For a Kafka fan?
As a big fan of Kafka and his works, is this a movie that I will find intriguing and interesting or is it more likely to just frusterate me?
shareit depends on your viewpoint. it's basically just fan fiction. there's no truth to it at all. It has nothing to do with Kafka. But if you likw his work, then you might like the movie because it's very true to his style.
sharehow can you say that? the script is built from Kafka's stories: (the two unfunny co-workers of Kafka's are straight out of "Blumfield", Edward Raban is from "Amerika", large sections of the language used when they describe the castle is lifted from "The Castle", Kafka's discussion of women with Bezelbof is from "Description of a Struggle" and Bezelbof actually makes reference to "In The Penal Colony", when Kafka is leaving the cafe and runs into his artist friends he describes writing "The Metamorphosis".)
So to say that the film "Kafka" has nothing to with Kafka's writing is like saying "Reflections In A Golden Eye" has nothing to do with Carson McCullers. It's just not a conclusion you can make.
I'm pretty sure hmariotte just meant that this isn't even remotely a realistic portrayal of Kafka's life - it's not even a cinematic adaptation of his life- it never even strives to be about his life. It's a "what if" story - of course Kafka's stories were inspired by events in his life and work - but what if his stories were more than just stories?
The filmmakers are having fun with that question, and the truth is, it takes a Kafka fan to really get much out of this movie because of the constant string of references to his work.
The best Kafka fans, I think, are those who emphasize the humor in his writing. Those fans are sure to enjoy the hell out of this movie.
That's exactly what I think the movie is getting at. I can't imagine anyone EXCEPT fans of Kafka's work really understanding and appreciating this movie.
shareYeah, the same thing is true of Naked Lunch in relation to the life of William S. Burroughs, in the way that it drops the writer-as-protagonist into his own twisted story-world.
Both are great movies on their own, and can be enjoyed without too much background knowledge simply as good films (I would recommend Kafka to any fan of German expressionism or film noir, even if they hadn't read Kafka's work, and I recommend Naked Lunch to anyone who I think could possibly enjoy it), but knowing about the lives of the authors involved and their stories makes the films even better, and much more intriguing and powerful as glimpses into the psyches of the writers.
Well I thought that it was not surrealistic enough. It felt more like Brazil than Kafka at times.
But the reason I wanted to answer you is because I keep telling people that Kafka's works are funny. I could not stop laughing when I read the Trail. You are the first one who seams to agree with me. Everyone I meat thinks he is heavy as hell.
- No animal was hurt during the making of this burger -
A very late response to this, but I must agree with you thao!
Many moments in Kafka's works made me laugh. Gregor Samsa trying to roll out of bed had me in hysterics. The assistants in The Castle... Joseph K. insisting on acting everything out for Fraulein Burstner... it's pure black comedy. Some of it even slapstick!