The Trial: 60th Anniversary Restoration – Studio Canal (4k UHD/Blu-ray Combo)

Theatrical Release Date: France/Italy/West Germany, 1962
Director: Orson Welles
Writers: Orson Welles, Pierre Cholot
Cast: Anthony Perkins, Madeleine Robinson, Jeanne Moreau, Romy Schneider, Akim Tamiroff , Elsa Martinelli, Orson Welles

Release Date: November 21st, 2022
Approximate Running Time: 118 Minutes 52 Seconds
Aspect Ratio: 1.66:1 Widescreen / 2160 Progressive / HEVC / H.265 / Dolby Vision HDR10
Rating: PG (UK)
Sound: DTS-HD Mono English, DTS-HD Mono French, DTS-HD Mono German
Subtitles: English SDH, French, German
Region Coding: Region Free (4K UHD), Region B (Blu-ray)
Retail Price: £19.99 (UK)

"One morning, Josef K. is arrested without knowing the charges against him. Completely stunned, K. slowly finds himself trapped in a dehumanised nightmare and realizes he is the victim of a grotesque plot. He is accused by everyone, friends and enemies, until, worn down, he ends up doubting his own innocence.." - synopsis provided by the distributor

Video: 5/5 (4K UHD). 4.5/5 (Blu-ray)

Here’s the information provided about this release's transfer, "This restoration was made in 4K in 2022 by StudioCanal and La Cinémathèque Française. Audio and image was restored by L'Immagine Ritrovata from the original 35mm negative."

The Trial comes on a 100 GB triple layer 4K UHD.

Disc Size: 65.2 GB

Feature: 54.5 GB

The Trial is a film that has never fared well on home video, with all of its earlier releases coming from lackluster sources. That said, this new restoration that is used as the source for this transfer looks excellent and is easily the best The Trial has ever looked on home video. Image clarity, contrast, black levels, and compression are all solid. Also, the image retains an organic look that nicely resolves the grain.

The Trial comes on a 50 GB dual layer Blu-ray.

Disc Size: 44.5 GB

Feature: 31.5 GB

Though the Blu-ray and the 4K UHD use the same source, the 4K UHD’s transfer looks marginally better as it revolves around better image clarity, contrast, and black levels.

Audio: 4.5/5 (DTS-HD Mono English)

This release comes with three audio options, a DTS-HD mono mix in English, a DTS-HD mono mix in French, and a DTS-HD mono mix in German. For this release, I only listened to the English-language track. The audio has also been cleaned up for this release. Dialog always comes through clearly, everything sounds balanced, and the score sounds appropriately robust. Included are removable English SDH, removable French subtitles, and removable German subtitles.

Extras:

Extras on the 4K UHD disc include a new theatrical trailer for the 60th anniversary restoration (1 minute, LPCM mono English with removable German subtitles), and a TMC documentary titled This is Orson Welles (52 minutes 51 seconds, LPCM stereo English, no subtitles).

Extras on the Blu-ray disc include a new theatrical trailer for the 60th anniversary restoration (1 minute, LPCM mono English with removable German subtitles), the original theatrical trailer (3 minutes 35 seconds, Dolby Digital mono English, no subtitles), a deleted scene (6 minutes 40 seconds, no audio, English subtitles created from the script), a TMC documentary titled This is Orson Welles (52 minutes 51 seconds, LPCM stereo English, no subtitles), a interview with actor/playwright Steven Berkoff (12 minutes 51 seconds, Dolby Digital stereo English, no subtitles), and an archival interview with cinematographer Edmond Richard titled Welles, Architect of Light (23 minutes 21 seconds, Dolby Digital stereo French with removable English subtitles).

Other extras include a slipcover.

Summary:

It is not surprising that a filmmaker like Orson Welles would be drawn to Franz Kafka’s novel Der Prozess (The Trial). It has many themes that Orson Welles would return to throughout his career. Notably, paranoia, isolation, and fate also befell a filmmaker who was at constant odds with those who financed his films. The Trial can be seen as a parable for Orson Welles' own cinematic journey as a filmmaker.

Though adapting a literary source into a film is never an easy task since the written word allows one's imagination to go places no film could ever go, Orson Welles actually does a remarkable job translating Franz Kafka’s source novel. He manages to keep the core elements. He creates a nightmarish atmosphere that perfectly replicates the sense of uneasiness and dread that remains faithful to the source material.

So much has been documented about the importance of casting. And Orson Welles assembled a remarkable cast, all of whom excelled in their respective roles. And nowhere is this more clear than when it comes to the casting of Anthony Perkins, an actor who just a few years earlier had his most iconic role as Norman Bates from Psycho. Instead of being typecast, Anthony Perkins would spend the remainder of the 1960s trying to avoid any character that resembled Norman Bates. That said, a character like Josef K. is a perfect fit for Anthony Perkins when one factors in his conflicted personal life.

Other notable cast members include Jeanne Moreau (The Bride Wore Black) in the role of Marika Burstner, Josef K.’s neighbor. She would work with Orson Welles on three other films, including the never-completed "Deep." Romy Schneider (Inferno) would play the role of Leni, Josef K.'s advocate nurse, and Akim Tamiroff (Touch of Evil) would play Bloch, another accused man. Of course, Orson Welles once again delivers a delirious performance in the role of Josef K.'s advocate.

When discussing the cinema of Orson Welles, it is impossible not to be drawn to his ability to create arresting visuals. The Trial is overflowing with surreal and symbolic imagery and unusual compositional framing choices that could have only come from the mind of Orson Welles. That said, unlike most filmmakers who create visuals that intentionally call attention to themselves, Orson Welles' visual eye never feels intentionally flashy.

From a production standpoint, The Trial is an astonishing accomplishment that greatly exceeds its anemic resources. Its abstract narrative does a superb job building tension via a claustrophobic atmosphere that perfectly captures the protagonist's state of mind. And the finale provides a very satisfying coda to the events that preceded. Another strength is Jean Ledrut’s score, which is mostly made up of classical compositions. Noteblay, Tomaso Albinoni's Adagio in G Ultimately, The Trial is an extraordinary film that deserves its place as one of Orson Welles' greatest films.

The Trial has never looked or sounded better than this release. The Trial gets a definitive release from StudioCanal, highly recommended.

Note about the 4K screenshots: It is not possible to make Dolby Vision or HDR10 screenshots that faithfully match the experience of watching a film in motion on a TV. Instead of not having any screenshots, all of the 4K screenshots are m2ts taken with a VLC player and lossless PNGs.

Written by Michael Den Boer