Jacob the Liar

Released Apr 24, 1977

1h 40m

Comedy

Drama

List

100%

Tomatometer

5 Reviews

85%

Audience Score

500+ Ratings

Based on the lauded novel by Jurek Becker, this dark comedy focuses on Jakob Heym (Vlastimil Brodský), a Jew living in a Polish ghetto. When Jakob is temporarily detained by German officers and overhears news on their radio that the Russians are advancing on Nazi forces, he is thrilled at the prospect of freedom. In order to convince others of the news, Jakob pretends that he has a radio of his own -- a serious crime in the ghetto -- and begins making up stories to maintain his deception.

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Emanuel Levy

EmanuelLevy.Com

This East Germany bitter-sweet comedy about a Polish ghetto in WWII was nominated for the Best Foreign Language Oscar but didn't win.

Rated: B

Dec 15, 2010

Full Review

Philip Martin

Arkansas Democrat-Gazette

Rated: 3/5

Jan 10, 2005

Full Review

Linda Cook

Quad City Times (Davenport, IA)

Rated: 3/5

Feb 24, 2004

Full Review

Jules Brenner

Cinema Signals

Rated: 3/5

Nov 11, 2003

Full Review

Wesley Lovell

Apollo Guide

Rated: 76/100

Apr 23, 2002

Full Review

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Audience Member

As a film the quality is not amazing, but the story is.

Rated 3 out of 5 stars

02/03/23

Full Review

Audience Member

Captures the inevitability of the situation quite well, even as the variations on the theme of lying/storytelling are a bit clunkily contrasted.

Rated 3 out of 5 stars

02/20/23

Full Review

Audience Member

True story about the Jews, set in war time (Poland) ...great acting as always by Robin Williams

Rated 3 out of 5 stars

01/31/23

Full Review

Audience Member

1975 East German film version of Jurek Becker's novel. Jacob is tempted to give away one piece of news that spirals into a series of lies that create hope for all, and the question becomes if such creation of hope, under these circumstances, is the right thing to do. Watch it, even though it is with sub titles.

Rated 4.5 out of 5 stars

02/14/23

Full Review

Audience Member

Very good Oscar nominated foreign film from Germany (technically from East Germany) about the title character Jacob who lives with his young niece in a Jewish ghetto near the end of WWII and manages to convince everyone in the village that he is in possession of a radio. Of course this is all a lie, but giving his suffering friends ânewsâ gives them hope, so heâs unable to get out of the lie he keeps getting himself deeper into. A nice story with some sweet moments as well as some disturbing ones, the whole cast does a great job. The ending is excellent.

Rated 4 out of 5 stars

02/14/23

Full Review

Audience Member

Not sure I'd call it a "drama/comedy." I imagine this must have at least partially inspired "Life is Beautiful," which I actually LOVE (and that, yes, can see the commedic element in). It was a sad but important piece. I am not one of those who think we have enough Holocaust movies, and I'm always up for more.

Rated 4 out of 5 stars

01/30/23

Full Review

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Frank Beyer

Director

Vlastimil Brodský

Jakob Heym

Erwin Geschonneck

Kowalski

Manuela Simon

Lina

Henry Hübchen

Mischa

Blanche Kommerell

Rosa Frankfurter

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Synopsis

Based on the lauded novel by Jurek Becker, this dark comedy focuses on Jakob Heym (Vlastimil Brodský), a Jew living in a Polish ghetto. When Jakob is temporarily detained by German officers and overhears news on their radio that the Russians are advancing on Nazi forces, he is thrilled at the prospect of freedom. In order to convince others of the news, Jakob pretends that he has a radio of his own -- a serious crime in the ghetto -- and begins making up stories to maintain his deception.

Director: Frank Beyer
Distributor: MacMillan Films
Production Co: Filmové studio Barrandov, VEB DEFA-Studio für Spielfilme, Fernsehen der DDR (DDR-FS), Künstlerische Arbeitsgruppe Johannisthal
Genre: Comedy, Drama
Original Language: German
Release Date (Theaters): Apr 24, 1977, Original
Release Date (DVD): Oct 19, 1999
Runtime: 1h 40m