The Trial (1962 film)

The Trial
French theatrical release poster
French	Le Procès
Directed by	Orson Welles
Screenplay by	Orson Welles
Based on	The Trial by Franz Kafka
Produced by	Alexander Salkind
Starring	Anthony Perkins Orson Welles Jeanne Moreau Romy Schneider Akim Tamiroff Elsa Martinelli
Cinematography	Edmond Richard
Edited by	Fritz H. Mueller
Music by	Jean Ledrut Tomaso Albinoni
Distributed by	Astor Pictures Corporation
Release dates	22 December 1962 (1962-12-22) (France) 2 April 1963 (1963-04-02) (West Germany) 7 September 1963 (1963-09-07) (Italy)
Running time	118 minutes
Countries	France Italy West Germany
Language	English
Budget	US$1.3 million
Box office	998,779 admissions (France)[1]

The Trial (French: Le Procès) is a 1962 drama film written and directed by Orson Welles, based on the 1925 posthumously published novel of the same name by Franz Kafka. Welles stated immediately after completing the film: "The Trial is the best film I have ever made".^[2] The film begins with Welles narrating Kafka's parable "Before the Law" to pinscreen scenes created by the artists Alexandre Alexeieff and Claire Parker.

Anthony Perkins stars as Josef K., a bureaucrat who is accused of a never-specified crime, and Jeanne Moreau, Romy Schneider and Elsa Martinelli play women who become involved in various ways in Josef's trial and life. Welles plays the Advocate, Josef's lawyer and the film's principal antagonist.

The Trial has grown in reputation over the years, and some critics, including Roger Ebert, have called it a masterpiece.^[3] It is often praised for its scenic design and cinematography, the latter of which includes disorienting camera angles and unconventional use of focus.^[4]