The Experiment
The movie is based on the infamous "Stanford Prison Experiment" conducted in 1971. A makeshift prison is set up in a research lab, complete with cells, bars and surveillance cameras. For two weeks 20 male participants are hired to play prisoners and guards. The 'prisoners' are locked up and have to follow seemingly mild rules, and the 'guards' are told simply to retain order without using physical violence. Everybody is free to quit at any time, thereby forfeiting payment. In the beginning the mood between both groups is insecure and rather emphatic. But soon quarrels arise and the wardens employ ever more drastic sanctions to confirm their authority.
The film earned $13.8M at the global box office.
14 wins & 14 nominations
Plot Structure
Story beats plotted across runtime
Narrative Arc
Emotional journey through the story's key moments
Story Circle
Blueprint 15-beat structure
Arcplot Score Breakdown
Weighted: Precision (70%) + Arc (15%) + Theme (15%)
The Experiment (2001) showcases carefully calibrated story structure, characteristic of Oliver Hirschbiegel's storytelling approach. This structural analysis examines how the film's 15-point plot structure maps to proven narrative frameworks across 2 hours. With an Arcplot score of 7.1, the film balances conventional beats with creative variation.
Characters
Cast & narrative archetypes
Tarek Fahd
Berus
Dora
Steinhoff
Professor Thon
Eckert
Bosch
Main Cast & Characters
Tarek Fahd
Played by Moritz Bleibtreu
A taxi driver who volunteers for a psychological prison experiment to earn money, becomes prisoner #77 and leads resistance against authority abuse.
Berus
Played by Justus von Dohnányi
An insecure man who becomes a prison guard and descends into sadistic abuse of power, the primary antagonist.
Dora
Played by Maren Eggert
Tarek's girlfriend, a flight attendant who becomes concerned when he doesn't contact her during the experiment.
Steinhoff
Played by Christian Berkel
A gentle, intellectual prisoner who tries to maintain peace and is brutally victimized by the guards.
Professor Thon
Played by Edgar Selge
The lead scientist overseeing the experiment who loses control of the situation but refuses to stop it.
Eckert
Played by Timo Dierkes
Guard who initially follows rules but gradually becomes complicit in the escalating violence.
Bosch
Played by André Dietz
A guard who shows some resistance to the extreme measures but ultimately conforms to group pressure.
Structural Analysis
The Status Quo at 1 minutes (1% through the runtime) establishes Tarek Fahd, a former journalist now working as a taxi driver, lives a restless life seeking meaning. He encounters Dora at a traffic light, hinting at his desire for connection amidst his aimless existence.. Structural examination shows that this early placement immediately immerses viewers in the story world.
The inciting incident occurs at 14 minutes when The participants are randomly divided into prisoners and guards. Tarek is assigned prisoner number 77, while Berus becomes a guard. The simulation begins as participants are stripped, deloused, and given their roles.. At 12% through the film, this Disruption aligns precisely with traditional story structure. This beat shifts the emotional landscape, launching the protagonist into the central conflict.
The First Threshold at 30 minutes marks the transition into Act II, occurring at 25% of the runtime. This indicates the protagonist's commitment to Tarek deliberately escalates his defiance to create a better story, throwing food and challenging Berus's authority. His provocation triggers the guards' first aggressive response, and Berus begins embracing his power. There's no turning back., moving from reaction to action.
At 60 minutes, the Midpoint arrives at 50% of the runtime—precisely centered, creating perfect narrative symmetry. Structural examination shows that this crucial beat Berus discovers Tarek's hidden camera glasses. The power dynamic permanently shifts—Tarek loses his secret advantage and journalist identity. Berus now has complete psychological dominance and evidence of Tarek's deception., fundamentally raising what's at risk. The emotional intensity shifts, dividing the narrative into clear before-and-after phases.
The Collapse moment at 90 minutes (75% through) represents the emotional nadir. Here, Prisoner Schütte dies from the trauma and abuse. The guards, led by Berus, have committed murder. The scientists attempt to abort the experiment but are overpowered and taken hostage. Complete moral collapse—the guards have become monsters., demonstrates the protagonist at their lowest point. This beat's placement in the final quarter sets up the climactic reversal.
The Second Threshold at 96 minutes initiates the final act resolution at 80% of the runtime. Tarek breaks free from his bonds with help from a sympathetic guard who has witnessed too much. He realizes that to survive, he must lead the prisoners in revolt against Berus and the corrupted guards., demonstrating the transformation achieved throughout the journey.
Emotional Journey
The Experiment's emotional architecture traces a deliberate progression across 15 carefully calibrated beats.
Narrative Framework
This structural analysis employs systematic plot point analysis that identifies crucial turning points. By mapping The Experiment against these established plot points, we can identify how Oliver Hirschbiegel utilizes or subverts traditional narrative conventions. The plot point approach reveals not only adherence to structural principles but also creative choices that distinguish The Experiment within the drama genre.
Oliver Hirschbiegel's Structural Approach
Among the 4 Oliver Hirschbiegel films analyzed on Arcplot, the average structural score is 6.2, demonstrating varied approaches to story architecture. The Experiment represents one of the director's most structurally precise works. For comparative analysis, explore the complete Oliver Hirschbiegel filmography.
Comparative Analysis
Additional drama films include After Thomas, South Pacific and Dirty Dancing: Havana Nights. For more Oliver Hirschbiegel analyses, see Downfall, Diana and The Invasion.
Plot Points by Act
Act I
SetupStatus Quo
Tarek Fahd, a former journalist now working as a taxi driver, lives a restless life seeking meaning. He encounters Dora at a traffic light, hinting at his desire for connection amidst his aimless existence.
Theme
During the psychological screening, Dr. Thon explains that the experiment will test how ordinary people behave when given power over others: "We want to see what happens when you put good people in an evil place."
Worldbuilding
Tarek responds to a newspaper ad offering 4,000 marks for a two-week experiment. We meet the diverse group of volunteers during psychological evaluations, including the mild-mannered Berus. Tarek secretly plans to document the experiment for a story, equipped with hidden camera glasses.
Disruption
The participants are randomly divided into prisoners and guards. Tarek is assigned prisoner number 77, while Berus becomes a guard. The simulation begins as participants are stripped, deloused, and given their roles.
Resistance
The first day establishes the rules and power dynamics. Guards receive instructions about maintaining order without violence. Tarek tests boundaries, refusing to drink his milk. The scientists observe from monitors, and Tarek's editor awaits his hidden footage.
Act II
ConfrontationFirst Threshold
Tarek deliberately escalates his defiance to create a better story, throwing food and challenging Berus's authority. His provocation triggers the guards' first aggressive response, and Berus begins embracing his power. There's no turning back.
Mirror World
Flashbacks reveal Tarek's developing romance with Dora before the experiment. Their connection represents everything outside the prison—freedom, love, humanity—contrasting sharply with the dehumanization inside.
Premise
The experiment intensifies as guards and prisoners settle into their roles. Berus invents humiliating punishments—push-ups, cleaning toilets, sleep deprivation. Tarek continues provoking, believing he controls the narrative. Other prisoners suffer as tensions mount.
Midpoint
Berus discovers Tarek's hidden camera glasses. The power dynamic permanently shifts—Tarek loses his secret advantage and journalist identity. Berus now has complete psychological dominance and evidence of Tarek's deception.
Opposition
The guards descend into sadism. Berus forces prisoners to strip naked, subjects them to increasingly cruel humiliations, and the scientists lose control. Tarek is isolated and brutalized. Prisoner Schütte suffers a psychological breakdown. The simulation becomes terrifyingly real.
Collapse
Prisoner Schütte dies from the trauma and abuse. The guards, led by Berus, have committed murder. The scientists attempt to abort the experiment but are overpowered and taken hostage. Complete moral collapse—the guards have become monsters.
Crisis
Tarek is bound and tortured in the black box. The remaining prisoners face execution-style threats. Outside, Dora grows concerned and begins searching for answers. The experiment has become a death trap with no apparent escape.
Act III
ResolutionSecond Threshold
Tarek breaks free from his bonds with help from a sympathetic guard who has witnessed too much. He realizes that to survive, he must lead the prisoners in revolt against Berus and the corrupted guards.
Synthesis
Tarek leads the prisoner uprising against the guards. Brutal fighting erupts through the facility. Dora arrives with authorities. In the final confrontation, Tarek subdues Berus, stopping short of killing him—choosing humanity over vengeance.
Transformation
Tarek emerges from the facility into daylight with Dora. The journalist who entered seeking a story leaves transformed—having witnessed the darkness ordinary people can embrace, and having chosen to remain human himself.