The Trial (1993)

Joseph K. awakes one morning, to find two strange men in his room, telling him he has been arrested. Joseph is not told what he is charged with, and despite being "arrested," is allowed to ... See full summary »

Director:

David Hugh Jones

Writers:

Franz Kafka (novel), Harold Pinter (screenplay)

Stars:

Kyle MacLachlan, Anthony Hopkins, Jason Robards

Cast

Cast overview, first billed only:
Kyle MacLachlan	...	Josef K.
Anthony Hopkins	...	The Priest
Jason Robards	...	Doctor Huld
Juliet Stevenson	...	Fräulein Burstner
Polly Walker	...	Leni
Alfred Molina	...	Titorelli
David Thewlis	...	Franz
Michael Kitchen	...	Block
Tony Haygarth	...	Willem
Douglas Hodge	...	Inspector
Jirí Schwarz	...	Babensteiner
David Schneider	...	Kullich
Ondrej Vetchý	...	Kaminer
Valérie Kaplanová	...	Old Woman
Jirí Ded	...	Old Man

Storyline

Joseph K. awakes one morning, to find two strange men in his room, telling him he has been arrested. Joseph is not told what he is charged with, and despite being "arrested," is allowed to remain free and go to work. But despite the strange nature of his arrest, Joseph soon learns that his trial, however odd, is very real, and tries desperately to spare himself from the court's judgement.

---

Plot Keywords:

arrest | criminal | courtroom | kafka esque | based on unfinished work | 

---

Genres:

Drama | Thriller

---

Motion Picture Rating (MPAA)

Rated PG-13 for some sex-related material

Details

Country:

UK

Language:

English

Release Date:

April 1994 (USA)

Also Known As:

A per

Filming Locations:

Prague, Czech Republic

Company Credits

Production Co:

British Broadcasting Corporation (BBC), Europanda Entertainment

Technical Specs

Runtime:

120 min

Sound Mix:

Dolby SR

Color:

Color (Eastmancolor)

Aspect Ratio:

1.85 : 1

Did You Know?

Trivia

Karel Reisz was asked to direct this film.

---

Connections

Version of Waking (1999)

User Reviews

Lifeless and Academic

The Trial, of course, can be interpreted in many different ways, as a personal statement against the struggle of man to hold his own against the forces of the universe, or perhaps as an attack on the inhumane bureaucracy inherent in authoritarian government. `Kafka's novels,' says genre critic Franz Rottensteiner, `move in a circle, and their helpless heroes are caught in the fabric of a world that is ever elusive to them. They are mere cogs in a senseless social machine.' However you interpret it, The Trial is not easy to forget and seems more relevant today than ever. Translating it to film is another story.

This version has all the stuff that the Welles version lacks -- superior performances, an expensive production beautifully photographed in Prague, an outstanding screenplay by Harold Pinter, and a faithful, almost literal, adherence to Kafka's novel. The only thing missing is wit, style, a spark of life, and creative energy. With Welles version, the film ends with a powerful impact; this one ends with a resounding thud.

Kyle MacLachan, who plays Joseph K. in this version, is best known for his performances as agent Cooper in the TV and movie versions of Twin Peaks. I believe he is a better actor than Anthony Perkins; however, I found his performance to be so emotionally distant that I did not care a whit about happened to him. Supporting performances are outstanding, especially Jason Robards as the Advocate and Anthony Hopkins as the prison chaplain. In spite of my considerable esteem for Mr. Pinter, this film is flat and lifeless and the experience is little different than listening to an audiotape of the novel.