETITLE on Vimeo
BBC documentary on one of the most controversial experiments in the history of psychology, invoked to shed light on everything from the abuse of prisoners at Abu Ghraib, to prison rioting and police brutality. In 1971 Professor Philip Zimbardo recruited students to play prisoners or guards in a makeshift jail to examine the nature of good and ...
The Stanford Prison Experiment: Unlocking the Truth
Documentary. A groundbreaking look at the infamous Stanford Prison Experiment, through the first-hand accounts of the original prisoners and guards. Their stories unravel a new narrative that interrogates the motives of the man pulling the strings, Dr. Philip Zimbardo, while exploring larger questions of human nature and the power of perspective.
"It's still a prison to me": A new dramatic film portrayal of the
Reviews the film, The Stanford Prison Experiment by Kyle Patrick Alvarez (2015). One big question surrounds the new feature film The Stanford Prison Experiment: Is it really needed now? After all, social psychologist Philip Zimbardo and his graduate students filmed and took still shots of the original participants in action. As a psychologist and educator, the reviewer believes the answer is a ...
The Stanford Prison Experiment
In the late summer of 1971, US academic Philip Zimbardo (Billy Crudup) designed an experiment in which 24 male students simulated a prison environment for two weeks. The subjects were randomly ...
The Stanford Prison Experiment
Winner of two awards at the Sundance Film Festival, including Best Screenplay, and created with the close participation of Dr. Zimbardo himself, The Stanford Prison Experiment is a chilling, edge-of-your-seat thriller about the dark side of power and the effects of imprisonment. Featuring an extraordinary cast of rising young actors, including ...
The True Story Behind the Stanford Prison Experiment
A new film, called "The Stanford Prison Experiment," looks at the study, and how the students played their roles in a manner beyond any expectations. Billy Crudup plays Dr. Philip Zimbardo in the film. He and the real Dr. Zimbardo talk with The Takeaway. Produced by Kristen Meinzer. Produced by PRI and WNYC.
Psychology: The Stanford Prison Experiment
About Press Copyright Contact us Creators Advertise Developers Terms Privacy Policy & Safety How YouTube works Test new features NFL Sunday Ticket Press Copyright ...
The Stanford Prison Experiment
The Stanford prison experiment was a study of the psychological effects of becoming a prisoner or prison guard. The experiment was conducted from August 14 to 20, 1971 by a team of researchers led by Psychology professor Philip Zimbardo at Stanford University. It was funded by a grant from the U.S. Office of Naval Research and was of interest ...
37 Facts About The Movie The Stanford Prison Experiment
The Stanford Prison Experiment is a gripping and thought-provoking movie that delves deep into the dark and disturbing realm of human behavior. Based on the infamous 1971 psychological study of the same name conducted by Stanford psychologist Philip Zimbardo, this film takes viewers on a harrowing journey as it explores the depths to which ...
Stanford Prison Experiment: How accurate is the movie? Philip Zimbardo
In an interview for "Quiet Rage," the 1992 documentary about the experiment, Korpi, now an East Bay forensic psychologist, validates some of Zimbardo's assertions. He said the Stanford ...
Feature Film
Feature Film - The Stanford Prison Experiment (Documentary) Subtitles; Subtitles info; Activity; Edit subtitles Follow. ON OFF. 0:07 - 0:10 [Man] I was the first one to be picked up, so they put me in a cell. ... Feature Film - The Stanford Prison Experiment (Documentary) Description:
The Stanford Prison Experiment
Normal people can become monsters given the right situation. That's the standard narrative of the Stanford Prison Experiment, one of the most famous psycholo...
Teen Torture, Inc. Follows the Money in Abusive Troubled Teen Industry
Teen Torture, Inc. joins the recent Netflix documentary The Program: Cons, Cults, and Kidnapping as the second feature to stream into millions of homes that looks at the issue while seeking to ...
Amy Ferraris
Amy Ferraris is a documentary film editor and producer whose work is distinguished by its humor, compassion, and unexpected depth. She edited and co-produced the Sundance Film Festival favorite Try Harder!, which also aired on PBS' Independent Lens.

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Presented by IFC Films | United States | Jul 17th, 2015 | 122 MINS | R

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37 Facts About The Movie The Stanford Prison Experiment

Key Takeaways:

The Stanford Prison Experiment was released in 2015.

The movie is based on real events.

The film was directed by Kyle Patrick Alvarez.

The screenplay was written by Tim Talbott.

The movie stars Billy Crudup as Dr. Philip Zimbardo.

The cast also includes Michael Angarano, Ezra Miller, and Tye Sheridan.

The film explores the dark side of human behavior.

The Stanford Prison Experiment was met with critical acclaim.

The movie won the Alfred P. Sloan Feature Film Prize at the 2015 Sundance Film Festival.

The Stanford Prison Experiment was shot in just 21 days.

The film conveys a sense of claustrophobia and tension.

The movie raises important ethical questions.

The Stanford Prison Experiment received numerous accolades.

The film’s release sparked a renewed interest in the original experiment.

The movie unfolds in a documentary-style format.

The events portrayed in the movie shocked the public in real life.

The Stanford Prison Experiment highlights the influence of situational factors on behavior.

The movie’s production design accurately recreates the prison setting.

The Stanford Prison Experiment has a runtime of 122 minutes.

The film’s soundtrack enhances the suspenseful atmosphere.

The Stanford Prison Experiment received positive audience reactions.

The movie showcases the emotional toll the experiment had on the participants.

The Stanford Prison Experiment portrays the controversial methods used in the study.

The film presents the role of Dr. Philip Zimbardo in a complex light.

The Stanford Prison Experiment offers a chilling commentary on human nature.

The movie delves into the psychological effects of deindividuation.

The Stanford Prison Experiment emphasizes the power of social roles.

The film’s cinematography adds to the feeling of unease.

The Stanford Prison Experiment aims to provoke thought and discussion.

The movie remains faithful to the core findings of the original study.