Kafka (1991)

Director:

Steven Soderbergh

Writer (WGA):

Lem Dobbs (written by)

Release Date:

15 November 1991 (USA)

Genre:

Comedy | Drama | Mystery | Sci-Fi | Thriller

Plot:

Existential writer Franz Kafka works during the day at an insurance company where events lead him to discover a mysterious underground society with strange suppressive goals.

Plot Keywords:

Secret | Co Worker | Worker | Dark Comedy | Terrorist

Awards:

1 win & 1 nomination

Cast

Jeremy Irons	...	Kafka
Theresa Russell	...	Gabriela
Joel Grey	...	Burgel
Ian Holm	...	Doctor Murnau
Jeroen Krabbé	...	Bizzlebek
Armin Mueller-Stahl	...	Grubach
Alec Guinness	...	The Chief Clerk
Brian Glover	...	Castle Henchman
Keith Allen	...	Assistant Ludwig
Simon McBurney	...	Assistant Oscar
Robert Flemyng	...	The Keeper of the Files
Matyelok Gibbs	...	Concierge
Ion Caramitru	...	Solemn Anarchist
Hilde Van Mieghem	...	Female Anarchist (as Hilde Van Meighem)
Jan Nemejovský	...	Mustachioed Anarchist
Toon Agterberg	...	Youthful Anarchist
Maria Miles	...	Anna
Vladimir Gut	...	Edward (as Vladimír Gut)
Emil Wolk	...	Man Under Microscope
Josef Abrhám	...	Friend of Kafka
Guy Fithen	...	Friend of Kafka
Zuzana Halustokova	...	Friend of Kafka
Ondrej Havelka	...	Friend of Kafka
Lenka Korínková	...	Friend of Kafka
Petr Lepsa	...	Friend of Kafka
Leon Silver	...	Friend of Kafka
Debora Weston	...	Friend of Kafka
Jan Slovák	...	Man at Bar
David Shaw Parker	...	Interrogating Attendant
Jerome Flynn	...	Castle Attendant
Ewan Stewart	...	Castle Attendant
James McPhee	...	Castle Attendant
Lubos Rychvalsky	...	Kidnapped Vagrant
Pavel Myslik	...	Vagrant (as Pavel Myslík)
Frantisek Stupka	...	Vagrant
Petr Jákl	...	Quarry Labourer
Karel Belohradský	...	Inspector's Assistant
Josef Sebek	...	Inspector's Assistant
Robert Krejcik	...	Evil Wagon Driver
Vitezslav Bouchner	...	Lens room cleaner
David Jensen	...	The Laughing Man

Directed by
Steven Soderbergh

Writing credits (WGA)
Lem Dobbs		(written by)

Produced by
Harry Benn	....	producer
Stuart Cornfeld	....	producer
Mark Johnson	....	executive producer
Barry Levinson	....	executive producer
Paul Rassam	....	executive producer

Original Music by
Cliff Martinez

Cinematography by
Walt Lloyd		(director of photography)

Film Editing by
Steven Soderbergh

Casting by
Susie Figgis

Production Design by
Gavin Bocquet

Art Direction by
Leslie Tomkins		(as Les Tomkins)

Set Decoration by
Joanne Woollard

Costume Design by
Michael Jeffery

Makeup Department
Paula Gillespie	....	chief hair stylist
Zdenek Klika	....	makeup artist
Stephen Rose	....	key hair stylist: additional photography
Allen Weisinger	....	key makeup artist

Production Management
Jan Balzer	....	production supervisor
Miloslav Dolezal	....	unit manager
Petr Moravec	....	unit manager
Pavel Nový	....	production manager

Second Unit Director or Assistant Director
Lee Cleary	....	second assistant director: additional photography
Steve Harding	....	assistant director: additional photography
Zbynek Honzík	....	third assistant director
Nick Laws	....	second assistant director
Mirek Lux	....	assistant director
Jirí Ostry	....	assistant director
Alice Ronovska	....	second assistant director
Guy Travers	....	assistant director

Art Department
Bill Bernie	....	painter
George Dean	....	painter
Joe Dipple	....	property master: additional photography
Len Furey	....	construction coordinator
Bohumil Kadlec	....	property master
Mike Rickard	....	construction manager: additional photography
Tony Woollard	....	production designer: additional photography
Tony Wright	....	sketch artist

Sound Department
Ron Bartlett	....	additional sound effects editor
Larry Blake	....	sound editor
Larry Blake	....	sound re-recording mixer
Tomas Cervenka	....	assistant second boom operator
Phil Croal	....	boom operator
Louis Elman	....	adr supervisor: UK
Nerses Gezalyan	....	foley recordist
Mark Holding	....	boom operator: additional photography
Paul Ledford	....	production sound mixer
Steve Lee	....	sound effects librarian
Mark A. Mangini	....	sound designer (as Mark Mangini)
Mark A. Mangini	....	sound editor (as Mark Mangini)
Mark A. Mangini	....	sound re-recording mixer
Dave Moreno	....	weddington recordist
Dan O'Connell	....	foley artist
Greg Orloff	....	foley mixer
Randy Singer	....	foley recordist
Steve F.B. Smith	....	stereo sound consultant: Dolby
Alan Snelling	....	adr mixer
Alicia Stevenson	....	foley artist

Special Effects by
Philip Elton	....	art director: special effects unit
Terry Glass	....	special effects
Jirí Matolín	....	art director: special effects unit
Ian Wingrove	....	special effects supervisor

Visual Effects by
Mike Heaviside	....	process photography assistant
Brian Orris	....	process photography assistant
Charles Staffell	....	process photography

Stunts
Marc Boyle	....	stunt coordinator
Pavel Cajzl	....	stunt double: Jerremy Irons
Perry Davey	....	stunts

Camera and Electrical Department
John Attwell	....	clapper loader
Steve Burgess	....	focus puller
George Cole	....	gaffer: additional photography
Eddie Collins	....	camera operator
Jim Coward	....	generator operator
Martin Evans	....	gaffer
John Flemming	....	camera grip
Jiri Horych	....	electrician
George Hunt	....	best boy: additional photography
Adam Samuelson	....	crane operator
Jimmy Waters	....	camera grip: additional photography
Paul Wells	....	best boy

Casting Department
Abi Cohen	....	casting assistant: UK

Costume and Wardrobe Department
Hana Kucerova	....	set costumer

Editorial Department
Aaron Glascock	....	assistant editor
Rob Green	....	assistant editor: UK
Tom Salvatore	....	color timer
Patricia Sztaba	....	negative matcher
Stan Sztaba	....	negative matcher

Music Department
Sharal Churchill	....	soundtrack consultant
Jeff Rona	....	composer: additional music (uncredited)

Other crew
Jean Bourne	....	script supervisor
Sarah Flack	....	production assistant
Robert A. Levine	....	unit publicist
Tony Miller	....	production accountant
Annie Penn	....	script supervisor: additional photography (as Annie Wotton)
Gail Samuelson	....	production coordinator

Thanks
Charles Newirth	....	special thanks

Production Companies

• Baltimore Pictures
• Pricel
• Renn Productions

Distributors

• Miramax Films (1991) (USA) (theatrical)
• AMLF (1992) (France) (theatrical)
• Finnkino (1993) (Finland) (theatrical)
• Transmundo Films (1992) (Argentina) (theatrical)
• Cinépix Film Properties (CFP) (1992) (Canada) (video)
• Future Film (2006) (Finland) (DVD)
• Paramount Home Video (1992) (USA) (VHS)
• Transmundo Home Video (THV) (1993) (Argentina) (VHS)
• UFA Video (2004) (Germany) (DVD)

Other Companies

• Pinewood Studios  movie studio
• Anvil Post Production  ADR recording
• Barrandov Studios  studio facilities provided by
• First Unit Caterers  catering
• Lee Lighting  grip and lighting equipment
• Masterwords  cutting continuity
• Match Cut Film Services  negative cutting
• Oxford Scientific Films  brain photography
• Oxford Scientific Films  eye photography
• Packair Airfreight  shipping agent
• Panavision  camera equipment provided by
• R/Greenberg Associates  title design: main and end titles
• Renown Freight  shipping agent
• Skywalker Sound South  foley recorded at
• The Travel Company  travel agency
• Virgin Records America  soundtrack
• Weddington Productions  sound re-recording

Also Known As:

Runtime:

98 min | Germany:92 min (TV version)

Country:

France | USA

Language:

English

Color:

Black and White | Color

Aspect Ratio:

1.66 : 1

Sound Mix:

Dolby SR

Certification:

Argentina:13 | South Korea:15 | Portugal:M/16 (Qualidade) | Finland:K-16 | Germany:16 | Sweden:15 | UK:15 | USA:PG-13

Filming Locations:

Barrandov Studios, Prague, Czech Republic

Company:

Baltimore Pictures

Trivia:

Just before going to the Castle, Kafka ask Bizzlebek to burn his manuscripts if he never came back. Bizzlebek replies "such an extraordinary request". This is in reference of the real request Kafka asked his friend Max Brod before dying. Brod couldn't go with the request and had Kafka's work published.

Quotes:

Gabriela:And you believe everything the authorities tell you?
Franz Kafka:Well, I have no reason to doubt.
Gabriela:They're authorities! That's reason enough.

Movie Connections:

Referenced in The Blood Pact: The Making of 'Blade II' (2002) (V)

Definitely not a case of "sophomore slump"

Some see this film as a step down from Steven Soderbergh's brilliantly-constructed debut feature, "sex, lies and videotape." I see it as a significant step in his artistic development (even if its commercial and critical failure limited the audiences for his next several films). Certainly no one expected him to follow the low-key, character-driven "sex, lies" with such a complicated, stylized film as "Kafka."

An inspired script by Lem Dobbs and a great cast drive Soderbergh's visually rich film. Besides the leads, of note are Joel Grey as the self-important bureaucrat Burgel, Brian Glover as the menacing Castle Henchman, and Keith Allen and Simon McBurney as Kafka's side-splittingly incompetent "assistants." And Cliff Martinez's score (inspired by "The Third Man") is ingenious.

To call this film underrated would be a severe understatement.