The Stanford Prison Experiment

First Hit:  A puzzling and difficult film to watch. The behavior changes shown by both the prisoners and guards in the mock prison experiment was astounding.

This film is based on a true event in the summer of 1971 where Dr. Philip Zimbardo (Played by Billy Crudup) set up and ran a prison experiment in a basement of a Stanford University campus building. I sat mostly flabbergasted at the scientists running this experiment, the prisoners, and the guards behaviors. This was supposed to be a two week project where the subjects were given $15 a day to either be a prison guard or a prisoner.

The choice was made by a coin flip by Dr. Philip Zimbardo the guy who conceived and ran the experiment. Although I wasn’t there, and this is a film reenactment, this experiment needed to be stopped far short of the 6 days it lasted. The behavior of Dr. Zimbardo was filled with power and it took him 6 days to realize that he had became part of the experiment and problem. The men who were selected as guards almost to the person found that power over others was intoxicating. This behavior I found less shocking.

However, I was really shocked at how quickly the prisoners fell into such subservient positions to the guards. This film was difficult to watch and I wasn’t the only one. The audible gasps in the audience assuaged my own gasps and nervous laughs.

Crudup was strong as the ego driven psychology professor. Nelsan Ellis as the former San Quentin prisoner, Jesse Fletcher, who was monitoring the experiment was outstanding. All the prisoners and guards were great and made it seem like this is how it could have happened. Strong performances – all. Tim Talbott wrote this powerful script. Kyle Patrick Alvarez expertly directed this film.

Overall:  This film was fascinating and difficult to watch.

Get on Up

First Hit:  The music was great, dancing even better, historically somewhat interesting, and confusing in how it was put together.

I recall listening to James Brown (played by Chadwick Boseman) in the early 1960s thinking, this guy’s doing his own thing and it is very soulful.

Not soulful like the Supremes, Martha and the Vandellas, or The Platters. Brown’s music was in a word “Funky”. He is and was the creator of the funk sound. He mixed musical rhythms together that may have made a classical musical teacher cringe, but in the end the sound was powerful, interesting and in the soulful groove of us all.

His music reached across races – James Brown made such an impact in music that is felt today and will forever be felt. The film gave perspective of where he came from, how he was raised, and his belief that he knew what he wanted his music to sound like. One of the most interesting scenes is during a rehearsal when he told everyone that their musical instrument was a drum – and that the beat he wanted would work if they did what he said.

The film also gave a glimpse as to his beliefs of our government and race. He demanded respect from his musicians and was a task master. He didn’t trust many people. The music came through loud and clear and the camera work on some of the dancing was very good. However the crisscross movement of time to review his past and present life was confusing at times because the relation to time was not well marked. There were times I had to think as to what time in his life we were seeing.

Boseman was really good as Brown and he seemed to get a lot of the dancing footwork down which may not have been easy. Nelsan Ellis played his best friend and bandmate Bobby Byrd. Ellis was really strong and he made Boseman’s character better. He provide a deeper understanding of Brown. Dan Aykroyd played his manager and business partner Ben Bart. As Bart, Ackroyd was fantastic. His seriousness and sarcasm was perfect. Viola Davis as Susie Brown (mother) was very strong and provided both warmth, remorse and depth to the film. Jez and John-Henry Butterworth wrote the screenplay which required research and a willingness to dig into the positives and darker side of his life. Tate Taylor directed this film and may have made it more complicated to view than necessary.

Overall:  The music was outstanding – I enjoyed taking a trip down memory lane.

Secretariat

First Hit: A predictable, well shot, feel good film.

In some ways it is unfortunate that I followed Secretariat’s success when it actually happened in 1973.

My in-laws always traveled to the Kentucky Derby as they were from that state and liked the whole extravaganza of the Derby.

Watching television that day I watched as Secretariat came from behind and won the race in record time. The newspaper write ups kept me interested enough to watch the subsequent two races in the Triple Crown.

This Disney production brought back those memories in spades. However knowing the story made the film lack suspensefulness for me, yet there were enough audience members who didn't know the story which created an energy in the theater that was fun to feel.

Diane Lane playing the owner Penny Chenery, John Malkovich playing unlucky trainer Lucien Laurin, Nelsan Ellis as stableman Eddie Sweat, and Otto Thorwarth as jockey Ron Turcotte made a wonderful team around this amazing horse.

This is a story about a horse being allowed to run and a woman learning about her internal strength and perseverance. The best shot of the film is the rounding of the far turn at the Belmont.

The film goes silent and camera points down the inside rail from the finish line towards the end of the turn home. There is nothing, a camera shows the faces of the race watchers, you wonder, but it is just the moment before each of them realize they are seeing perfection.

The perfection of a horse running the race of our lives and as the horse rounds the home turn the sound comes back in and we are now all in concert with the beauty of this moment.

Lane is wonderful as Penny Chenery and clearly holds the screen when the horse wasn’t the central focus. Malkovich was funny and strong as the unlucky trainer who had great horses before Secretariat but they seem to lose the big races. Ellis as the stableman was perfect in showing his internal love and belief in the horse. Thorwarth was great as the Turcotte the jockey who knew how to communicate and let this house run. Mike Rich wrote a solid and predictable script. Randall Wallace did a great job of mixing drama with the drama and beauty of a horse running.

Overall: Regardless if you saw the event when it happened, it is wonderful to relive the moment once again.