forrest, you have received a lot of negative feedback on this film; and although they are valid points, they are quite damning. But it is easy to criticise and difficult to produce. you are a purveyor of art; at least you produced something through effort and patience, albeit flawed. The critics didn't produce anything. But you are not criticisng other people's hard work and art, you are producing your own to leave something tangible for us to consume and think about and possible learn from. Hence, props to you.
Thanks for the kind words. I don't mind negative feedback --- I welcome it wholeheartedly! Everyone has the right to condemn or praise any work of art. There seems to be a silent majority so far that views the movie favorably, so it's not really overwhelmingly negative. If you get a chance, check out The Judgment on my channel (another Kafka adaptation). Again, thanks for the kind words!
Sometimes criticism is from people who are impressed by your work already and are making slight suggestions so that your next work will build upon your earlier work and be even greater.
It's amazing, thank you. What the ones criticizing do not understand -or do not know- is that Kafka's stories were intended to invoke laughter. This was his radical answer to the violent inscriptions of power upon his body and mind -a schizo-answer versus paranoid conditions, in Deleuze and Guattari's terms-. He was himself reading the stories in bars with his friends to laugh with them as a way of mocking power -and the rational way its irrationality presents itself-. The more 'dramatic' and 'serious' viewpoint was later imposed by critics. Again thank you, masterful work.
the critics of the film miss Kafka's point themselves. that was brilliant, thank you. I watched it back to back after a stage adaptation here on youtube as well, it's so interesting to see different readings of such a brilliant story
I appreciate the tremendous effort that went into this. It is my favorite Kafka story. I interpret it much differently in my mind when reading it. It's interesting to see someone else's take on it.
Man, I've read some of the criticisms, and while this doesn't quite capture Kafka's story (who the hell can capture ANY of his work on film?! Not even Hollywood has come close) it certainly, visually is incredibly close to the way it went in my head. You should be proud of this, Forrest; I think this might be as close as you can get while keeping your artistic integrity. After all, as any fan of Kafka knows, his stories simply do not translate to film in an entertaining way. The idiosyncrasies, syntax, and convoluted speech and mannerisms the characters adopt is, rightly, in my opinion, surreal to the extreme and not compatible with entertainment as we know it today. I've subscribed - you deserve it - and I look forward to checking out your other videos.
This was back in the day when I had to work with humans! Glad you enjoyed it. By the way, I plan to release remastered versions of my Kafka trilogy on Blu-Ray in the coming months or so at this site: frandai.com. Patrons for 12 months or more get a free copy of every physical release that will ever be made.
I enjoyed this. I only just read the story for the first time last week. I was actually relieved to see that the apparatus was very close to what I imagined. Thanks for posting this!
I like this adaptation. I can tell everyone put a lot of hard work into it. I especially like the cinematography and the way many of the scenes were framed.
Thanks for making this. I wish more people woul dmake short films from Kafka's short stories. I think they can be challenging to turn into film yet you succeeded. I do think it could have been cut down by about 10 minutes but the length also captures how bizarre the officer is. I think you brought out how bizarre and twisted the penal colony is in a very unique way that adds to the story
This was, admittedly, my first exposure to this story, so perhaps I’m a little biased but I think you perfectly captured the bizarre, borderline maniacal tone of the text. The Officer never came off to me as a cold, mechanical scumbag, but a total fucking nutter, and his weirdness is captured very well here. I still check back on this time to time, mainly because it’s so enjoyable even when detached from the original text
Thanks for the perceptive comment. I'm glad you enjoy it! I've got adaptations of The Burrow and The Judgment (other Kafka stories) on my channel if you were interested in checking them out.
I appreciate a lot your struggle and effort to produce this movie in the way you read it, i thank you for that. Some critics are valid, but what you did is enough and artistic. Great job.
I *loved* this. I see some people mention negative comments which I assume are lower down. I'm not going to give them a look - they are wrong. This was brilliant. The one negative comment I saw suggests Kafka has no farce or comedy in his stories. This could not be further from the truth. Kafka of course was an absurdist - do I laugh or scream in terror? Why not both? To me, that's Kafka. And the actor who played the officer was PERFECT. He really nailed the terrifying absurdity of the character. Everyone just hit a home run here. WELL DONE.
@@tmountain1Thank you for this perceptive comment. The actor’s name is Gus Langley, who I think is a brilliant actor. I thought he did a great job too, and I’m glad I cast him.
If you have been assigned The Penal Colony as reading & you want to watch a movie instead Id say this is a pretty true adaptation, but you should watch/read a quick summary to know exactly what you’re looking for before watching this & you definitely have go back and read the ending of the story, which isn’t really included here. To all the lazy college students: you’re welcome
I love the cinematography! Certainly the plot is in parts a comment on the story, yet the four main characters are loyal to the original and the machine is imposing. In my view the story seems to be about Kafka examining his belief that the old (and massive...) theories he had about how the world works (when he was a child) only appear to have value for himself. So, in the end, much like the official in the Penal Colony, Kafka too has to be content by experiencing the punishment of the law on his own self (because other people seem to not be respecting it at all).
Also enjoyed it a lot! In its finest moments it reminded me of David Lynch (gramophone Scene) and even Stanley Kubrick (the Commandant's tomb). Fine work of art! Thank you!
+Carsten Stumpe Wow, I'm speechless. Kubrick and Lynch are my two all-time favorite directors (along with Kieslowski, Kurosawa, Bergman, Tarkovsky, and Fellini closely behind). I don't think my work is even one percent as worthy as what Kubrick and Lynch have given the world, but I appreciate that comment all the same. Thank you!
Amo este film. No conozco opiniones anteriores. Solo sé que, habiendo leído toda la obra de Kafka, habiendo leído estudios filosóficos sobre Kafka y siendo profesora de Literatura, el enfoque es tan conveniente que provoca la misma perturbación que la obra literaria. Mis felicitaciones. Agradezco haber encontrado tu film .
Some of the comments have valid points - but it is a pity that most of the criticism is destructive and dismissive (some notable exceptions aside). I agree there are some significant difference between the book and the film - but for anyone to take on the conversion of Kafka from book to film is a most condierable challenge - let alone when the movie maker is NOT a highly financed "for profit" affair but, (I am guessing), more of an enthusiast / artist with a love of FK. Care was taken with an austere location, a very fair effort with the machine and the acting (ok, officer aside) is quite credible. In any event, an interpretation is not supposed to be a word for word translation is it - there is room for creativity and although some folks felt it missed the mark, it seems many (myself included) found it to be an interesting and worthwhile adjunct to the book at the very least. Sterling effort and pleased that I found the film to watch, thank you.
I read the story first and I still can't figure out why someone would willingly condemn themselves to die a slow and painful death. People are too scared of pain.
I'm going to disagree completely with the criticisms, I actually like this interpretation a lot. It's not how I imagined it when I was reading it, but I don't think there are any changes made that actually detract from the essence and message of the original story, even if the approach might seem less traditionally Kafkaesque and more Coenesque (in one of their more slapstick films). Perhaps it helps that I'm not actually a huge fan of Kafka myself and thus didn't have the expectations that more critical viewers have (I just came across the story in a book of short stories by various authors - Alberto Manguel's 'Black Water' btw, which I thoroughly recommend). In addition, the actual production is really good - nice work!
Thank you very much! I love the Coen brothers! I find Barton Fink to be more Kafka-like than most actual Kafka adaptations (though the Coens claim Kafka wasn't a direct influence).
Gran trabajo, aunque no imaginaba al oficial así, no me parece una terrible adaptación, prefiero que las películas sean personales, que no copien y peguen, para eso leo el libro nomas. Creo que los críticos negativos le tienen mucho sentimiento al autor, es como un tema personal, está perfecto, pero siendo así que hostiles solo dan vergüenza ajena.
WHAT ABOUT THE SPIKE?!? THE SPIKE I SAY! THE SPIKE IN THE OFFICER'S FOREHEAD!?!?! I JUST WROTE A NINE PAGE ESSAY ABOUT THAT SINGLE SENTENCE FROM THIS ENTIRE STORY AND NOW I'M PISSED!!!!! SHOW ME THAT SPIKE!!!
Great work, I hope you produce other Kafka adaptions! What about the metamorphosis, for example? I also liked your movie about the judgement. In fact, in both films you made your own interpretation of the story, but this is, what art should do.
How about making a film on "The Castle"? I have a Czech version on dvd but it ends abruptly like the unfinished text in the book. It would take more time and you'd have to get some women involved
I would encourage anyone to read the original story and judge for themselves whether there is even the slightest hint of anything comedic or farcical or satirical. The story as written by Kafka is unrelentingly somber, even grave, in tone and atmosphere, the overall effect shocking, disturbing and haunting. This "interpretation" misses the boat on all counts, I'm afraid. I once saw another film adaptation of this story on television, part of a trilogy whose title, unfortunately, escapes me at the moment, but which was a much more faithful adaptation of this story than this version. Sorry, but this simply does *not* do justice to Kafka.
Forrest Rice You're most welcome, and thank *you* for accepting criticism so well. The more I think about it, the more I'm led to the belief that the film's most glaring shortcoming lies in the Officer, who is, let's face it, the key character here. As portrayed here, it's very difficult to take this character seriously. From my readings of the story, the impression I get of the Officer is that he is, above all, a most serious and dignified gentleman who places great importance on being regarded as such, in keeping with the military tradition he is proudly a part of and dedicated to maintaining. Sensing all too keenly that with the passing of the old commandant his entire world and its beloved institutions, which he not only cherishes, but which define his own identity and self-image, are in serious danger of extinction, and desperate to win the Explorer's approval, he nonetheless exercises remarkable restraint in his efforts to do so, carefully maintaining his air of the detached, dispassionate professional, his true passion for the old commandant, the old way of things, and above all, the "procedure" itself only revealing itself by the subtlest of physical and verbal clues -- a wave of the hand, a glance just slightly askew, or a quickly corrected or glossed over slip of the tongue, and this is what, I think, is wrong with the approach you've taken here -- it lacks exactly this kind of subtlety, playing this or that point up too broadly, not in keeping with the Officer's character or designs. He would be doing his utmost *not* to make the Explorer feel he was trying to swing him to a particular point of view, preferring instead to let him believe he had arrived at the desired conclusion entirely of his own accord. This calls for both an actor and script capable of conveying such subtlety, the primary failing of this production. It's heavy-handedness does not serve the story well at all, and simply does not ring true. Moreover, I strongly disagree with the suggestion that there's an undercurrent of comedy here. If there is, I'm hard put to see it. While I applaud your even taking this story on at all, the failure to adhere to the spirit of the original leaves me sorely disappointed, and even almost angry. With that, I rest now.
I agree this "misses the boats on all counts"; but it hits a few. I first read this in English, then recently in the original German. I'm still bothered the officer hasn't explained how the condemned is turned and had the sentence tattooed... okay nevermind. At 20 minutes in, the "condemned" is in the machine... but unlike both the English and original (German) readings, he apparently breaks his handholds? I'm with Condrad: read the original. I'm done here.
I realise this comment is a year too late but nevertheless, I must say that after having just read In the Penal Colony, I personally found it to be hilarious, much like most of Kafka’s work. Although this short does have its flaws, I think the tone is spot on. As a filmmaker myself, whilst reading this I imagined how I would adapt it and the pitch black humour is something I would definitely exploit. Kafka is a notoriously excruciating writer to translate onto the screen so this is a valiant effort, keep up the good work mate!
This has some likeable qualities, but the officer is overacting. He shouts too much and uses casual, colloquial language at times. He should be a little older, more smartly dressed and more serious and more neurotic, but certainly not zany, which is apparent here. I like the setting and the other characters and the camera work is enjoyable.
to build a harrow to Kafka's specifications in the story, I imagine the upper part to look similar to some early scarifiers ive seen. Many moving parts like the inside of a typewriter Just on a massive scale. I would like to build one myself, using antique medical devices and forging some pieces by hand. I would want many moving parts, like gears and cogs, maybe use some sewing machine parts.
You totally missed the point of the Kafka piece. The apparatus is unjust, and "be just" is a sentence onto the apperatus itself. The machine destroying itself is the climactic point, and its completely omitted. Also why is this comical?
I agree that there is quite a bit of humor in that story but it‘s a grim and intelligent humor which derives from the total seriousness of the characters. To see the officer act like a comical Monty Python-like figure spoils everything, which is a pity because the scenery is really fine and the camera does a great job.
Agreed. The officer being portrayed as a comical figure took away from what I believe is an incredibly dark story. Still, it’s important to remember that literature can be interpreted in many different ways. Even though we don’t see the silliness in the story, the director and team might have. Always interesting to see the story portrayed from another interpretation.
i saw the whole thing. i liked it in part, but i think the officer would be not so careless and silly in the way he is portrayed. good effort as a low budget film
Larry P Thank you! Glad I'm not the only one who finds this production falling far short of the mark. The casting, for starters, is completely off. The Officer here is practically the a complete buffoon, a parody, which is just completely inappropriate and inaccurate, while the Explorer is overly accommodating and sycophantic, to the point of being almost sheepishly timid and meek, rather than merely courteous and diplomatic. The true essence of both characters is nowhere in evidence. Very disappointing. I felt truly let down.
Not only have you failed to portray the surrealist tone of the book, but you have also lost the serious tone. When this story was read out in Vienna by Kafka himself, people fainted and puked. When you watch your video, it looks like gay staging of some opera or acting. No subtlety at all either. What you were really missing is Kafka's (the narrator's voice). Also the fat guy playing The Officer was the worse.
During the last few days I've been listening to bits and pieces of the audio book. And have been satisfied, though I use it for aiding sleep. But I eventually wanna listen to all of it. Anyway, it took fewer than five minutes of watching this to know that this sux and the audio book version is much better. So now it's back to the audio version for me.
Sorry if this was handmade by the RU-vidr Forrest Rice. I apoligize to you, Mr. Rice, if like you filmed this low budget movie. As a fellow artist I know about rejection. Sorry. And if the actors are all beginners, and working for low pay or for free, sorry I say to them, too. Compared to big budget Hollywood blockbusters this short film sux, of course. But for first timers? Working on a ten thou budget? OMG, it's not bad. Not good enough for me to continue watching it, because I just don't have time right now. I'm writing my own stuff, chiseling my own statues as it were, and have received nothing but thumbs downs so far for my music. So I know the feeling, but I have to get back to my painting now. Or whatever my art style is.
I don't hate it, i just feel blindsided that you gave the officer the overly neurotic demeanor of Jack black, Jim Carrey and Gene wilder. I'm sorry, I suppose I WANTED to be genuinely distrubed by a cold, calculating and intuitive officer, but this fruit loop officer had no business in an academy. Why did the superiors let this happen? Also I didn't care for what the traveler was wearing.
Not the proper ending to the story! The condemned man and the soldier try to join the traveller on the boat out of the colony the pathos, black comedy and absurdity at the end is ruined in this adaptation!
