Poster

The Trial ()

Le procès (original title)
Reference View | Change View
An unassuming office worker is arrested and stands trial, but he is never made aware of his charges.
Director:
Writers:
Stars:
Awards:
Reviews:

Photos and Videos

108 photos | 2 videos

Cast verified as complete

Edit
...
Josef K.
...
Inspector A
...
Second Assistant Inspector
Billy Kearns ...
First Assistant Inspector (as William Kearns)
...
Mrs. Grubach
...
Marika Burstner
Maurice Teynac ...
Deputy Manager
Naydra Shore ...
Irmie
...
Miss Pittl
...
Policeman
Jean-Claude Rémoleux ...
Policeman
Max Buchsbaum ...
Examining Magistrate
...
Man in Leather (as Karl Studer)
Max Haufler ...
Uncle Max
...
Leni
...
Chief Clerk of the Law Court
...
Bloch
...
Hilda
...
Bert the Law Student
...
Courtroom Guard
William Chappell ...
Titorelli
...
Priest
...
Albert Hastler - The Advocate / Narrator
Rest of cast listed alphabetically:
...
Josef K.'s Colleague (uncredited)
Patricia Manning ...
Woman (uncredited)
...
Court Archivist (uncredited)
...
Uncle Max (uncredited)

Directed by

Edit
Orson Welles

Written by

Edit
Pierre Cholot ... (adaptation and dialogue)
 
Franz Kafka ... (based on the novel by)
 
Orson Welles ... (written by)

Produced by

Edit
Enrico Bomba ... producer (uncredited)
Robert Florat ... associate producer
Alexander Salkind ... producer (as Alexandre Salkind)
Michael Salkind ... producer (as Michel Salkind)

Music by

Edit
Jean Ledrut

Cinematography by

Edit
Edmond Richard ... director of photography

Editing by

Edit
Yvonne Martin
Frederick Muller ... (as Fritz H. Muller)
Orson Welles ... (uncredited)

Editorial Department

Edit
Chantal Delattre ... assistant editor (uncredited)
Roberto Perpignani ... assistant editor (uncredited)
Gérard Pollicand ... associate editor (uncredited)

Art Direction by

Edit
Jean Mandaroux

Costume Design by

Edit
Helen Thibault ... (uncredited)

Makeup Department

Edit
Louis Dor ... makeup artist

Production Management

Edit
Robert Florat ... production manager
Paul Laffargue ... assistant: director of production
Emile Blondé ... assistant unit manager (uncredited)
Philippe Dubail ... assistant unit manager (uncredited)
Jacques Pignier ... unit manager (uncredited)

Second Unit Director or Assistant Director

Edit
Marc Maurette ... assistant director
Sophie Becker ... assistant director (uncredited)
Paul Seban ... assistant director (uncredited)

Art Department

Edit
Jean Bourlier ... assistant art director (uncredited)
Jacques Brizzio ... assistant art director (uncredited)
Madame Brunet ... dresser (uncredited)
Jean Charpentier ... upholsterer (uncredited)
Francine Coureau ... upholsterer (uncredited)
Jacques D'Ovidio ... assistant art director (uncredited)
André Labussière ... set dresser (uncredited)
Claudie Thary ... dresser (uncredited)
Pierre Tyberghein ... assistant art director (uncredited)
Gösta Åberg ... poster artist : Sweden (uncredited)

Sound Department

Edit
Jacques Lebreton ... sound mixer
Guy Villette ... sound engineer
Julien Coutelier ... sound (uncredited)
Urbain Loiseau ... assistant sound (uncredited)
Guy Maillet ... assistant sound (uncredited)

Special Effects by

Edit
Denise Baby ... special effects editor (uncredited)

Camera and Electrical Department

Edit
Adolphe Charlet ... camera operator
Roger Corbeau ... still photographer
Max Dulac ... first assistant camera
Robert Fraisse ... second assistant camera (uncredited)

Location Management

Edit
Guy Maugin ... location manager (uncredited)

Music Department

Edit
Tomaso Albinoni ... composer: additional music
Jean Ledrut ... music arranger (uncredited)

Script and Continuity Department

Edit
Marie-José Kling ... script supervisor (uncredited)

Additional Crew

Edit
Alexander Alexeieff ... creator: prologue scenes on "Pin-screen" (as Alexandre Alexeieff)
Yves Laplanche ... promoter
Claire Parker ... creator: prologue scenes on "Pin-screen"
Jacques Pignier ... administrator
Alexander Salkind ... presenter
Jacques Brua ... accountant (uncredited)
Sonia Bunodière ... production secretary (uncredited)
Pierre Bénichou ... press attache (uncredited)
Paul Bürks ... voice dubbing: William Chappell (uncredited)
Henry Dutrannoy ... production administrator (uncredited)
Florence Malraux ... press attache (uncredited)
André Nicard ... publicist (uncredited)
Gisèle Pellet-Collet ... production secretary (uncredited)
Crew verified as complete

Production Companies

Edit

Distributors

Edit

Special Effects

Edit
  • Lax (optical effects: Prologue)

Other Companies

Edit

Storyline

Edit
Plot Summary

Josef K wakes up in the morning and finds the police in his room. They tell him that he is on trial but nobody tells him what he is accused of. In order to find out about the reason of this accusation and to protest his innocence, he tries to look behind the facade of the judicial system. But since this remains fruitless, there seems to be no chance for him to escape from this Kafkaesque nightmare. Written by Joern Richts

Plot Keywords
Taglines Orson Welles' Masterpiece. See more »
Genres
Parents Guide View content advisory »
Certification

Additional Details

Edit
Also Known As
  • Il processo (Italy)
  • Der Prozess (West Germany)
  • The Trial (World-wide, English title)
  • The Trial (United States)
  • The Trial (Canada, English title)
  • See more »
Runtime
  • 119 min
Official Sites
Country
Language
Color
Aspect Ratio
Sound Mix
Filming Locations

Box Office

Budget $1,300,000 (estimated)

Did You Know?

Edit
Trivia In May '62, while filming, Jeanne Moreau suffered a slight nervous breakdown due to the stifling atmosphere of the film. See more »
Goofs When Josef K. follows Hilda being carried out of the large trial room/hall by the law student, he hastily grabs and throws on his suit jacket. In the succeeding scenes, the jacket's buttons which are buttoned change. See more »
Movie Connections Featured in The Queen of Sheba Meets the Atom Man (1967). See more »
Soundtracks Adagio D'Albinoni See more »
Crazy Credits The end cast credits are read over by Orson Welles without titles (though the actors are read in a different order from their listing on the screen). See more »
Quotes [first lines]
Narrator: Before the law, there stands a guard. A man comes from the country, begging admittance to the law. But the guard cannot admit him. May he hope to enter at a later time? That is possible, said the guard. The man tries to peer through the entrance. He'd been taught that the law was to be accessible to every man. "Do not attempt to enter without my permission", says the guard. I am very powerful. Yet I am the least of all the guards. From hall to hall, door after door, each guard is more powerful than the last. By the guard's permission, the man sits by the side of the door, and there he waits. For years, he waits. Everything he has, he gives away in the hope of bribing the guard, who never fails to say to him "I take what you give me only so that you will not feel that you left something undone." Keeping his watch during the long years, the man has come to know even the fleas on the guard's fur collar. Growing childish in old age, he begs the fleas to persuade the guard to change his mind and allow him to enter. His sight has dimmed, but in the darkness he perceives a radiance streaming immortally from the door of the law. And now, before he dies, all he's experienced condenses into one question, a question he's never asked. He beckons the guard. Says the guard, "You are insatiable! What is it now?" Says the man, "Every man strives to attain the law. How is it then that in all these years, no one else has ever come here, seeking admittance?" His hearing has failed, so the guard yells into his ear. "Nobody else but you could ever have obtained admittance. No one else could enter this door! This door was intended only for you! And now, I'm going to close it." This tale is told during the story called "The Trial". It's been said that the logic of this story is the logic of a dream... a nightmare.
See more »
Getting Started | Contributor Zone »

Contribute to This Page


Clear your history

Recently Viewed