Trial (The)

Also known as: Procès (le)

Genre: dystopian drama (in black and white) 

With: Anthony Perkins (Josef K.), Arnoldo Foà (Inspector A), Jess Hahn (Second Assistant Inspector), Madeleine Robinson (Mrs. Grubach), Jeanne Moreau (Marika Burstner, a lodger), Naydra Shore (cousin Irmie), Suzanne Flon (Miss Pittl, the Lady dragging a trunk), Max Buchsbaum (the Examining Magistrate), Max Haufler (Uncle Max), Romy Schneider (Leni, the Advocate’s nurse), Orson Welles (Albert Hastler, the Advocate and Narrator), Akim Tamiroff (Bloch the Advocate’s client), Elsa Martinelli (Hilda, the Court employee), Thomas Holtzmann (Bert the Law Student), Wolfgang Reichmann (the Courtroom Guard), William Chappell (Titorelli), Michael Lonsdale (the Priest)

Director: Orson Welles

Screenplay: Pierre Cholot (adaptation) and Orson Welles, based on Franz Kafka’s novel

Release: 1962

Studio: Paris-Europa Productions; Hisa Films et al.

Rating: -

MBiS score: 8.8/10 

 

‟It seems you are under arrest, Mr. K.” 

 

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Story-line: the setting is a grey, nameless and foreboding city. Josef K., a lodger in Mrs. Grubach’s building, wakes up one morning as police inspectors enter his room to conduct a search. Bombarded with questions, he wonders aloud what this is all about. Has he done anything against the law? And, if so, who is accusing him?

Pluses: mighty performances by Anthony Perkins (showing great range as the nervous but courageous Josef) and a top-flight supporting cast (a sombre Jeanne Moreau, a naughty Romy Schneider, a quiet yet menacing Orson Welles and a suspicious-looking Elsa Martinelli), brisk direction, a flawless, mesmerizing screenplay that looks nonsensical but proves otherwise, abundant, rapid-fire dialogues either whispered, calmly delivered or shouted out, overwhelming visuals and production values (cold, oppressive sets and locations), a musical score mostly based on Albinoni’s Adagio and a potent ending.

Minuses: none… but watching this movie is no picnic, considering its subject matter.  

Comments: how can you make a predictably dry, depressing, even maddening movie that is still watchable from beginning to end? Orson Welles managed it with the help of a fascinating cast, strange locales, far-out cinematography, a few oddball or darkly funny moments and a thought-provoking story set in a world very different yet strikingly close to ours. An astounding feat and a masterpiece by one of the truly great moviemakers! Josef K.’s quest for answers is either brilliantly absurd or absurdly brilliant. I’ll let you decide… 

 

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Argent des autres (l’)

Genre: workplace drama

With: Jean-Louis Trintignant (Henri Rainier), Catherine Deneuve (Cécile Rainier), Claude Brasseur (Claude Chevalier d'Aven), Michel Serrault (Miremont), Gérard Séty (De Nully), Jean Leuvrais (Helldorf), François Perrot (Vincent), Umberto Orsini (Blue), Michel Berto (Duval), Francis Lemaire (Torrent), Juliet Berto (Arlette Rivière), Michel Delahaye (Bignon)

Director: Christian de Chalonge

Screenplay: Pierre Dumayet and Christian de Chalonge (adapting Nancy Markham’s novel)

Release: 1978

Studio: Fildebroc, Société Française de Production et de Création Audiovisuelles, Les Films de la Tour et al.

Rating: -

MBiS score: 8.4/10 

 

‟When they fired me, they shook my hand and thanked me. How about you?”

  

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Story-line: having been summarily dismissed by the Miremont De Nully Helldorf Bank, Henri Rainier goes to a recruitment agency for help. He explains that he quit his job for moral reasons and that, as a loan officer, he had little say about which clients the bank would accept as borrowers. During a second interview, he admits that he lied initially and that he lost his job because of a messy matter involving a high-profile client. What is behind all this? Does Henri really know?

Pluses: solid acting by Jean-Louis Trintignant (as a distressed man fighting for his professional life), convincing performances by a cold Michel Serrault, a stalwart Catherine Deneuve (in a crucial role) and Claude Brasseur (as a risk-taking entrepreneur), irreproachable direction, an intelligent and increasingly tense screenplay that nurtures a real sense of paranoia and features a splendid bunch of villains, impressive cinematography, fine production values, an anxiety-driven musical score and an appropriate conclusion. 

Minuses: the screenplay may seem unfocused at one point – as it shows Henri’s equally unfocused attempts at vindication – but one glorious turn of events gives it renewed energy and urgency. Some movies hinging on complex financial maneuvers are confusing but this one isn’t; it posits rather clearly how Henri found himself in a devilish situation. As for the title, it simply means ‟Other People’s Money”.

Comments: a winner of 2 Césars (Best Film and Best Director) and the Prix Louis-Delluc, L’ARGENT DES AUTRES is a soulless but realistic and useful illustration of white-collar mischief. In some ways, it even prefigured real-life financial scandals that would come to the fore later on, notably during the Great Financial Crisis. As such, it gives a valuable lesson and a warning to all employees who see their rights in the workplace threatened or thwarted.   

 

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