The Trial – Review

It has been told that the logic of this story is the logic of a dream, or nightmare. Based on a book, The Trial brings a surreal presentation of stress, anxiety and a fight against the law. While it was produced overseas, the movie is fully in English.

Josef K. (Perkins) awakens to a man entering his room. The man begins asking questions and startles Josef, immediately spinning the film around like a top. The interrogation does not stop while Josef wonders about the other people that live in the residence, and what is going on. He dresses slowly, attempting to glean info and keeps the strange man at bay. Is he a cop of some sort?

It is 6:14 in the morning and this day is already very off-putting. The unidentified man allows Josef to finish dressing, and checks his papers. Josef tries to leave the room, since he needs the bathroom. Another man then comes in, asking additional questions and bringing more pressure. Anxiety ratchets upwards.

The men allude to a charge of some kind, but it is not identified. They instruct Josef on a few rules he now has to follow. All of a sudden, men from Josef’s office are in the room next to his which belongs to Mrs. Grubach. They are not of any help though, as their odd behavior further insinuates some kind of guilt onto Josef. The thing is, he cannot think of a single charge which could get lobbied against him, and knows it must be a mistake. Who even accuses him? What authority is this?

This is only the tip of the nightmare iceberg that awaits the passing ship Josef. As he sails along trying to make sense of everything happening, things twist from odd to strange to insane. Why won’t anyone listen to Josef or even define what is going on? Well, the film is playing out an odd fable included at the outset about a man waiting for full access to the law, however being denied by a powerful guard.

This film is very abstract and dreamlike just as intended. The acting is quite well done as it is both serious and a touch quirky to match the nightmare atmosphere. The dialogue has an interesting cadence and it’s hard to process all of what is being said so quickly, also similar to a dream. Sets bleed into each other as characters interact in dubious ways. The anxious nature of the story could almost put this film in the horror category. This oppressive film will likely rile you up and leave you queasy due to how well-crafted it is.

Orson Welles considered this to be his masterpiece, and I can’t really disagree.