Much of
Orson Welles'
latter-day reputation as an "unfathomable" genius rests upon his
seeming unwillingness to tell a story in clear, precise fashion.
Sometimes, as in such films as
Touch of Evil,
Welles'
spotty storytelling skills can be forgiven in the light of the
excellent visuals. In other cases, as in his 1962 adaptation of
Kafka's The Trial,
Welles'style comes across as empty virtuosity, precious and petulant when it should be profound.
Anthony Perkins
plays Joseph K, a man condemned for an unnamed crime in an unnamed
country. Seeking justice, Joseph K is sucked into a labyrinth of
bureaucracy (
Welles
once described the character as being a "little bureaucrat" himself,
who deserves to be punished. This is never clearly expressed in the
finished film). Along the way, he becomes involved with three women --
Jeanne Moreau,
Romy Schneider,
Elsa Martinelli -- who in their own individual ways are functions of the System that persecutes him.
