The Trial (1962)

Director: Orson Welles
Starring: Anthony Perkins, Arnoldo Foà, Jess Hahn

Synopsis:
A man finds himself under arrest and marked for conviction even though he is never told his alleged crime.

Impressions:
It takes someone like Orson Welles to bring the surrealism of a Kafka novel to the screen. I tend to find Anthony Perkins to be a mixed bag as an actor, but he was perfect here as the harried Josef K. It's probably his best performance since Psycho. The story and the characters are so obtuse that it's maddening and that's entirely the point. In my case, I was rather sleep-deprived when I watched it, which compounded the effect. The sad thing is that as arbitrary as the so-called justice system in this world is, it's not too far from the truth in certain times and places. It's an interesting and thought-provoking film and I recommend giving it a watch, though I'll admit that its mind-bending obtuseness may not be for everyone.

Rating:
Watch It