Themes: Fighting the System, Nothing Goes Right, Totalitarian States
Main Cast: Jeremy Irons, Theresa Russell, Joel Grey, Ian Holm, Jeroen Krabbé
Release Year: 1991
Country: US/FR
Run Time: 105 minutes
MPAA Rating: PG13
Plot
Steve Soderbergh did a 180 degree turnaround from his debut film sex, lies, and videotape with Kafka, a stark art-film fable for literature majors. Jeremy Irons plays a fictional Franz Kafka, living in Prague in 1919. By day, Kafka works in a massive, impersonal insurance company. At night, he spends his time alone writing stories about men who turn into giant cockroaches. Although quiet and solitary, he becomes a suspect in a murder investigation conducted by Inspector Grubach (Armin Mueller-Stahl) when a friend of his turns up dead. Rather than being harassed by Grubach, Kafka decides to investigate his friend's murder on his own. Kafka speaks to his dead friend's girlfriend, Gabriela (Theresa Russell) and talks with gravestone carver Bizzlebek (Jeroen Krabbe). Kafka follows the clues to the Castle, a menacing tower that casts its shadow over the city and houses files on everything. He winds his way through the cellars and tunnels of the Castle, where he encounters the evil and insidious Dr. Murnau (Ian Holm), whom he hopes holds the solution to the murder. ~ Paul Brenner, All Movie Guide
Alec Guinness - The Chief Clerk; Armin Mueller-Stahl - Inspector Grubach; Keith Allen - Assistant Ludwig; Simon McBurney - Assistant Oscar; Robert Flemyng - The Keeper of the Flies; Toon Agterberg - Youthful Anarchist; Karel Belohradsky - Inspector's Assistant; Vitezsalv Bouchner - Lens Cleaner; Ion Caramitru - Solemn Anarchist; Guy Fithen - Friend of Kafka; Jerome Flynn - Castle Attendant; Brian Glover - Castle Henchman; Vladimir Gut - Edward; Zuzana Halustokov - Friend of Kafka; Ondrej Havelka - Friend of Kafka; Petr Jákl - Quarry Laborer; Dave Jensen - The Laughing Man; Lenka Korinkova - Friend of Kafka; Robert Krejcik - Evil Wagon Driver; Petr Lepsa - Friend of Kafka; James McPhee - Castle Attendant; Maria Miles - Anna; Pavel Myslik - Vagrant; Jan Nemejovsky - Mustachioed Anarchist; David Shaw Parker - Interrogating Attendant; Lubos Rychvalsky - Kidnapped Vagrant; Josef Sebek - Inspector's Assistant; Leon Silver - Friend of Kafka; Jan Slovak - Man at Bar; Ewan Stewart - Castle Attendant; Frantisek Stufka - Vagrant; Hilde Van Mieghem - Female Anarchist; Debora Weston - Friend of Kafka; Emil Wolk - Man Under Microscope; Matyelok Gibbs - Concierge; Josef Abrhám - Friend of Kafka
Credit
Jiri Matolin - Art Director, Les Tomkins - Art Director, Michael Jeffery - Costume Designer, Guy Travers - First Assistant Director, Steven Soderbergh - Director, Steven Soderbergh - Editor, Mark Johnson - Executive Producer, Paul Rassam - Executive Producer, Cliff Martinez - Composer (Music Score), Allen Weisinger - Makeup, Gavin Bocquet - Production Designer, Philip Elton - Production Designer, Tony Woollard - Production Designer, Walt Lloyd - Cinematographer, Harry Benn - Producer, Joanne Woollard - Set Designer, Ian Wingrove - Special Effects, Lem Dobbs - Screenwriter
Metamorphosis (Germany 1975) ·Metamorphosis (Sweden 1976) ·The Metamorphosis of Mr. Samsa (Canada 1977) ·Metamorphosis (UK 1987) ·Franz Kafka (Poland 1992) ·Description of a Struggle (USA 1993) ·Franz Kafka's It's a Wonderful Life (UK 1993) ·Zoetrope (from "In the Penal Colony"; USA 2000) ·The Hunger Artist (USA 2002) ·Metamorphosis (Russia 2002) ·Human Body (from "A Country Doctor"; Germany 2004) Kafka goes to the Forest(Brazil 2009) ·
