Review of Kafka (1991) by Peter D — 12 Jun 2009

Neither wholly an adaptation nor a biography of the author, "kafka" borrows elements from its namesake's personal and political lives, and balances them on a precarious truss-work of political intrigue, paranoia, murder, corruption, and the inane bureaucratic convolution for which the author is best known.

Where "naked lunch" fails to effectively capture either the eponymous work or the author that penned it (being far too distracted with the illustration of burroughs's bizarre metaphors), this succeeds, even if one imagines the structure grew from necessity. I mean, the authors could have remade "the trial," but it's been done and doesn't offer many surprises. there's the moralistic "metamorphosis," but subjecting the audience to a story told in narration over the glassy eyes of a giant cockroach might get to be a bit much. then there's "the castle" ... which ends mid-sent... ence. so they cleverly borrowed from all three, inserting the author in place of the usual protagonist "k," and including glimpses into his real political ideology and personal entanglements.

It's also a beautifully shot and sound-designed film, reminiscent of lynch's "the elephant man" in places. other parts bring to mind the much later, and much more contrived and less enduring, "sin city" -- especially some genuinely creepy moments involving the main henchman.