The Trial
1962
***
Director: Orson Welles
Cast: Anthony Perkins, Jeanne Moreau, Romy Schneider, Elsa Martinelli, Orson Welles, Akim Tamiroff, Arnoldo Foà, Madeleine Robinson, Max Haufler, Suzanne Flon, Jess Hahn, Fernand Ledoux
One morning, Josef K., a young and seemingly ordinary man, is awakened by two officials who inform him that he is under arrest, though they refuse to tell him what crime he has committed. This surreal and nightmarish drama about a man caught in the clutches of an oppressive legal system is the very definition of Kafkaesque, as it is based on Franz Kafka's 1925 novel. Orson Welles adapted the book and shot it across Europe. The film is visually stunning, with its atmospheric monochrome cinematography, striking camera angles, and overpowering sets. However, Josef K.'s dialogue-heavy ordeal failed to hold me in its grip.
