The Trial

Orson Welles, to whose own career the adjective ‘Kafkaesque’ could often be applied, took on the author’s posthumously-published novel, and, in true Wellesian fashion, made something of it entirely his own. As Josef K. (Anthony Perkins) awakens one morning, he finds himself arrested by a collection of detectives who refuse to give him details of his crime. When they leave without taking him into custody, Josef goes about his day as normal, but when night comes, he is abducted and brought to a courtroom where he must defend himself against his unknown crime. Despite seeking help from representatives of the law, art, and religion, Josef remains none the wiser, even when he is condemned to death. Though typically polarising upon release, there is much to admire and enjoy in the film’s performances and striking visuals that perfectly evince the world created by Kafka.