KAFKA

France/US, 1991, 98 minutes, Colour and Black-and-white.
Jeremy Irons, Theresa Russell, Joel Grey, Ian Holm, Jeroen Krabbe, Armin Mueller- Stahl, Alec Guinness, Brian Glover, Keith Allen, Simon Mc Burney, Robert Flemyng.
Directed by Steven Soderberg.

Kafka is the second feature film directed by Steven Soderberg. At 26, he had won the Palme D’ Or at the 1989 Cannes Film Festival and he was launched on a career that saw ups and downs, especially downs in the mid-90s, a revival at the end of the 90s with such films as Out of Sight, culminating in an Oscar for direction for Traffic, the same year that he directed Julia Roberts to an Oscar for Erin Brockovich.

His career has been completely unpredictable, doing the light touch with the Oceans 11 series, much more serious in his two-part film Che on Che Guevara, his announcement that he was not making movies and concentrating on television, his telemovie about Liberace, Behind the Candelabra, and then a return to movie-making, always doing his own cinematography under another name, and experimenting with photo cameras in such films as Unsane.

This film can be appropriately described as Kafkaesque. It is not a biography of Kafka but rather imagining a nightmare in Prague in which Kafka is involved. He works as a clerk, responsible to authority played by Alec Guinness, approached by rebels and becoming involved with them and the death of a friend. There is a mysterious policeman always questioning him, Armin Mueller- Stahl.

There is a mysterious organisation and he is finally caught up, going to the Castle, the film moving into colour, his discovering a laboratory where human experimentation is going on.

Perhaps the film was too difficult for audiences, especially in the United States at the time, but, in retrospect, it is very interesting to get the atmosphere of Kafka’s own imagination, references and allusions to his own works, quotations from his novels.

Jeremy Irons gives a strongly typical performance as Kafka and is supported by Theresa Russell and a very strong supporting cast from Britain and from Europe.

1. Audience interest in Kafka? Life? His work?

2. The settings in Prague, familiar landscapes, the bridge, the Cathedral, the Castle? The various neighbourhoods? Offices, bars, apartments? The head office, the rows of desks, supervisors? The surrounding woods? The river?

3. The film moving into colour, the interiors of the Castle, modern, corridors, offices, laboratories, the roof? The musical score?

4. The strong international cast? The second film by Steven Soderberg? His career?

5. The parallels with Kafka? The opening, Edward, on the bridge, sense of presence, his being pursued, the doctor, the monstrous character, the struggle and his death? Setting a tone for the film?

6. The period and atmosphere, 1919, Czechoslovakia, government, offices, insurance companies, medical centre? The government, the police, anarchists, the torture of prisoners, the torture of victims and the Castle?

7. The blend of fact and fiction in the screenplay? Kafka’s life, the reference to Metamorphosis, the many references to The Castle, the many references to The Trial?

8. Jeremy irons as Kafka, his story, the narrative, his antagonism towards his father, writing the letter to his mother? His work, the monotony, the drudgery, every day the same? The background of his writing, the stories, publications? His creativity? Burgel and his constant supervision, the little man, officious, Gabriela and her coldness in the office, seeing her outside the office? The Chief Clerk and his sense of duty, Kafka and his not being promoted, the death of Edward and the possibility of promotion? His searching for Edward, the interrogation by the police inspector? Going to his apartment, the landlady, his being ousted? The meetings in the restaurant, the anarchists and his refusing to join them? The bomb and its explosion? The encounters with Bizzlebek, appreciating his writing? The imposition of the two assistants, acting like clowns in the office, Tweedledum and Tweedledee? And their becoming sinister?

9. The anarchists, Gabriella and her role, Edward and his participation, the men at the restaurant, the detonating of the bomb, the wealthy in the restaurant and the gourmet eating, deaths? The man with a scarf, encouraging Kafka to follow, and his searching for Gabriela?

10. The Chief Clerk, Alec Guinness, his age, sitting in his office, everything orderly, insurance premiums, his talking with Kafka, urging him to sport and activity? Looking at Edward’s file? Kafka later going into the office, searching the files? His being observed? At the end, everything back to normal, not interfering with orders from the Castle?

11. The encounters with the inspector, his manner, the cigarettes, the interrogations, the visits, knowing all about Kafka, pursuing him, the further interrogations?

12. Bizzlebek, as a sculptor, praising Kafka, their discussions, his seeing Kafka’s fiancee in the restaurant and attracted to her? His work in the cemetery, the Jewish gravestones and the only film indication of Jewish background? His rescuing of Kafka, hitting the two assistants on the head? He showing him the entry into the Castle?

13. Burgel, company man and supervisor, his book, patrolling the offices, his being laughed at, especially by Gabriela? Kafka following him to the toilets, his looking at the “dirty pictures�?

14. Kafka’s visit to the archives, his search of the records and the documents, the role of the keeper of the archives?

15. Kafka and his personality, introverted, retiring, the letter to his mother, the criticisms of his father, his fiancee’s visit to the father?

16. The puzzles, the encounter with the killer, the pursuit? The chase through the streets, light and darkness? His observing the deaths? In the woods, in the building, the top floor and all the dead bodies, his being caught in the lift, escaping and his being chased? The assistants and Bizzlebek’s rescue? The removal of all the bodies?

17. The role of the twins, the interview, imposed, stupid behaviour, complementary, Tweedledum and Tweedledee? The cover for their more sinister activities?

18. Kafka and his decision to go to the Castle, the secret passages, the interiors in colour? The information about Dr Murneau, the catalogue of men who disappeared? In the office, the contact with the doctor, the doctor guiding along the corridor, the revelation of the truth? The doctor knowing all about Kafka? The laboratories, the people being tortured, the scientific experiments, the availability of the bodies?

19. The doctor, his explanations, his own disappearance, the racket in bodies, the victims, experiments?

20. The assistant to the doctor, in the laboratory, chasing, going to the roof, Gabriela and her torture and suffering? The male victim and his attacking the doctor? Kafka and the explosion? His pursuer falling through the glass roof?

21. The background of revolution, the group and anarchy, Kafka being alone – and, at the end, things returning to normal?