Franz, a young man, works in a dye factory in Prague. One day he notices a rash-like eczema, growing on his hands. All attempts to treat it with ointment fail, and the rash gradually spreads over his body. After complaining to the management he is laid off work; his relationship with his fiancee is affected. In an attempt to get compensation from his former employers he looks to insurance firm Assicurazion Generali, where he encounters an enigmatic clerk called Kafka.

Daniel Day-Lewis
as Kafka

Robert Hines
as Franz (young)

Alan MacNaughtan
as Doctor

Trevor Peacock
as Franz (old)

Jim Broadbent
as Gutling

Hugh Fraser
as Culick

Vivian Pickles
as Lily

Bernard Wrigley
as Workmen

Charlotte Coleman
as Seamstress

Rosemary Martin
as Miss Weber