The Trial

The first film adaptation of Kafka's unfinished novel "The Trial" (1914/1915). It is quite challenging to search for the boundaries between Kafka and Orson Welles, just as it is a challenge to follow this story outside the realities of old Austria-Hungary. But I am glad that the cast is international. The presence of Italian, French, and German actresses helps global understanding. Romy Schneider plays Leni, taking care of the old lawyer. For her, this role meant a significant turning point at a time when she was looking for a new career. (14/02/2023)

As in Franz Kafka's "The Metamorphosis", the main character, Joseph K., is thrown into a completely absurd situation right at the beginning and there are many unanswered questions in the world for which we will wait in vain for answers. Orson Welles decided to bring this unconventional novel to the screen, and IMHO he succeeded. He cast Anthony Perkins in the lead role, who had already proven two years before that he could command the audience's attention in a thriller (Psycho). Orson Welles, as the conniving attorney with a shrill voice and confident delivery, was a great balance to the unstable Perkins. The icing on the cake was the casting of Jeanne Moreau and Romy Schneider, who added to the film's charm. The most impressive scenes were Joseph and Leni's conversation during the storm and Joseph's escape through the narrow corridors from the excited girls. All in all, a very fine film adaptation of a literary classic, highlighting the insignificance of an individual trying to defy a system that is corrupt through and through, and so everything comes to its inevitable conclusion. (23/03/2013)