An unassuming office worker is arrested and stands trial, but he is never made aware of his charges.An unassuming office worker is arrested and stands trial, but he is never made aware of his charges.An unassuming office worker is arrested and stands trial, but he is never made aware of his charges.
- Awards
- 2 wins & 2 nominations total
- First Assistant Inspector
- (as William Kearns)
- Man in Leather
- (as Karl Studer)
- Director
- Writers
- All cast & crew
- Production, box office & more at IMDbPro
Storyline
Did you know
- TriviaIn May '62, while filming, Jeanne Moreau suffered a slight nervous breakdown due to the stifling atmosphere of the film.
- GoofsWhen 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 change.
- 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 more powerful than the last. By the guard's permission, the man sits by the side of the door, and there he waits. For years, he waits. Everything he has, he gives away in the hope of bribing the guard, who never fails to say to him "I take what you give me only so that you will not feel that you left something undone." Keeping his watch during the long years, the man has come to know even the fleas on the guard's fur collar. Growing childish in old age, he begs the fleas to persuade the guard to change his mind and allow him to enter. His sight has dimmed, but in the darkness he perceives a radiance streaming immortally from the door of the law. And now, before he dies, all he's experienced condenses into one question, a question he's never asked. He beckons the guard. Says the guard, "You are insatiable! What is it now?" Says the man, "Every man strives to attain the law. How is it then that in all these years, no one else has ever come here, seeking admittance?" His hearing has failed, so the guard yells into his ear. "Nobody else but you could ever have obtained admittance. No one else could enter this door! This door was intended only for you! And now, I'm going to close it." This tale is told during the story called "The Trial". It's been said that the logic of this story is the logic of a dream... a nightmare.
- Crazy creditsThe end cast credits are read over by Orson Welles without titles (though the actors are read in a different order from their listing on the screen).
- Alternate versionsThe short version cut the opening pin screen sequence and also deleted and rearranged a number of scenes.
- ConnectionsFeatured in The Queen of Sheba Meets the Atom Man (1967)
- SoundtracksAdagio D'Albinoni
Interprété par André Girard (as A. Girard) et Orchestre de l'Association des Concerts Colonne
Arranged by Jean Ledrut
Music by Tomaso Albinoni (T.Albinoni)
Publisher: S.l. : Philips, 1962.
When one thinks about it carefully, one can only conclude that Orson Welles, more than anyone, was the ideal candidate to adapt Kafka's story. It possesses all his trademarks: nightmarish ambiance, a manipulative power figure (the Advocate, played by Welles himself) and a parade of disconcerting characters that, though absurd, are very telling parables for the human race's shortcomings. Opening with a stunningly drawn introduction, the film truly begins with K. awakening in his bed. It is then a cascade of either virtuoso long takes (with the camera gliding with bewildering grace) and ingenious editing. The camera always conveys a sense of unease and its combination with the Soviet style sets and oppressive geometry further enhance the aura of paranoia.
Of the cast, Anthony Perkins perfectly plays the role of the bewildered accused. He receives solid help from Jeanne Moreau, Max Haufler, Romi Schneider (wonderfully sensual and unhinged), Akim Tamiroff (Joe Grande from "Touch of Evil" and Jackob Zook from "Mr. Arkadin", always a joy to see) and, especially as always, Welles himself. Some may object to the transposition of Kafka's novel to more modern times, but one can not deny that the spirit is perfectly captured. Welles could trick you into believing that The Trial is a story of his invention, but that it is also his most personal film to date. Welles called this film his best to date, perhaps because it was his first completely controlled film in a long time. It is one of his best, however, ranking up there with Chimes at Midnight, Citizen Kane, Touch of Evil and Mr. Arkadin.
One of the best films of all time and certainly one of the most atmospheric.
Details
- Release date
- Countries of origin
- Official site
- Language
- Also known as
- Der Prozess
- Filming locations
- 240 Grada Vukovara Street, Zagreb, Croatia(Joseph K. and old lady lugging a trunk)
- Production companies
- See more company credits at IMDbPro
Box office
- Budget
- $1,300,000 (estimated)
- Gross US & Canada
- $93,533
- Opening weekend US & Canada
- $7,280
- Dec 11, 2022
- Gross worldwide
- $93,688
- Runtime1 hour 59 minutes
- Color
- Aspect ratio
- 1.66 : 1