Imagine you could earn four thousand dollars for two weeks work. Pretty sweet. All you have to do is be one of 20 guys – either one of eight guards or 12 prisoners - in a little experiment. Sounds pretty simple. Until day three, that is, when all bets are unintentionally off.

This is cinema dynamite from Germany. In the same vein as films like The Cube, we follow the misadventures of Tarek Fahd (Run Lola, Run’s Mannie) as he attempts to get back into journalism with this big story. He acquires a pair of spy glasses and goes in with the intention of recording the hot stuff and selling the story to his old editor for a cool ten thousand. Upon entering, he starts to agitate things to get a juicier story and that sends some of the would-be guards into their fantasy world in an all too real way.

Told through the use of claustrophobia-inducing minicams and closed circuit television, first time director Oliver Hirschbiegel delivers a harsh portrayal of the animal in all of us. Bringing the cold sterility of prison life to bloom in the fluorescent white light of the cells and the steady dripping of scarlet, his film produces a mounting tension as it speeds toward its final destination. Working his cast to their extremes, Hirschbiegel has created a disturbing look at the corruption of power and the unlikely men who, having tasted it, become addicted all too swiftly.

The Experiment doesn’t take long to get going and is entirely compelling from the beginning. As the suspense slowly grows, we are dragged along with it until we are racing helplessly toward the final disastrous conclusion. The Experiment is an intriguing and powerful film with some brutal images of the dark side of human nature coming out into the light, and a film that impresses absolutely in its creation and execution.

Brought to DVD with the original screen aspect of 1.85:1 and anamorphically enhanced, every dark scene is brought vividly to life in this deliciously clean transfer. With barely an artefact to be seen, The Experiment resonates with the darkness of shadow. Masterfully shot and lit, blacks remain true whilst still giving details within and glaring and garish colours, when used, glow burningly bright. An orange room, obviously different from the cold steel of the cells, works well as the midpoint between inmates and prisoners with the watchers. Yet everything manages to still fall under the harsh glare of the eternal fluorescent lights without going that awful green colour. Flesh tones too are well described, showing the pallid whiteness of tender flesh and the brutal red of welts and bruises without appearing unreal under the lights.

Dolby Digital 2.0 has been used for the film and it is entirely suitable. Without long use of music to build tension, the film employs various recorded tracks, piping them through a tinny PA system. This works to great effect, carrying off the prison atmosphere perfectly. To that end, there would be no real need for a better soundscape, and so the mix we have is satisfying. Dialogue is well spoken, though if you don’t speak German, it isn’t going to bother you either way. The really well done part of this sound package is in the sound effects. Sure, there are the stock sounds we all know and love (punches, wet thunks, crunches etc.) but the depth achieved by them is remarkable. Being in a prison of course, the sound could have echoed, but instead a subtle reverb seems to have been used which brings the sounds to life. Very nicely done.

Extras aren’t common among foreign films of this nature, but in this we are delivered a few. 15 minutes worth of interviews with the major cast and director are very interesting (and happily, translated!) and well worth the look, particularly to see these relatively unknown actors speaking outside their roles. This set is delivered in 4:3, as is the behind the scenes montage that follows. This runs for nine minutes and features footage setting up the road accident and the final riot in the film. Again, worth a look, though it doesn’t really say much and isn’t translated. In fact, it just looks like someone’s lugging a spare camera around, as nothing is discussed and nothing gets introduced. Following that are the obligatory trailers. First, three for The Experiment (two in German, one in English). The shortest runs for a minute ten whilst the longest creeps up to a minute 42. Then, the Madman Propaganda that turns up on most of their releases. This is in the form of five more trailers for the films: Dinner Rush, Nine Queens, 24 Hour Party People, The One and Only and The Safety of Objects. Overall not a bad little collection for a foreign film that adds some weight to the value of the disc.

As a conversation piece, The Experiment is sure to spark up a few opposing viewpoints and would be a novel film to sit around after a dinner party on a Friday night. Then again, it may well ruin a dinner party’s atmosphere. Still, it makes for some compelling viewing and is put together cleverly, building tension through minor occurrences so we barely even notice it. Of course, by then we’re hooked and must see it through to the bitter end. A well made film that uncovers some nasty human issues and will leave tongues talking.