Jacob the Liar

Jacob the Liar Jakob der Lügner Movie Poster Country East Germany Czechoslovakia Directed by Frank Beyer Release Date December 22, 1974 (TV) April 18, 1975 (Cinema) Language German Studio DEFA DFF Barrandov Studios Distributor Progress Film Main Cast Character Actor Jakob Heym Vlastimil Brodský Kowalski Erwin Geschonneck Mischa Henry Hübchen Rosa Frankfurter Blanche Kommerell Lina Manuela Simon Roman Schtamm Armin Mueller-Stahl

Jacob the Liar is a 1974 East German movie directed by Frank Beyer and is based on the novel of the same name by Jurek Beckers. 1944: Jakob Heym, living in a Polish ghetto, hears by chance on the radio about the advance of the Red Army, but he cannot spread this news so easily. In order to give hope to his fellow sufferers, he pretends that he has a hidden radio and gives the ghetto inhabitants courage to face life with ever-new lies.

The role of Jakob was initially to be played by the well-known West German actor Heinz Rühmann. However, this casting decision was ultimately rejected by Erich Honecker himself on the grounds that it would be a violation of the principle of two fundamentally different German states if Heinz Rühmann played the part. In Rühmann's place, the role was taken by the well-known Czech actor Vlastimil Brodský (voiced by Norbert Christia), who had already been considered by Frank Beyer for the failed 1966 production. It was the only East German film to be nominated for an Academy Award for Best International Feature Film.

An American remake was released in 1999 directed by Peter Kassovitz starring Robin Williams, Bob Balaban, Liev Schreiber, and Armin Mueller-Stahl.

The following weapons were used in the film Jacob the Liar:

Karabiner 98k

Near all German soldiers are armed with Karabiner 98ks.

Karabiner 98k with S84/98 bayonet - 7.92x57mm Mauser

A guard in the watchtower (Eckhard Bilz) at the railway station with his Karabiner.

Jakob watches the changing of the guard.

Another guard (Bernhard Schauder) outside the station with his slung carbine.

Another guard in the watchtower aims at Herschel Schtamm (Reimar J. Baur).

Pistol Holster

At the beginning of the movie, the Wachhabender (sentry) (Hermann Beyer) takes his holster which appears to contain a pistol that could not be identified.