A nothing film.


It literalises a work which doesn't need literalising and in doing so crumbles its allegorical power. Admittedly there are some interesting visuals but they lack dreamlike metaphor and suggestion, yes, here is surrealism as strained through pragmatism. Everything is surface.

What is worse is that it has the gall to smugly suggest that K was being prosecuted for some form of Pedophilia with his cousin. The cursory words from the director, the peeping girls at Torterelli's appartment and the threatening of his 'Ice pick' slyly and un-skillfully suggest this. This is a major faux pas which goes against the whole point of the novel - There should be zero suggestion that any crime has been committed. I can only ascertain that this was some form of self appeasement from Wells. Trying to logicise the courts actions and assuage the viewers disbelief at their absurd actions.

Technically speaking the acting was poor also. A lot of mechanical jabbering delivered without passion in the eyes (It seems churlish to mention the dubbing). The plot ticks all the boxes of the novel but screams past the subtleties as to make their linear dot-to-dot inclusion a trivial exercise (I have in my mind the idea of Well's wanting to conquer Kafka's Trial). Why not just create ones own version of events. A new creative take on the source material. This is what Tarkovsky undertook with Solaris even to the derision of Lem Himself. And he greatly succeeded. Even Soderberg's version succeeds in dancing to its own merry tune... In all, with the Trial Wells has managed to display the crude limitations of cinema in juxtaposition with literature. In my book, any adaptation within the creative arts should never attempt to outright mimic. One must take their own understanding of the themes and run with them down a brand new alley.

I can't help but feel Wells is trying to pat himself on the back by pasting a novel onto the screen, which in the end adds nothing to the greater discourse of The novel. The Trial: film as Mime

reply

It literalises a work which doesn't need literalising


I understand what you are saying, though I have to disagree. The Trial above any other work of Kafka should have been literalized and fully adapted into a movie. Especially in the time it was made, post McCarthy but yet still fresh enough in everyone's mind. Where a literal adaption of the work now would not fit, because people would say "at least he got a trial". Though i do see what you are saying with how much was lost in a visual depiction of the work, the phrase "A picture is worth a thousand words" and yet a film can never really capture a thousand words (of the better writers).

In my book, any adaptation within the creative arts should never attempt to outright mimic. One must take their own understanding of the themes and run with them down a brand new alley.

I can't help but feel Wells is trying to pat himself on the back by pasting a novel onto the screen, which in the end adds nothing to the greater discourse of The novel. The Trial: film as Mime


And yet most criticisms of adaption is that they don't follow the work enough. Too often one is left saying "that wasn't like the book at all". There is a thin line with adaption of portraying the work as best one can while adding just enough of their own mark. Even you criticized the fact that Wells hinted at what the crime might be, though in this case of course that hint defeats the purpose of The Trial.

Quis custodiet ipsos custodes?

reply

Your criticisms make absolutely no sense, and the fact you cannot even spell the director's name correctly shows how little you have thought about this.

Your phrases "the gall", "smugly", "pat himself on the back" etc. show that you are emotionally projecting your own lack onto Welles. Better luck next time, because you have missed the point here and understand nothing.

reply

suggest that K was being prosecuted for some form of Pedophilia with his cousin


The film gives no indication as to what K was prosecuted for.

reply

In my book, any adaptation within the creative arts should never attempt to outright mimic.

Kind of a ridiculous ultimatum. Plenty of good movies are faithful to their source material. Rosemary's Baby for one.

reply

What is worse is that it has the gall to smugly suggest that K was being prosecuted for some form of Pedophilia with his cousin. The cursory words from the director, the peeping girls at Torterelli's appartment and the threatening of his 'Ice pick' slyly and un-skillfully suggest this. This is a major faux pas which goes against the whole point of the novel - There should be zero suggestion that any crime has been committed.


Why? Why are you so fixated on that little tidbit of the plot? Seems like you have a weird fixation with Pedophilia. And you didn't like the work to begin with judging by your statemtment "It literalises a work which doesn't need literalising"

Who are you to say what literary works deserve to be made into a film or not? Seems kind of presumptuous.

And your critique of the acting... That is just an entirely subjective statement of opinion, and a weak criticism of any movie, to be honest. Any two people will completely disagree on what's good acting and what is bad acting.

reply