Kafka (1991) - full transcript

Do you remember many years ago
Father took me aside

and he told me I was preoccupied
with the insignificant

morbidly preoccupied,
in his opinion.

Well, for years now, I've led a life
that even he must call normal.

Except for the fact that in my odd,
spare moments... I write.

It may be a disappointment to him,
but I ask is it a crime?

Kafka?

The Keeper of the Files is still waiting
for your final summation of the Erlinger claim.

I gave it to him yesterday.

- You didn't give it to me.
- I gave it to him.

In an organisation
as efficient as ours



When a document, once in a great while,
gets lost, it might never be found at all.

I just thought it would be easier,
since I was passing.

But I'm the messenger!

An error like this
damages my credibility.

Burgel, your credibility
is unparalleled.

When I deliver a message, the very act of delivering it,
you might say, has an official stamp.

I'll write that down.

Kafka

Your position in this firm
is not unassailable.

Good morning, Miss Rossman.

Or should I say, good afternoon?

- Say what you like. Nobody listens.
- Oh. Don't they?

I think perhaps, dear lady, you underestimate
my station in this office and overrate your own.

Not now, Burgel.



It is my place to give advice,
not yours.

And by advising the Chief Clerk
of your unpunctuality

it's certainly not my position
that's being compromised,

if that's what you're implying.

You're just doing your job.

It's what I'm paid to do.

Sweet?

You're pathetic.

And you're late.

Write that down in your little book.

Miss Rossman,

I work in the section next to you.

I know.

I understand you're a friend of Eduard Raban.

Am I?

He once mentioned that he knew you and...

One of you must be mistaken.

I'm sorry, but I'm sure
that I saw you once together

There are people watching!

Don't make me embarrass you.

You have ink on your nose.

I'll expect your written resignation

immediately.

Ah!

Away from your section, without cause.

I knew it would happen one day.

Kafka?

Yes, sir.

Then it's Kafka. Oh...

I'm looking for Mr. Raban, from upstairs.

I can't hear you.

Mr. Raban.
Do you know where he is?

I didn't mean to get you out of bed.
I could have taken the key.

Yes, I'm sure you could.

Do you think you should be looking at that?

It's my house, isn't it?

- Well, yes, it's your house but
- Out

He's not here, so out! Come on.

Excuse me, have you seen Eduard Raban?

No

Has anyone here seen Eduard?

Have you seen Eduard tonight?
Eduard Raban?

Do you remember last week
he was telling those jokes, you found them hysterical?

Did I? Doesn't sound like me.

Didn't he run away with those actors?

- Are you coming to the cabaret?
- No, I've got to go home and work.

Don't you ever sleep?

- Leaving?
- No I'm trying to find Eduard.
You haven't seen him have you?

- Who?
- Eduard

Look, wait here. We're just picking up Julius.
Wait! You know Anna, don't you?

How long have you been here?

I just got here.

No, how long have you been here?

A few days.
I went to your parents' house.

- You saw my Father?
- I didn't go to see him.

But I told you in my letter I'd moved out.

Well you told me that you wanted to moved out.
Repeatedly and at great length.

Well I'll be living in town now, only because of my work.
So you'll be able to save on postage.

Anyway, you know where to find me.

He's coming over.

I went to Eduard's apartment.

- Eduard's apartment.
- He's not there.

He hasn't been seen there.
I mean, not for a day or two.

Not by the landlady, in any case.

Thank you

I'll try again then.

- How much have you told him?
- He's only a clerk, he knows nothing.

- Eduard said he was a writer.
- That might be useful.

That may be dangerous.

It's not your bike, Frederic!

Kafka! Will we see you at the cabaret?

You'd never get in now.

Another excuse to go, Homer

What are you working on?

A thing about a man who wakes up

to find himself transformed
into a giant insect

I want a drink

Like most things the castle can look majestic

But only at a distance

Oh! Have we met?

Bizzlebek is the name

- The gravedigger.
- Stonecutter, to be precise.

I'm sorry.

Sculptor, actually, if I had any freedom in the matter.

But no-one should call himself an artist
unless he's paid for it.

and perhaps not even then.

Yours is a noisy line of work.

Well, it's external noise.

Whereas you

the reverberations are inside.

I've read your stories. They're quite fantastic.

I can't imagine what you've ever seen.

Just what you've published.

In magazines nobody reads.

They should be filed in the Castle
with all other useless bits of paper.

Nonetheless, some of us
take an interest in your case.

That one story, for instance,
about the penal colony.

The needles inscribing the judgment
into the flesh of the condemned man.

It's new.

I need to find a clever device
to make my work more noticeable.

I'm off to the cabaret.
After a full day's work in the Castle cemetery,

I have a strong urge to see figures
in motion before going to bed.

Good night, Kafka.

Good night, Mr. Bizzlebek.

The terrible toil of the insurance
office continues as ever.

I am continually harassed
by petty tyrants.

as I issue pointless reports.

My friend Eduard has disappeared.

You never met him because
I never dared bring a friend home.

Not with Father lording over
us all from his armchair.

Now I hear that Anna
paid you a visit.

My relations with her have
been difficult, to say the least.

I can only hope Father didn't
frighten her away any further.

Your son...
Your loving son

Your occasionally loving son

Your incapable-of-loving son

Your absolutely-bored-to-death-
with-any-sort-of-family-life son.

You know him?

Yes.

His name is Eduard Raban?

Yes.

Inspector Grubach.

Kafka.

Kafka, Kafka...
Is that your real name?

Yes.

Why shouldn't it be?

When was the last time
you saw Mr. Raban?

Wednesday.

- At work?
- Yes.

Did you go anywhere afterward?
To have a drink, perhaps?

No, we said

goodbye outside the office,

and he went straight towards his house.

- Your office is the Workers...
- ...Accident Insurance Association.

- Where you've been employed for seven years.
- Eight.

And seven months.

Would you describe your
relationship with the dead man

as close?

No.

No?

Yes.

Yes, no, yes, no
what?

I worked in the same office
with him for three years.

He was found in the river.
Could he swim?

Do you think?

You think he drowned himself?

Grown men don't normally
fall into the river, do they?

No.

He might have had a drink or two,
despite what you think.

Can I ask how you found me?

Of course, of course. His landlady
told us you'd been there

and that you took a great interest
in looking through his things.

Well, uh, he was a very close f...

He didn't have any other fr...
He had no family.

We know that.

Is that all?

No. We know other
things, too. Kafka.

I don't usually involve myself
with people in the Old Quarter

but the river runs its own course.

Anyway I'd like you to know that in me
you have, not a friend, of course

because we are complete strangers
from distinctly incompatible social classes

but to some extent, shall we say....
an interested third party.

I'll bear that in mind.

Yes, should you happen upon
anything that might be relevant.

Yes.

You wanted to see me, sir?

Sit down, Kafka.

You've been here for nearly 9 years.

You've done your work diligently.
There are no complaints on that score.

But there's more to
the job than the work.

There are other people to consider.

And frankly, Kafka...

We feel your social activities
leave a lot to be desired.

My social activities?

You're a lone wolf.

You keep too much to yourself.
It makes me uneasy.

and if it makes me uneasy, I can't
imagine the impression you make on

lesser employees.

But in order to

finish my work, I have little time

You must make the time.

Have you never wondered

Why other clerks have advanced
to more responsible positions, while you

who've been here longer, have not?

No, sir.

It doesn't matter how well you do your work.

It's clear you look on it as something to be gotten through

rather than something to take
an active interest in.

I know you were friendly with that poor fellow.
What was his name?

Eduard Raban?

Yes, Raban.

But he was too like you.
Even more like you perhaps

than you are yourself.

In any case, and don't ask me why

word has come down you are to
receive the promotion intended for him.

You will be given two assistants
and a commensurate rise in salary.

That's all.

Thank you.

I understand you fancy
yourself as a writer.

In a small way.

You should find a more athletic hobby.

Put some colour in your cheeks.

My assistants, I presume.

I'm Kafka.

Ludwig.

Oscar.

You're brothers?

- Twins.
- Actually.

- Have you worked here long?
- Why?

- No.
- Yes.

- Actually.
- Long.

Well, let's start moving in.

Are you free for lunch?

Eduard. That's

That's a very difficult subject.

He wasn't capable of suicide.

He was obsessed
by the idea of it.

I was surprised by the...

Surprised by the timing,
but I wasn't surprised by the act.

- Perhaps he had two faces.
- No
- One for you and one for me.

- He wasn't like that.
- Are you sure?

I knew him very well.

Then you knew we
were having an affair.

Oh, yes.

Eduard and I both led very different
lives outside the office.

We knew there might be consequences.

What sort of consequences?

Look what happened.

We don't know what happened.

We know he wasn't robbed

The police identified
him by his wallet.

And you believe everything the authorities tell you?

When I have no reason to doubt.

They're authorities. That's reason enough.
For all we know, he was killed by the police.

Why would they do that?

Will you meet me tonight?

Tonight?

Where?

The Musil District.

Right.

Does that mean yes?

Oh, yes. Tonight.

You were almost married
recently, weren't you?

Oh, yes. Uh...

Last year I was engaged, twice...
to the same woman.

I'm not really...

I broke it off.

Eduard wanted to get married.

And you?

I'm suspicious of men
who want to marry.

What time? Whereabouts
in the Musil District?

Go to the Esplanade. Nine o'clock.
you'll find your way from there.

Enjoy.

It's another bombing!

I think it's dangerous...

He might be able to help...

It's too risky...

Please sit down, Kafka.

I doubt Eduard told you
about us and our... activities.

Why take me into your confidence?

My question exactly.

Have you seen any of
our literature?

I can't say I have.

Well our distribution at present
is somewhat less than effective.

The issue at hand is the quality
of what we distribute

We thought you might
be able to help us in that regard.

I write by myself...

for myself.

You see?

This is work that can change
the way things are.

It's not work I can do...

Even if I were sympathetic
to your... cause.

It's certainly not work that
I can do for hire.

They may have instituted proceedings
against you.

What kind of proceedings?

- The current way of the investigation is the trial
- And the sentencing.

I believe that Eduard found out what that could be like.

The day he died, Eduard was
called to the castle. Did you know that?

What of it?

He was summonded to help correct...

a minor discrepancy of some sort
in the Medical Records Division.

And he was never seen alive again.

So, what does that tell you?
That he was murdered?

He was murdered!

As you can imagine a pass into the Castle was
an opportunity we couldn't ignore.

He set off that evening, carrying
one of our custom-made "briefcases"

With a message... for the Castle.

You're shocked at the thought of
Eduard delivering a bomb?

You don't have to accept
everything as true, my friend.

You need only accept
it as necessary.

Since the bomb never went off, he must
have been caught with it and executed.

It has happened before.

Must have been?
Did any of you...

The Castle will deny everything.
They're just file clerks up there.

No doubt he was handed
over to the police, with the utmost discretion.

In any event, we've had
no repercussions as yet.

Eduard must not have talked.
You're the one they contacted.

So that's who the enemy is:
policemen and file clerks.

Law and order, you might say.

You think what we're
doing is wrong?

What would you suggest then?

Did any of you actually go up to
the Castle with Eduard? Did you?

You sit around twisting
the facts to suit your...

inbred theories.

In my experience,
the truth is not that convenient.

You see? He thinks only of himself.

It's why you came here tonight.

That's true.

It's also why I'm leaving.

I can't swim!

Good morning

How was your evening?

- Fine.
- Horrible.

What was the matter with it?

Well he can't sit still.
Everytime we go to a nightclub...

Yeah, I want to go on to another one.

Yeah, yeah, yeah, yeah.

You look very tired.

Miss Rossman was here looking for you.

Gabriela.

Do you know her?

Do you?

We saw her naked once.

Women! It's all you've got on your mind, you...

She went to the roof
to sunbathe one lunch hour

That's right and we watched her changing.

We used to work in the Supply section, carrying boxes.
Boxes of medicine

We kept on dropping them.
And we watched her changing.

It's not too bad working here, though.

You've never felt it was a horrible
double life from which there was
probably no escape but insanity?

- Yes
- No

I envy you

You should be content, y'know.
You should!

You are looking for Gabriela Rossman?

Yes

Please

This has been opened

Oh. Shall I reseal it?

There's not a lot of point.

I got your note
Burgel gave it to me.

Burgel? I didn't leave it with Burgel.

What are you doing?

Clearing out Eduard's things,
before someone else does.

Things of value or things
which connect the two of you?

Both.

I thought you might like
to do the same. Yours?

Probably not worth keeping.

Some of those letters may be mine.

Damn it!

Are you all right?

Why were you fired?

They don't need reasons any more.
To fire me, to kill Eduard.

They? Who is "they"?

They! the authorities, the police!
The Castle, Burgel!

Burgel? I don't see Burgel as a "they"

He's more of an "it"

It's the small ones you've got to look
out for. The small men with small ideas.

Don't open that.

Why not?

Why not?

Opening and closing the
latch. That's what activates it.

You said Eduard was murdered
on his way to the Castle carrying the bomb.

If this the bomb...

How many bombs are there?

It's so easy for you to believe it was suicide, isn't it?
What?

Less trouble for the police.
Less disturbing for you.

It's not disturbing. I want to know.
Go ahead, open it!

Don't think they haven't been watching.

To them, we're all connected.
The group, Eduard, me and you.

Gabriela.

If I waited for you to understand,
it would be too late.

I looked in the street
She wasn't there.

She wasn't either way

She disappeared into thin air between leaving
the room and coming out of that door.

Did you go to her house?
Did I what?

Did you go to her house?

No, I didn't go to her house.

I see. So...

Why would someone want to
kidnap this woman?

Her name is, uh... Roseman?

Rossman.

Why?

You asked me to tell you
if anything relevant came up.

Miss Rossman is relevant.

When I saw you before, I didn't
know she was... friendly with Mr. Raban.

Apparently she was friendly with many people.

She was friendly with you.

- That has been noted.
- But where does it lead us?

Unless you have
something more to add.

She's missing!

Isn't that enough for you to go on?

Yeah, it's enough, it's enough

She lost her job today.

I'd probably go away and
brood a bit myself. Yours?

Yes.

Maybe she was right, then,
in what she said.

What did she say?

That perhaps the police

have allegiance to
something other than the truth.

She never believed
Eduard's death was suicide.

And for the record,
neither do i.

I can make it rhyme.

You can't use it in that context.
You need to move through the piece.

Kafka, come and sit with us.

No, I'm looking for some people.

Insect people.

You may be onto something, Kafka.

What?

Meeting women.
You've discovered a way in and a way out.

You enter dramatically, spilling
over with concern for a lost friend.

Which appeals to their
caring nature.

If things go poorly,
you make a hasty retreat, citing the need

to look elsewhere as
your motive. It's perfect.

Yes, it would be perfect...

if that were my intent.

What other intent is there?

- Gabriela has disapperared.
- You think we don't know that?

Why did you go to the police?

- What did you tell them?
- I told them that I was concerned for her safety.

It's a little bit late for that.
Be concerned for us.

What about her? What about concern for her?
Any one of us might be next.

I won't be next.

- We intend to stay together.
- Very close from now on.

- They get you alone and then they strike.
- You don't want to be alone now do you?

- Listen, listen. We found the bomb.
- What?

Gabriela found it, in Eduard's apartment.
Unopened.

Well obviously unopened!

If it were opened, it wouldn't exist any longer, would it?
It would go boom within moments!

- I suppose you turned it over to the police.
- No, I have it in my apartment.

Where it does no one any good.

Or any harm.

Eduard, Gabriela, Kafka.

All from the same office.

It might be a cover-up.

Of incredible proportions.

It could be fraud or embezzlement.

It's always about money.

Clearly, there's no shortage of theories.
What's needed are facts.

We need to know more about
why Eduard was summoned to the Castle.

Excuse me sir.

I understand you have
Eduard Raban's file.

I do.

I wonder if I might look at it for an
address for the family?

I thought I might write to them.

No

No entry for family

Was there something else?

No. Well it's just that I feel
a sense of obligation.

He was a very dear friend

If there's some way that I could help
in closing up his affairs.

There's only one report to complete.
I shall be doing that myself

and submitting it to the Castle tomorrow.

I see.

So there's just the Erlinger claim.

The Orlac chaim.

Oh, yes

Well, thank you, sir.

Kafka

You're too sensitive.

Yes, sir.

Let the poor fellow rest in peace.

If it was accounts you wanted,
why did you ask for employees?

Orlac is an account?

A factory in the northern mountains.
One of our best customers.

Without a proper request,
I am not obliged to do this, you know.

But I will make an exception
on this one occasion.

At least the file is current,
even if the employee isn't.

That place has so many accidents

it's a good thing the type of peasants who live up there
don't seem to have any difficulty propagating their race.

All these in the last year?

Terrible accidents up there.

Cave-ins primarily. They can't even
recover the bodies. Awful way to die.

Yes.

It wouldn't have been so bad,
but even the Medical Officer for the district was killed.

His picture is missing
I must make a note of that.

- Was that Dr. Murnau?
- Yes.

Dr. Murnau was the bravest of men.
A true visionary.

He spent an entire career in those backwaters,
with no regard for personal gain.

A great loss.

And this list is the clerks
who worked on Orlac claims?

Yes. Is your friend's name among them?

No

Then he only worked on the one case.

His name will appear when your Chief
sends me the final summation.

When a file has been
sent to the Castle

Is it possible to recall it for review?

Of course not!
Only by a Director of the firm.

Who would want to let in
all kinds of riff-raff off the streets?

What's the point of keeping records
if they're not available for inspection?

These laws have been with us for centuries.
How can you doubt them?

Maybe I should apply
to our Directors.

You do not summon them,
They summon you.

And this of course hardly ever
happens, if at all.

Where do the files go to,
when they go to the Castle?

We're a medical insurance firm, aren't we?
They go to the Medical Records Division.

Then perhaps I should apply to
the head of Medical Records.

It so happens,
my dear simple sir...

..that the head of Medical Records at the Castle
is one of the Directors of this firm.

Please!

- I'm trying to finish my work.
- You've actually started some?

Just because he's done absolutely nothing all day.
He doesn't want me to show him up is all it is.

Assistants!

You'd think you'd dropped from the sky
for all the care that was taken in choosing you.

It's not our fault.
We're naturally nervous.

And we're upset too.

What is it now?

- Everything I say, he disagrees with.
- Everything, I do.

I think it's because we've been together so long

That our personalities are
overflowing into each another.

- And vice-versa.
- Horrible.

How would you like to be
in a situation like that?

Horrible

Look, why don't you both go and take lunch?

Go on!

The Chief Clerk would like this
to be ready tomorrow morning.

He said it should only take you
an extra hour

Or two

Come on!
There's nobody up there.

Going now.

That's it. All right.

You've done very well.

Never mind them.
They'll be attended to.

Watch your step.

Excellent job.

This won't go unrecognised.

And I'm sure you'll be well rewarded.

Almost there.

One final task.
You'll like this gentleman.

Did you think you'd be safe
back home in your little burrow?

No matter how deep a hole
you dig for yourself

- you leave a trail
- for us to follow.

Yeah, we're taking you to the Castle.

So it was you.

We thought it was Burgel.

Burgel? Burgel?
Would never go near the Castle.

Oh, you should look on this
as a great favour.

- Yes, we answer directly
to the highest authority.
- Very high.

We deal with the person in charge.

Who might that be?

- We don't know.
- We're not allowed to say.

Ooh. Shall we?

For all your incompetence, I was beginning to think
you were at least loyal to me. You're very good actors.

- Yes!
- Thank you!

- Now when we get to the Castle we suggest
- Don't make a fuss.

It would spoil the not
unfavourable impression

You dirty pig!

That you've created in other respects.

To be quite honest we don't quite understand
why you bothered to pursue this in the first place

I thought it was pursuing me.

It's always about you,
isn't it, Kafka?

You know, every time I see
those two escorting someone

the next time I see
this person is in my cemetery.

Isn't that a coincidence?

I should like to go to the Castle, but
I think it's best to go alone.

There are less conspicuous ways
to enter the Castle.

Are you sure you wouldn't prefer going
through official channels?

Official channels? I get nowhere with official channels.
They go round and round in circles.

I'm flattered, of course,
to be taken into your confidence

Even without knowing all the details.
Even though I'm sure they're very interesting.

To see such determination is
reward enough for me.

Have you ever been inside the Castle?

No

I was restoring some stones up here
the other day when I found this

Here

Hold on

An empty tomb?

The Castle gates were blockaded in
the time of the Great Plague. It's an escape route.

Don't get stuck!

Good luck

- You mentioned that you admired my work
- Yes

Would you do me a favour?

What? Another one?

Well. If I don't...

...see you later, would you go to
my house, find my notebooks...

and destroy them?
All my manuscripts...

they are none of them finished.
Just burn them, all right?

What an extraordinary request.

A true friend would do it.

Not necessarily!

A wife would!

Are you lost?

I'm looking for Medical Records.

That's the yellow floor

Of course, the yellow floor

Have I seen you before?

No

I'm new here

Grab him!

Get his papers

I'm talking to you!
Get his papers!

How many more of these tonight?

Three, I think

We have been waiting

Yeah well getting him here
has not been exactly easy

Help us get him prepared then

All a bit much, don't you think?

Uh, yes.

It's the noise that gets to me.

And the smell.

Yes. Quite.

You don't belong here, do you?

No, actually, no. I was on my way
to the Medical Records Division.

I was just going that way myself.

You pig!
Let me go!

Now, Miss Rossman,
I want to chat with you.

Miss Rossman?

Do something

How do you feel, Miss Rossman?

- I know you.
- Better.

When it all comes down
you'll be the first to die.

And you.

We don't seem to be making much progress today.

You'll hang by the guts.

- You are incompetent.
- Let me try something else.

- What are you doing?
- Something's wrong.

What were they doing in there?

Just between you and me, I'm only a supervisor.
I'm on a salary like anyone else.

They've been trying to come up with,
I don't know how to put this...

...a more efficient person.

I'm not sure that I follow you.

What makes one person more prone to
anger or happiness or certain colour combinations?

It's clear, the chemical balance can be altered

But in how many ways? In what measure?
It is an impure science.

Yes. I've come across some of their impurities.

Haven't we all?
They do what they're told, I gather

Is that what more efficient people do?

First physiology, then ideology.

Are you sure this is the right way?

I really have to see the head of Medical Records.

- He did summon you then?
- Yes

Interesting. There was another man, a clerk
from the claims office... a bit like you...

summoned Monday but never arrived.

No? Why not?

They killed him

Why?

Apparently, from what I heard, it was bookkeeping.

Bookkeeping?

Yes

You see, he was accidentally sent
the wrong piece of paper

Piece of paper?

How could that matter?

It authorised compensation for a death
that had not yet occurred.

Orlac

Yes, Kafka

Workers have wives and children, you know.

Unfortunately, it's still the only way
to ensure future workers.

We find it best when an insurance company like yours
gives them a small cash payment

when they should happen
to lose their husbands.

People want an industrial age,
people want progress.
We give it to them.

That's not progress,
that's body-snatching.

The 'resurrection business',
I think they used to call it.

I even resurrected myself, didn't I?

Dr. Murnau.

The heroic martyr of Orlac.

Yes, well we had to move on from there,
find our subjects elsewhere.

People who aren't in a position to object.

Like Gabriela Rossman?

Or people who are already guilty
of one thing or the other.

Why do you involve yourself
with revolutionaries and anarchists?

I should much have preferred it had been
one of your own manuscripts.

I mean it, Kafka.

Your work has been an inspiration to me,
what I've seen of it.

Why don't you publish more often.

Is it a certain laziness
with regard to composition?

Or are you just one of
those writers with, how shall I say

No use for an audience?

Thank you.

You despise someone like me,

because you despise the modern.

But you're at the very forefront of what is modern.
You write about it. You document it.

Unlike you, though,
I have chosen to embrace it.

That's our biggest headache.

Understanding the human mind.

Well you must admit
at least we have that in common.

You and I have nothing in common.

I've tried to write
nightmares, and you've...

...built one.

Yes, you have your tools, I have mine.

But we are men of vision, you and I.

That's what sets us apart from
the great faceless mass.

Faceless? There's a face!

And what will you say when the
great faceless mass comes calling...

...on its own initiative?

What will you say to them?

Oh, a crowd is easier to control
than an individual.

A crowd has a common purpose.

The purpose of the individual
is always in question.

That's what you're
trying to eliminate, isn't it.

Everything that makes one human being
different from another.

But you'll never...

...never reach a man's soul...

...through a lens.

That rather depends which end of
the microscope you're on, doesn't it.

Stop him!

Boys!

Get my feet, quickly!

Get my feet! Get my feet!

My feet!

You idiots!

Get up and stop this!

Where've you been?

- Just behind you. Did you get him?
- No, but I will.

He's gone.

Kafka. You had told us that
Miss Rossman had disappeared.

- Well, she has been found.
- Yes.

We are recommending

for the report
a verdict of suicide.

What would be your opinion?

Suicide.

I'd have to agree.

She was perhaps despondent
over the loss of her beloved Mr. Raban.

Yes

That...

...would account for it.

You are...

You're very helpful, Kafka.

You're early, for once.
The Chief Clerk would like to see you in his office.

You wanted to see me, sir?

I thought you should know,
I've received two communications.

The first summoning
you to the Castle

The second
countermanding the first.

Did they say why, sir?

My superiors have no obligation
to explain their directives to me.

And certainly not to you.

I see, sir. I just thought

Today might be different.

And why should today be different?

Dearest Father

I had always believed
that it is better to know the truth

than to live in ignorance.

Now I shall find out if I was right.

I can no longer deny
that I am part of the world around me.

Nor can I deny
despite our differences

that I remain your son.

And so I hope only that these late,

perhaps insignificant,

realisations

might reassure us both a little

and make our living

and our dying

easier.