Kafka (film)

1991 film by Steven Soderbergh

Kafka

Theatrical release poster

Directed by| Steven Soderbergh
Written by| Lem Dobbs
Produced by| Harry Benn
Stuart Cornfeld
Starring|

* Jeremy Irons
* Theresa Russell
* Joel Grey
* Ian Holm
* Jeroen Krabbé
* Armin Mueller-Stahl
* Alec Guinness

Cinematography| Walt Lloyd
Edited by| Steven Soderbergh
Music by| Cliff Martinez

Production
companies

Baltimore Pictures
Pricel
Renn Productions

Distributed by| Miramax Films (United States)
AMLF (France)

Release date

* November 15, 1991 (1991-11-15)

Running time

| 98 minutes
Countries| United States
France[1]
Language| English
Budget| $12 million[2]
Box office| $1.1 million

Kafka is a 1991 mystery thriller film[1] directed by Steven Soderbergh, from a screenplay by Lem Dobbs. Ostensibly a biopic based on the life of Franz Kafka, the film blurs the lines between fact and Kafka's fiction (most notably The Castle and The Trial), creating a Kafkaesque atmosphere. It stars Jeremy Irons in the title role, with Theresa Russell, Ian Holm, Jeroen Krabbé, Joel Grey, Armin Mueller-Stahl, and Alec Guinness. Simon McBurney appears in his film debut.

Released after Soderbergh's critically acclaimed debut Sex, Lies, and Videotape it was the first of what would be a series of low-budget box-office disappointments. It has since become a cult film, being compared to Terry Gilliam's Brazil and David Cronenberg's Naked Lunch.[3]

## Plot

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In 1919 Prague, Franz Kafka leads a seemingly ordinary life as an insurance adjuster while secretly nurturing his passion for writing. His routine existence is disrupted when one of his co-workers is found murdered under mysterious circumstances. Kafka's curiosity and sense of justice compel him to investigate the death, drawing him into a shadowy and dangerous world.

As Kafka delves deeper, he discovers an underground anarchist group operating in secret. This group is committed to exposing and dismantling a powerful and enigmatic organization that exerts control over society's most significant events. The anarchists believe that this organization is responsible for widespread oppression and manipulation, and they have resorted to bombings and other acts of sabotage to disrupt its operations. Kafka becomes increasingly involved with the group, forming a connection with Gabriela Rossman, a passionate and determined member who guides him through the group's activities and objectives.

Kafka's investigation leads him to uncover a series of conspiracies and unsettling truths. His journey takes him to a foreboding castle, which serves as the headquarters of the secret organization. Within the castle, Kafka discovers horrifying experiments and evidence of the organization's far-reaching influence over society. The castle itself is a labyrinthine structure, symbolizing the impenetrable and oppressive nature of the organization's power.

As Kafka infiltrates the castle, he confronts the organization's leaders and their methods of control. The experience forces him to grapple with profound questions about morality, freedom, and the nature of resistance. The story blurs the boundaries between Kafka's reality and the themes of his literary works, particularly the nightmarish and surreal elements that characterize his writing.

In the climactic moments, Kafka must decide whether to embrace his role as an unwitting hero or succumb to the overwhelming forces arrayed against him. His confrontation with the organization serves as both a personal and philosophical reckoning, testing his courage and resolve in the face of an oppressive and enigmatic system.

## Cast

[edit]

* Jeremy Irons as Franz Kafka
* Theresa Russell as Gabriela Rossman
* Joel Grey as Mr. Burgel
* Ian Holm as Doctor Murnau
* Jeroen Krabbé as Mr. Bizzlebek
* Armin Mueller-Stahl as Inspector Grubach
* Alec Guinness as the Chief Clerk
* Brian Glover as Castle henchman
* Keith Allen as Assistant Ludwig
* Simon McBurney as Assistant Oscar
* Robert Flemyng as Keeper of the Files
* Ion Caramitru as Solemn anarchist
* Josef Abrhám as Friend of Kafka
* Guy Fithen as Friend of Kafka
* Ondrej Havelka as Friend of Kafka
* Jerome Flynn as Castle attendant
* Ewan Stewart as Castle attendant
* Jim McPhee as Castle attendant
* Petr Jákl as Quarry labourer
* David Jensen as Laughing man

## Production

[edit]

Lem Dobbs' original screenplay was more of a straightforward biopic of Franz Kafka, but Soderbergh rewrote it because he wanted to create a “mystery thriller, not a biography.”[1] Dobbs was dissatisfied with Soderbergh's changes, and the two would not work again until The Limey in 1999.

Isabelle Adjani and Anne Parillaud were both considered for the role of Gabriela.[1] Parillaud was cast in the part, and even filmed with Soderbergh and Irons, but left after several days due to language barriers.[1]

Filming took place on-location in Kafka's hometown of Prague, and at Barrandov Studios. Soderbergh elected to shoot most of the film in black-and-white to evoke German expressionism.[1] Two weeks of reshoots took place at Pinewood Studios in England.[1]

## Reception

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This section needs expansion. You can help by adding to it. (December 2018)

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Kafka was met with mixed reviews from critics. On the review aggregator website Rotten Tomatoes, the film has an approval rating of 55%, based on 22 reviews. The website's consensus reads, "Kafka does not rise to the artistic success of its subject, struggling to approximate the nightmarish absurdity that defined the author's work despite thoughtful direction by Steven Soderbergh and a gorgeous black and white color palette."[4]

### Awards and nominations

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Institution  | Year  | Category  | Work  | Result

|
|
|
|

Independent Spirit Awards | 1992 | Best Screenplay | Lem Dobbs | Nominated
Best Cinematography | Walt Lloyd  | Won
Turkish Film Critics Association | 1994  | Best Foreign Film  | Steven Soderbergh  | 4th place

## Alternate version

[edit]

In a 2013 interview with Vulture, Soderbergh stated that the rights to the film had reverted to him and executive producer Paul Rassam and that work had begun on a "completely different" version of the film.[5] Soderbergh reported that he and Lem Dobbs did some rewriting, inserts were shot during the making of Side Effects, and he planned to dub the film into German and release both the original and new version together.[5] In 2020, he announced he had finished the new version and would release it as part of a box set.[6][7] The new version, titled Mr. Kneff,[8] debuted at the 2021 Toronto International Film Festival.[9]

## References

[edit]

1. ^ a b c d e f g "AFI|Catalog: Kafka (1991)". AFI Catalog of Feature Films. Retrieved 2024-08-20.
2. ^ Persons, Dan (June 1992). "KAFKA Steven Soderbergh on Directing". Cinefantastique. Fourth Castle Micromedia. Retrieved May 28, 2025.
3. ^ "Kafka". Film Notes.
4. ^ "Kafka". Rotten Tomatoes. Retrieved 31 December 2024.
5. ^ a b Schilling, Mary Kaye (27 January 2013). "Steven Soderbergh on Quitting Hollywood, Getting the Best Out of J-Lo, and His Love of Girls". Vulture. Retrieved 2014-03-05.
6. ^ Kohn, Eric (26 August 2020). "Steven Soderbergh Reedited Three of His Movies in Quarantine While Producing 'Bill and Ted Face the Music'". Indiewire. Retrieved 16 December 2020.
7. ^ Schager, Nick (5 December 2020). "Steven Soderbergh: The Reports of Cinema's Death Have Been Greatly Exaggerated". The Daily Beast. Retrieved 16 December 2020.
8. ^ Barfield, Charles (5 January 2021). "Steven Soderbergh's 'Kafka' Becomes 'Mr. Kneff' In New 7-Film Box Set Expected In Late 2021". The Playlist. Retrieved 5 January 2020.
9. ^ Hassannia, Tina (September 28, 2021). "Steven Soderbergh Reintroduces His Cult Classic 'Kafka' After Decades of Tinkering". IndieWire. Retrieved September 18, 2021.

## External links

[edit]

* Kafka at IMDb
* Kafka at Rotten Tomatoes
* Kafka at Box Office Mojo

* v
* t
* e

Steven Soderbergh

* Filmography
* Bibliography
* Unrealized projects

Films|

| Directed|

* 9012Live (1985)
* Sex, Lies, and Videotape (1989)
* Kafka (1991)
* King of the Hill (1993)
* The Underneath (1995)
* Schizopolis (1996)
* Gray's Anatomy (1996)
* Out of Sight (1998)
* The Limey (1999)
* Erin Brockovich (2000)
* Traffic (2000)
* Ocean's Eleven (2001)
* Full Frontal (2002)
* Solaris (2002)
* Eros (2004)
* Ocean's Twelve (2004)
* Bubble (2005)
* The Good German (2006)
* Ocean's Thirteen (2007)
* Che (2008)
* The Girlfriend Experience (2009)
* The Informant! (2009)
* And Everything Is Going Fine (2010)
* Contagion (2011)
* Haywire (2011)
* Magic Mike (2012)
* Side Effects (2013)
* Behind the Candelabra (2013)
* Logan Lucky (2017)
* Unsane (2018)
* High Flying Bird (2019)
* The Laundromat (2019)
* Let Them All Talk (2020)
* No Sudden Move (2021)
* Kimi (2022)
* Magic Mike's Last Dance (2023)
* Presence (2024)
* Black Bag (2025)
* The Christophers (2025)

|

Written|

* Nightwatch (1997)
* Criminal (2004)

Produced|

* The Daytrippers (1996)
* Pleasantville (1998)
* Welcome to Collinwood (2002)
* The Jacket (2005)
* Solitary Man (2009)
* Ocean's 8 (2018)
* The Report (2019)

Television series|

* K Street (2003)
* The Knick (2014–15)
* Mosaic (2018)
* Full Circle (2023)
* Command Z (2023)

Related articles|

* Section Eight Productions

* v
* t
* e

Adaptations of works by Franz Kafka

Films|

* The Trial (1962)
* The Castle (1968)
* The Penal Colony (1970)
* Klassenverhältnisse (1984)
* The Loves of Kafka (1988)
* Kafka (1991)
* The Trial (1993)
* Franz Kafka's It's a Wonderful Life (1993)
* The Castle (1994)
* The Castle (1997)
* K (2002)
* Metamorphosis (2012)

Literature|

* Kafka Americana

Comics|

* Give It Up!
* The Metamorphosis
* Introducing Kafka

* v
* t
* e

Franz Kafka's The Castle

Film adaptations|

* 1968
* 1994
* 1997

Opera|

* Das Schloß (1992)

Related|

* Kafka
* The Prisoner

* v
* t
* e

Franz Kafka's The Trial

Adaptations|

* Der Prozeß (1953 opera)
* The Trial (1962 film)
* The Trial (1993 film)
* The Trial (2014 opera)

Film variations|

* Kafka (1991)

* v
* t
* e

Franz Kafka (works)

Novels|

* The Trial
* The Castle
* Amerika

Short stories|

| 1902–1912|

* "Shamefaced Lanky and Impure in Heart"
* "Description of a Struggle"
* "Wedding Preparations in the Country"
* "The Judgment"
* "The Stoker"
* The Metamorphosis
* "The Aeroplanes at Brescia"

|

1914–1917|

* "In the Penal Colony"
* "The Village Schoolmaster"
* "Before the Law"
* "Blumfeld, an Elderly Bachelor"
* "A Country Doctor"
* "The Hunter Gracchus"
* "The Great Wall of China"
* "A Message from the Emperor"
* "A Report to an Academy"
* "A Dream"
* "Up in the Gallery"
* "A Fratricide"
* "The Next Village"
* "A Visit to a Mine"
* "Jackals and Arabs"
* "The Bridge"
* "The Bucket Rider"
* "The New Advocate"
* "An Old Manuscript"
* "The Knock at the Manor Gate"
* "Eleven Sons"
* "My Neighbor"
* "A Crossbreed"
* "The Cares of a Family Man"

1917–1923|

* "The Refusal"
* "A Hunger Artist"
* "Investigations of a Dog"
* "A Little Woman"
* "The Burrow"
* "Josephine the Singer, or the Mouse Folk"
* "A Common Confusion"
* "The Truth about Sancho Panza"
* "The Silence of the Sirens"
* "Prometheus"
* "The City Coat of Arms"
* "Poseidon"
* "Fellowship"
* "At Night"
* "The Problem of Our Laws"
* "The Conscription of Troops"
* "The Test"
* "The Vulture"
* "The Helmsman"
* "The Top"
* "A Little Fable"
* "Homecoming"
* "First Sorrow"
* "The Departure"
* "Advocates"
* "The Married Couple"
* "Give It Up!"
* "On Parables"

Short story
collections|

* Contemplation
* A Country Doctor
* A Hunger Artist
* The Great Wall of China
* The Complete Stories
* The Sons
* The Penal Colony
* Parables and Paradoxes
* Dearest Father
* Description of a Struggle

Diaries and
notebooks|

* The Diaries 1910–1923
* The Blue Octavo Notebooks
* The Zürau Aphorisms

Letters
and essays|

* Letter to His Father
* Letters to Felice
* Letters to Ottla
* Letters to Milena
* Letters to Family, Friends, and Editors
* The Office Writings

Plays|

* The Warden of the Tomb

Related|

* Ottla Kafka (sister)
* Franz Kafka and Judaism
* Richard and Samuel
* Franz Kafka Museum
* Franz Kafka Society
* Franz Kafka Prize
* Kafka Project
* Head of Franz Kafka statue
* Statue of Franz Kafka
* Kafka's Dick (1986 play)
* The Loves of Kafka (1988 film)
* Kafka (1991 film)
* Franz Kafka's It's a Wonderful Life (1993 film)

* Category

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