The Trial (1962)

An unassuming office worker is arrested and stands trial, but he is never made aware of his charges.

Director:

Orson Welles

Writers:

Pierre Cholot (adaptation), Franz Kafka (based on the novel by)

Stars:

Anthony Perkins, Arnoldo Foà, Jess Hahn

1 win & 1 nomination.

Cast

Cast overview, first billed only:
Anthony Perkins	...	Josef K.
Arnoldo Foà	...	Inspector A
Jess Hahn	...	Second Assistant Inspector
Billy Kearns	...	First Assistant Inspector (as William Kearns)
Madeleine Robinson	...	Mrs. Grubach
Jeanne Moreau	...	Marika Burstner
Maurice Teynac	...	Deputy Manager
Naydra Shore	...	Irmie
Suzanne Flon	...	Miss Pittl
Raoul Delfosse	...	Policeman
Jean-Claude Rémoleux	...	Policeman
Max Buchsbaum	...	Examining Magistrate
Carl Studer	...	Man in Leather (as Karl Studer)
Max Haufler	...	Uncle Max
Romy Schneider	...	Leni

Storyline

Josef K wakes up in the morning and finds the police in his room. They tell him that he is on trial but nobody tells him what he is accused of. In order to find out about the reason of this accusation and to protest his innocence, he tries to look behind the facade of the judicial system. But since this remains fruitless, there seems to be no chance for him to escape from this Kafkaesque nightmare.

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Plot Keywords:

dystopia | judicial system | surrealism | paranoia | kafka esque | 

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Taglines:

Orson Welles' Masterpiece.

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Genres:

Drama | Mystery | Thriller

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Certificate:

Not Rated

Details

Country:

France West Germany Italy

Language:

English

Release Date:

22 December 1962 (France)

Also Known As:

The Trial

Filming Locations:

Zagreb Fair, 15 Dubrovnik Avenue, Zagreb, Croatia

Company Credits

Production Co:

Paris-Europa Productions,Hisa-Film,Finanziaria Cinematografica Italiana (FICIT)

Technical Specs

Runtime:

119 min 107 min (TV)

Sound Mix:

Mono (Optiphone) (source format)

Color:

Black and White

Aspect Ratio:

1.66 : 1

Did You Know?

Trivia

The scene of K's office was filmed in the Paris train station, Gare d'Orsay, shortly after it was closed and before it became an art museum.

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Goofs

When Josef K. follows Hilda being carried out of the large trial room/hall by the law student, he hastily grabs and throws on his suit jacket. In the succeeding scenes, the jacket's buttons which are buttoned changes.

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Quotes

[first lines]
Narrator: Before the law, there stands a guard. A man comes from the country, begging admittance to the law. But the guard cannot admit him. May he hope to enter at a later time? That is possible, said the guard. The man tries to peer through the entrance. He'd been taught that the law was to be accessible to every man. "Do not attempt to enter without my permission", says the guard. I am very powerful. Yet I am the least of all the guards. From hall to hall, door after door, each guard is ...

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Crazy Credits

The end cast credits are read over by Orson Welles without titles

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Alternate Versions

On the French Studio Canal DVD, there is a deleted scene not found anywhere else. In it, K meets with the scientist in charge of the computer in hopes of using the computer to help his situation. She enters K's information into the computer and it determines the crime he is most likely to commit, suicide.

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Connections

Featured in AFI Life Achievement Award: A Tribute to Orson Welles (1975)

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Soundtracks

Air sentimental
Interprété par André Girard (as A. Girard) et Orchestre de l'Association des Concerts Colonne
Composed By Jean Ledrut
Publisher: S.l. : Philips, 1962.

User Reviews

Beautiful.

After reading some of the other user comments for this movie, I feel a bit out of my league. Unlike the other reviewers, I do not belong to Mensa, and I am not going to even TRY to show how this movie represents "social regimentation" or whatever.

Instead, I am simply going to say what I like best about it: the atmosphere. This is one of the most beautiful movies I have ever seen. Welles did a superb job of capturing an uneasy, nightmarish feeling. The camera angles and perspectives are perfect.

"The Trial" basically consists of scene after scene of surreal settings. We get to see endless rows of people working on typewriters, the inside of a crate while hundreds of eyes peer through the cracks, a labyrinth of tall bookshelves stacked with old law books, and tons of other dark surrealism that is amazing to look at.

As far as plot goes, Anthony Perkins is trapped in a corrupt judicial system, accused of an unspecified crime. He does a great job of making his character a paranoid wreck, and you can't help but feel paranoid yourself while watching the movie. Sometimes there is a spacious atmosphere, and other times it is extremely claustrophobic. And it is all perfectly done in black and white.

I highly recommend watching this, if only to look at the awesome sets. You will think you are in a nightmare yourself.