This year marks the 100th anniversary of the posthumous publication of Franz Kafka’s chilling novel of the nightmare world of authoritarian repression and merciless bureaucracy. I remember reading the book only after I saw Orson Welles’ chilling film production. Somehow I missed the release of a 4k re-issue of the film for its 60th anniversary. However, there’s a free version of the original on the Internet Archive here. And, here’s a trailer for the 60th anniversary release.
“When it comes to film adaptations of very famous works of literature, there’s always a lot of pressure on the artist to produce something worth its background. In this case, Welles created a technically grandiose movie loyal to Kafka’s story, but enhanced by the infusion of Welles’ own vision. The Trial stands as one of the most accomplished book-to-film adaptations, and in Welles’ rich career, it’s a film that ranks among the very best.”
It seems particularly appropriate to be looking back at The Trial at this time when many Americans are anticipating a knock on the door from the Musk/trump jackbooted thugs.