Film Screening: THE TRIAL (1962)

In THE TRIAL (1962), legendary filmmaker Orson Welles delivers an inspired and stylish adaptation of the famous Franz Kafka novel that shares its title. Civil servant Joseph K (Anthony Perkins) finds his life unexpectedly upended after being charged with a nameless crime by a faceless and indifferent legal system. What follows is a nightmare vision of an ordinary man who, eager to clear his name but never quite sure of his guilt or innocence, becomes increasingly entangled in a bureaucratic labyrinth seemingly without end or purpose, and from which he struggles to escape. Made late in his storied career, THE TRIAL is a showcase for Welles’ mastery over the medium, featuring his trademark cinematic style, including striking camera placement and movement, inventive lighting, and ingenious sound design.