The Trial(of Joseph K)

I am an avid viewer of the Turner Classic Movie channel. Not only does it give me amusement, but at times there is a film that introduces literature to me I otherwise would not have known existed. The Trial is just such a film. Directed by Orson Welles, it is said to be one of his favorite works, along with Citizen Kane.

The film, based on a  novel written by Franz Kafka(In 1914), centers on a man, Joseph K., who is arrested and put on trial for a crime that is never revealed to either Frank K. or the viewer. He  has no idea what he has done, and when he inquires, no one is able to tell him the charges, the officials who arrested him don’t even seem to know.

The rest of the film proceeds with Frank K. trying to discover the charges against him, trying to outwit the bureaucrats, while at the same time attempting to keep his own personal life from falling apart . It evolves into a sort of dream like journey, hard to follow in some places, but sticking with it, one can begin to figure it out. In fact that is the thing that kept me interested, attempting to figure out the charges.

Those who are accusing Joseph K of the unrevealed crimes steadily grows stronger, until he begins to wonder if the whole world isn’t under the control of the courts who are trying to condemn him.

The film, and the novel by the same name was warning of; or at least speculating about, a totalitarian government. Where all moves, speech, even personal life, are kept under close surveillance. Some have equated the novel with the warning of Nazism, but I believe it could apply to any government or religious institution. Interestingly no country is ever named in either the novel or the film.

Kafka, who worked in the area of government, wrote this novel based on his experiences there. It applies to areas such as the bank where Joseph K. worked; later in the film one of the rooms in the bank is also the torture chamber for the courts. This is a film that closely resembles George Orwell’s 1984.

Franz Kafka lived a short period of time, and although he had written other works, put in his will to have all his works destroyed, but his executor instead, having known Kafka personally, attempted to put together works such as The Trial, as closely as he could to the author’s intentions. I am glad that he did, it is writing such as this that gives a sense of history and attitude of the times, which are no different from today. Sometimes what is perceived to be wrongdoing by the powerful, ends up being perceived as wrong doing from those who choose to listen without finding out or thinking for themselves. When asked they usually have no idea what wrong the person has done, only that he/she has indeed done wrong because the ones with power said so. Therefore it must be true, otherwise why would they accuse?

I am a firm believer in the saying, If we don’t learn from history, we are doomed to repeat it. Works from the past are good lessons for today.

Something more to think about.