Festivals: Franz (2025) by Agnieszka Holland: A Kaleidoscope of Kafka
- dailyentertainment95
- 24 hours ago
- 6 min read
A Puzzle, Not a Portrait Agnieszka Holland's "Franz" is an unconventional biographical film that explores the life and paradoxes of the renowned Czech writer, Franz Kafka. The film is a passion project for Holland, who has been fascinated by Kafka since she was a teenager. Rather than a traditional "cradle-to-grave" biopic, "Franz" is a mosaic of fragments from Kafka's life, incorporating his family troubles, love life, and lesser-known work. The film's unique approach reflects Holland's belief that Kafka's story is impossible to capture linearly, and it aims to present him in a more nuanced light, highlighting his sharp wit and humor, which she believes are often overlooked.
Why to watch this movie: A Fresh Take on a Literary Legend
Unconventional Biopic: The film avoids the traditional linear narrative, opting for a fragmented, kaleidoscopic structure. This approach is designed to mirror Kafka's own unfinished novels and complex persona, offering a more intellectually stimulating and unique viewing experience than a standard biographical film.
A Different View of Kafka: Holland challenges the popular perception of Kafka as a moody and dark figure. She portrays him as a man of paradoxes, who was both open and inaccessible, and reveals his sharp humor and wit, providing a more human and relatable portrait of the literary icon.
Timely and Relevant Themes: Despite being a period piece, the film's themes are highly relevant to the present day. Holland sees echoes of Kafka's world—where law is arbitrary and the individual is crushed—in the current global political landscape, particularly in issues of migration and the rise of scapegoating and legalized violence
Where to watch: Theatrical Release: The film will be released theatrically in the Czech Republic on September 25, 2025. It will also screen at international film festivals, including Toronto and San Sebastian.
Link IMDB: https://www.imdb.com/title/tt17070412/
About movie: http://www.bacfilms.com/distribution/fr/films/franz
What Trend is followed?: The Rise of the Unconventional Biopic
The film "Franz" is a part of a growing trend in filmmaking where directors are moving away from traditional, linear biopics.
Non-linear Narratives: Instead of a straightforward timeline, these films use fragmented or episodic structures to explore a subject's life. "Franz" does this by presenting a series of pieces from Kafka's life, rather than a continuous narrative.
Focus on Themes and Psychology: This trend prioritizes exploring the internal world and key themes of a subject's life over a simple recitation of facts. "Franz" delves into Kafka's personal struggles, his paradoxical nature, and his internal conflicts, rather than just chronicling his achievements.
Artistic Expression over Historical Accuracy: While based on a real person, these films take creative liberties with aesthetics, structure, and narrative to better reflect the subject's essence. Holland's film uses different stylistic approaches to reflect Kafka's mind and literature.
Director's Vision: The Filmmaker as a Truth-teller
A Personal Connection: Agnieszka Holland's interest in Kafka is deeply personal, stemming from her youth. She feels she understands him and even had a fantasy of "taking care of him." This personal connection informs her unique vision and her desire to present a more authentic portrayal of the man.
Cinema as a Tool for Reflection: Holland believes her vocation as a filmmaker is to react to important realities and, if possible, to slightly change them. Her work, including "Franz" and her previous film "Green Border," is a form of truth-telling and a call for reflection on the present.
A "Different Movie Practically Every Day": Holland describes the filmmaking process for "Franz" as a risk-filled conceptual work where they were "doing a different movie practically every day." This reflects her willingness to embrace stylistic experimentation and a fragmented, puzzle-like approach to storytelling that mirrors the subject matter.
Themes: The Absurdity of the Modern World
The Paradox of the Individual: The film explores the paradox of Kafka himself, a man who was both open and inaccessible, and a powerful writer who was also very fragile. This theme resonates with the modern struggle for identity and purpose in a confusing world.
The Kafkaesque Crisis: Holland sees parallels between Kafka's world and the modern-day. The film's themes of arbitrary law, the individual being crushed, and the rise of scapegoating are directly connected to Holland's previous film on the Poland-Belarus border crisis, highlighting the enduring relevance of Kafka's work.
Humanity's Capacity for Inhumanity: Drawing from her work on Holocaust films like "Europa, Europa," Holland sees her films as a warning of what humanity is capable of. "Franz" is a part of this broader vision, a reminder of the historical forces that shaped Kafka's time and the potential for those same forces to re-emerge.
Key success factors: An Unconventional but Compelling Approach
A Refreshing Narrative Structure: The film's fragmented, non-linear approach is a key factor in its success. By avoiding the typical biopic formula, it offers a more engaging and intellectually stimulating experience for the audience.
The Timeliness of the Themes: The film's connection to current social and political issues, such as the refugee crisis and the rise of political scapegoating, makes it feel urgent and relevant.
A Personal Vision: Holland's deeply personal connection to Kafka and her desire to reveal a more truthful and nuanced portrait of the writer are evident in the film's unique tone and style.
Awards and Nominations: A New Contender
As "Franz" is premiering at the Toronto Film Festival, it has not yet received any awards or nominations. However, it is a highly anticipated project from a celebrated director with a strong track record of winning major awards, including a Special Jury Prize at the Venice Film Festival for her previous film "Green Border" and several Academy Award nominations for her past works.
Critics Reception: A Divisive but Admirable Effort
In a review titled "An Old-School Disaster," the site Filmmakers Alliance critiques the film as a "total misfire," calling it both "outrageous and bland." The reviewer finds that the film's "garish flight of fancy" are distracting and that the majority of the movie "rotely dramatizes Kafka's biography," despite claiming to be unconventional.
In contrast, The Film Verdict praises "Franz" as a "moving and inventive" drama that is "prismatic." The reviewer highlights the film's non-linear approach, which focuses on Kafka's personal life and struggles, and finds it to be "wholly compelling" despite some minor flaws, such as the "increasingly grating" performance of the father character.
Reviews: A Compelling but Flawed Portrait
The review from Filmmakers Alliance, republished on Yahoo News, is highly critical. It claims the film fails in its unconventional approach and instead becomes a "rote, ludicrous hagiography" that doesn't do justice to the literary giant.
The positive review from The Film Verdict highlights the film's ability to "inhabit the brilliant and troubled mind" of Kafka. It praises the lead actor's breakout performance and the film's inventive spirit, which includes anachronistic music and leaps to the modern Kafka Museum. However, it notes that the film's final half becomes more traditional and less adventurous, which is a disappointment.
Movie Trend: The Deconstruction of the Biopic "Franz" follows the modern movie trend of deconstructing the traditional biopic. This trend, seen in films like "I'm Not There" and "Spencer," moves away from the formulaic "rise and fall" narrative and instead uses innovative structures, visual styles, and thematic focus to capture the essence of a real person. The goal is to create a work of art that is more about the emotional and psychological truth of a life than a mere historical record.
Social Trend: The Politically Engaged Artist The film follows the social trend of politically engaged filmmaking, where directors use their art to respond to urgent contemporary issues. Holland, a director who sees her work as a form of "truth-telling" and "warning," directly links the themes of "Franz" to the modern refugee crisis and the rise of social hostility. This trend reflects a growing sentiment among filmmakers that art should not exist in a vacuum but should actively participate in and reflect on the political and social realities of the world.
Final Verdict: A Risky, Unconventional, and Timely Work Agnieszka Holland's "Franz" is a cinematic risk that largely pays off. By rejecting the conventional biopic format, she creates a film that is as complex and paradoxical as its subject. While some critics may find its fragmented structure jarring or its flights of fancy distracting, its unique approach to portraying Kafka's mind and its timely political themes make it a compelling and important work. It is a film that demands intellectual engagement from its audience and offers a refreshing, human, and ultimately resonant portrait of a literary legend.