Craig Zobel's Compliance, grips from the outset with a version of the Milgram experiment (created by the American psychologist Stanley Milgram in 1961 to test individuals' response to authority) used by a malevolent prankster to disrupt the staff of a branch of a fast-food joint in an Ohio suburb.
Pretending to be a cop, he catches Sandra, the kindly manageress, at a stressful moment and persuades her that 23-year-old Becky, the pretty blonde on the till, has stolen money from a customer. The charges, threats and demands escalate, and soon most of the staff are involved in demeaning, humiliating and compromising activities. Terror and suspicion develop in this claustrophobic atmosphere, and we the audience become involved both as voyeurs and as self-questioning participants. How would we behave in this situation? Which cast member will be the first to question authority and challenge the puppet-master? Compliance is a disturbing, exciting and instructive film about matters we should all be prepared to face.
Source: http://www.guardian.co.uk/film/2013/mar/24/compliance-review-french-milgram-zobel
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