Apparantly Welles based the look of this film partly on the language of his own dreams, which is a similar angle to where Lynch is coming from. I think the biggest similarity is that they both manage to create believable worlds, which are complete in themselves, but do not adhere to the impirical world of cause-and-effect. They both present images of how our selves and our surroundings impinge on us at the partly subconscious level of feeling and anxiety. Also, they both focus on the mainly subjective world of a single main protaganist.
But there are many differences between the two films. The Trial is far more wordy than Eraserhead, coming as it does from a book (but is also very visual). Very little of what is communicated through Eraserhead is done so with words of any kind, as Lynch is working more on the primary level of imagery. I would also add that Eraserhead is far less intellectual than The Trial (and not in a bad way). Some of the camerawork may be, as you say, similar in style, but much of it is not. We rarely see in Eraserhead any of the frenetic camerawork which appears in certain parts of The Trial. This is linked also to the fact that the pace of The Trial for the most part is very different to that in Eraserhead. There is also far less movement in Eraserhead: think of all the different surreal environments that K moves through, while Henry's physical environment is confined mainly by his apartment block, and the immediately surrounding area. Henry's world is more stagnant and decayed.
Lynch once said that he really likes Kafka, and feels that he could be his brother.
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Cinefilodough
18 years ago
Although I noticed some similarity in sound editing, specifically the use of a crescendo of background mechanical hum (sewing machines/industrial machines) to imply building tension, i did not recognize any strikingly direct similarities between the trial and eraserhead.
I think the link lies in their particular place, straddling the divide between narritive and non-narritive films. Both films have a more linear narrative than say Meshes of the Afternoon or Un Chien Andalou, but both employ a type of dream logic that leans toward surrealism, while making more direct points and functioning as more proper allegories than traditional surrealists would usually stand for. The lead characters in my opinion are much more different than they are similar.
I do feel Gilliam's Brazil is indebted to this, primarily in the film's dealing with the issue of beureaucracy, which also seemed to deeply concern kafka.
In both films a long coreographed tracking shot is employed as the film first presents the idea of negotiating the working world and traversing its hierarchies.
I'm referring to the long tracking shot following sam lowry to his office in Brazil and the 1st Sewing machine factory track in The Trial. Brazil also straddles that line between dream logic but with more pointed allegorical narrative. There is also a direct odessa steps reference in Brazi.
In closing, let's not compare the sh#t out of things unless absolutely necessary.
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SENTIMENTAL17
10 years ago
I too thought of Eraserhead while watching The Trial. But I agree with you regarding the differences. Well said!
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