Went to the video store and asked where this film was. The employee told me it was in the special "Kafka" section and motioned toward a doorway. The employee also noted that I could not go through at the present time. I suppose I will be allowed to enter sooner or later...
The combination of Welles and Kafka works interstingly. An underrated film with fascinatingly surreal atmospheric power and genuine Kafkaseque material
Orson Welles' adaptation of Kafka's The Trial is a surreal experience to say the least. While we're definitely in the hands of a master film maker - the climactic chase is particularly amazing - there's always some tedium associated with surrealism, I find, as we jump from one strange image to the next. The looping is a little off and can't really be justified by saying it's part of the off-putting atmosphere, but perhaps most disturbing of all is an ending - not from the book - I find extremely wonky. Anthony Perkins is good, if somewhat ambiguous, as Josef K, a man accused of unrevealed offenses, defying an absurd and oppressive legal system. Where the book is spare and open to interpretation, the film has a definite opinion of what those interpretations might be, and comes across as a strong existential statement, where the highest courts are in the afterlife, and judgment is just a fact of life. K hurts everyone he meets in some way, feels guilty (or not), and is answered with the judging gaze of society. And so it is with everyone; we're all on trial.
The Trial is the best novel I have ever read and regarding how hard it must've been to adapt it into a film this is a very good attempt. However it doesn't really work all the way. At times yes, but not the whole film through... To me the biggest problem was that it didn't feel like the characters would act the way they did. I know; it's the Kafka-style and it works so well in the book, but for some reason it feels strange at times in film-form. Maybe I need to watch it again. After all it's a very complex work.
Also I think they should've made the ending a little bit more like in the novel. The film-ending felt a bit silly to me.
I still recommend it though. Not a bad film at all.
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Comments 1 - 10 of 10
alexbergmans
Went to the video store and asked where this film was. The employee told me it was in the special "Kafka" section and motioned toward a doorway. The employee also noted that I could not go through at the present time. I suppose I will be allowed to enter sooner or later...V012
The combination of Welles and Kafka works interstingly. An underrated film with fascinatingly surreal atmospheric power and genuine Kafkaseque materialChrisReynolds
Brilliant camerawork, lighting and acting. A powerful film though I think changing the ending was a mistake and doesn't fit the tone of the story.Louis Mazzini
Stunning camera work and cinematography! One of Welles 2-3 best movies.Dieguito
Masterpiece of Welles, the modern bureaucratic disturbing world with all its corruption and ambiguously aspects.Siskoid
Orson Welles' adaptation of Kafka's The Trial is a surreal experience to say the least. While we're definitely in the hands of a master film maker - the climactic chase is particularly amazing - there's always some tedium associated with surrealism, I find, as we jump from one strange image to the next. The looping is a little off and can't really be justified by saying it's part of the off-putting atmosphere, but perhaps most disturbing of all is an ending - not from the book - I find extremely wonky. Anthony Perkins is good, if somewhat ambiguous, as Josef K, a man accused of unrevealed offenses, defying an absurd and oppressive legal system. Where the book is spare and open to interpretation, the film has a definite opinion of what those interpretations might be, and comes across as a strong existential statement, where the highest courts are in the afterlife, and judgment is just a fact of life. K hurts everyone he meets in some way, feels guilty (or not), and is answered with the judging gaze of society. And so it is with everyone; we're all on trial.Persona14
The Trial is the best novel I have ever read and regarding how hard it must've been to adapt it into a film this is a very good attempt. However it doesn't really work all the way. At times yes, but not the whole film through... To me the biggest problem was that it didn't feel like the characters would act the way they did. I know; it's the Kafka-style and it works so well in the book, but for some reason it feels strange at times in film-form. Maybe I need to watch it again. After all it's a very complex work.I still recommend it though. Not a bad film at all.
Hunziker
There's an Q&A with Orson Welles on the filming of The Trial. Definitely worth watching.https://www.icheckmovies.com/movies/filming+the+trial/
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=RbUe-bM6bXg
Jumping Elephant
I think the "Buy this movie" link is wrong again...CynInFlicks
So, so good - but much too difficult to find here at the site!