''Metamorphosis'' is a 2012

feature film A feature film or feature-length film is a narrative film (motion picture or "movie") with a running time long enough to be considered the principal or sole presentation in a commercial entertainment program. The term ''feature film'' originall ...

adaptation of

Franz Kafka Franz Kafka (3 July 1883 – 3 June 1924) was a German-speaking Bohemian novelist and short-story writer, widely regarded as one of the major figures of 20th-century literature. His work fuses elements of realism and the fantastic. It ...

's classic 1915

novella A novella is a narrative prose fiction whose length is shorter than most novels, but longer than most short stories. The English word ''novella'' derives from the Italian ''novella'' meaning a short story related to true (or apparently so) facts ...

'' Die Verwandlung'' (''The Metamorphosis''), adapted and directed by Chris Swanton. To celebrate the first publication of Franz Kafka's iconic novella in book form in 1916, the film's London-based production company, Attractive Features Ltd, has brought out this Centenary Edition with new CGI, the addition of a narrator (Tim Pigott-Smith) and specially-written opening music. The film's cast leads with

Maureen Lipman Dame Maureen Diane Lipman (born 10 May 1946) is an English actress, writer and comedian. She trained at the London Academy of Music and Dramatic Art and her stage work has included appearances with the National Theatre and the Royal Shakesp ...

, and

Robert Pugh Robert Pugh (born 11 October 1950) is a Welsh actor, known for his many television appearances, including the role of Craster in the HBO series ''Game of Thrones''. Life and career Pugh was born in the Tynte, Mountain Ash and grew up in Cilf ...

, and also stars

Laura Rees Laura Rees is a British actress from Northampton. In 2003, she played the role of Gina the record executive in Richard Curtis' blockbuster romantic comedy ''Love Actually'' (2003). Other film work includes the short ''The Dentist'', directed by ...

Chloe Howman Chloe Howman (born 1978 in London, England) is an English actress. The daughter of actor Karl Howman, her sister is actress Katy-Jo Howman. Career The sisters' first appearance was in 1986 with their father, as children in his series ''Brush Str ...

Alistair Petrie Alistair Petrie (born 30 September 1970) is a British actor. He has starred in ''The Bank Job'' (2008), ''Cloud Atlas'' (2012), '' Rush'' (2013) and '' Rogue One: A Star Wars Story'' (2016). Petrie has also starred in the Channel 4 television ...

Janet Henfrey Janet Ethne Anne Henfrey (born 16 August 1935) is a British stage and television actress. She is best known for playing Mrs. Bale on '' As Time Goes By'', and for her role as the schoolteacher in the Dennis Potter television play '' Stand Up, N ...

, Aiden McArdle, Paul Thornley,

Liam McKenna Six were an Irish pop group who formed on the Irish version of the television programme '' Popstars'' in 2002. The programme aired on RTÉ One on Sunday nights in the autumn and winter of 2001–02. The band were signed to Simon Cowell under ...

and is narrated by Tim Pigott-Smith.

Synopsis

''Metamorphosis'' is the story of traveling salesman Gregor Samsa, who wakes one morning to find himself transformed in his bed into a giant, verminous,

insect Insects (from Latin ') are pancrustacean hexapod invertebrates of the class Insecta. They are the largest group within the arthropod phylum. Insects have a chitinous exoskeleton, a three-part body ( head, thorax and abdomen), three pairs ...

-like creature. His transformation into a hideous parasite is a cry for help, but his craving for understanding and love is not met. His idle teenage sister jealously dominates his care, his hitherto slothful father is bitter about the loss of family income, and his weak and asthmatic mother can only look on ineffectively as Gregor's fate unfolds. Gregor's craving for emotional fulfilment is met by misunderstanding and ultimately physical abuse. He is attacked by his father, who penetrates his insect shell with a vicious bombardment of rock-hard apples and is prevented from killing Gregor only by the desperate intervention of his mother. The sister he has always cherished finally turns on him viciously and demands his disappearance, a demand that Gregor inwardly accepts has to be carried out. Imprisoned in his increasingly neglected room, he wastes away from the lack of the right kind of sustenance and finally dies of the great wound in his back and in his heart. At his death, the brutish charlady sweeps away his remains and his family are released from their dreadful burden to celebrate their prospects for a brighter future.

Cast

as Mr Samsa *

as Mrs Samsa *

as Grete Samsa *

as Anna *

as The Supervisor *

Aidan McArdle Aidan McArdle (born 1970) is an Irish actor. Early life McArdle was born in Dublin. He studied for an Arts degree at University College Dublin before going on to study at the Royal Academy of Dramatic Art in London, England. Career First r ...

as The First Lodger * Paul Thornley as the Second Lodger and the Voice of Gregor Samsa *

as the Third Lodger *

as The Cleaning Lady *

Tim Pigott-Smith Timothy Peter Pigott-Smith, (13 May 1946 – 7 April 2017) was an English film and television actor and author. He was best known for his leading role as Ronald Merrick in the television drama series '' The Jewel in the Crown'', for which he wo ...

, Narrator

Crew

* Director - Chris Swanton * Visual Effects Director - William Rockall * Producer Lesley McNeil * Director of Photography - John Daly * Production Designer -Humphrey Jaeger * Costume Designer - Christine Rawlins * Sound Recordist - Tim Humphries * Art Director - Jenny Ray * Film Editor - Chris Toft

Production

''Attractive Features'' was set up by film editor Chris Swanton with the express purpose of making the first-ever, English-language film version of Kafka's iconic novella. ''Rockkiss'' was established by award-winning visual effects director William Rockall together with visual effects designer and producer, Simon Hodgkiss.

Release

The Academic Edition of the film was released on DVD in January 2014 together with the companion Teacher's Handbook and Student's Textbook. These items have now been withdrawn and replaced by the Centenary Edition, composed of the feature film and the complementary documentary Behind the Scenes as well as the companion paperback with fresh translation and detailed commentary.

All Showings

* Montreal World Film Festival 2012 * B-Movie Celebration Festival 2012 * Ojai Film Festival 2012 * Oaxaca Film Festival 2012 * Sci-Fi London Film Festival 2012 * Houston World Filmfest 2013 *GCSE Drama PMS

References

External links

* * {{DEFAULTSORT:Metamorphosis 2012 films Films based on works by Franz Kafka 2010s English-language films