While Orsen Wells will always be best known for 'Citizen Kane' he is on record stating he thinks 'The Trial' is his best movie; I think he's wrong, I think it is 'Kane' but 'Trial' is one of his best.
An adaption of the Franz Kafka novel of the same name, this is the story of a man awaiting trial for a crime, but no one will tell him what he's supposed to have done and what he's being charged with. This is Kafka's wheelhouse, absudity, futility, an impenetrable buracracy crushing ones very soul, Franz Kafka had been a civil servant.
Anthony Perkins two years post 'Psycho' is the everyman victim Joseph K., he does fine work and is on record saying this (not Norman Bates) is the role he's most proud of. The rest of the cast consists largely of 'faceless-type' men, though director Wells also appears as an 'Advocate' and then there are various beautiful women who seemingly throw themselves at Jospeh K., with Romy Schneider being the most memorable. (Joseph K.'s general disinterest in these women, as well as Perkins casting, has lead this film to be often viewed as queer coded.)
A surreal horror story, an anxious movie. Excellent editing, camera work and wonderful set design and locations, from crumbling courthouses to bleak modernist apartment blocks. The film was shot throughout Europe, from Paris to Prauge to Rome. Film has some excellent dialouge scenes, it's that rare movie where I could both just listen to it and watch it without sound.
I was always interested while viewing but at a certain point the absurdity reached "big grin" levels and held them for some time. I was lucky to see this theatrically. 'The Trial' is a hard to run down film, I hope to see it again. ****
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