Jacob the Liar (1974)

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Movie
Original title Jacob the Liar
Country of production GDR
original language German
Publishing year 1974
length 100 minutes
Age rating FSK 12
Rod
Director Frank Beyer
script Jurek Becker ,
Frank Beyer
production DEFA ,
television of the GDR
music Joachim Werzlau
camera Günter Marczinkowsky
cut Rita Hiller
occupation
synchronization

Jakob der Lügner is a DEFA feature film by the "Johannisthal Group" from 1974 , directed by Frank Beyer . It is a film adaptation of Jurek Becker's novel Jakob the Liar . A further adaptation dates back to the 1999th

action

The film is strongly based on the novel Jakob the Liar . However, he does without the parallel story about Professor Kirschbaum.

background

The novel was made into a film in 1974 by DEFA (Johannisthal Group) in collaboration with GDR television . Initially, DEFA had planned to produce the original screenplay by Jurek Becker in the 1966 annual plan, but this production failed due to the Polish authorities. They had initially given permission for filming in Krakow , but then withdrew them. This was justified by the fact that they were already busy with two Soviet productions. In addition, director Frank Beyer was transferred to the Dresden theater as a punishment after his controversial film Trace of the Stones was released in 1966. For these reasons, the production was canceled from the annual plan, and Jurek Becker turned the script into a novel.

The success of the novel finally made DEFA reconsider the production, and on February 10, 1972, the decision to produce was made. The shooting was supposed to start on February 12, 1974, the new script dispensed with the parallel story about Professor Kirschbaum. Once again, the Polish authorities took a stand. They stated on February 18, 1974, after receiving a translated script that no Polish actors would take part in the production. However, director Frank Beyer did not want to start the production without Polish actors. The problem could only be solved through the intervention of the deputy minister for culture in the GDR, Günther Klein.

The role of Jakob was initially supposed to be played by the well-known West German actor Heinz Rühmann . This appointment decision was ultimately rejected by Erich Honecker personally on the grounds that it was a violation of the principle of two fundamentally different German states if Heinz Rühmann played along. In Rühmann's place, the well-known Czech actor Vlastimil Brodský took over the role, which Frank Beyer had already considered for the failed 1966 production. Erwin Geschonneck and Henry Hübchen also played in other roles .

Filming took place u. a. in Nauen in Brandenburg.

The premiere took place on GDR television on Sunday, December 22nd, 1974 in black and white, afterwards the film was shown as a cinema premiere on April 17th, 1975 in the Kosmos cinema in Berlin .

Awards

It was the only GDR production that was nominated for the Oscar (Academy Awards) in the category of best foreign language film . In addition to this nomination in 1977, the film received the National Prize of the GDR Second Class in 1976 - awarded to the creative collective. In West Berlin , the film was awarded the Silver Bear at the 25th International Film Festival in 1975 .

synchronization

The Czech and Hungarian actors were dubbed in the original German version by the following speakers:

role actor German speaker
Jacob Vlastimil Brodský Norbert Christian
Mr. Frankfurter Dezső Garas Wolfgang Dehler
Mrs. Frankfurter Zsuzsa Gordon Ruth Kommerell
Josefa Litwin Margit Bara Gerda-Luise Thiele

criticism

Reception before the film premiere of Jakob the Liar , 1975 in East Berlin :
From left: Jana Brejchová , Vlastimil Brodský (actor of Jakob), the director Frank Beyer and the politburo member Werner Lamberz .

The Lexicon of International Films judges the film to be “a successful adaptation of a novel from the DEFA studios, staged conventionally, but played excellently. A testimony to deep humanity. "

Hans-Christoph Blumenberg sums up for Die Zeit : “This quiet film draws its remarkable quality not least from a wealth of excellent acting performances. Above all, the Czech Vlastimil Brodsky and Erwin Geschonneck from the Berliner Ensemble convince with character studies that are far from lewd clichés. "

literature

  • Jurek Becker : Jakob the Liar. Novel . World edition. A. Springer, Berlin 2009, ISBN 978-3-941711-16-7 , 285 pp.
  • Thomas Jung: "To be a resistance fighter or a writer ...": Jurek Becker - Writing between Socialism and Judaism. An interpretation of the Holocaust texts and their film adaptations in context . Oslo contributions to German studies (Volume 20). Lang, Frankfurt am Main / Berlin / Bern / New York / Paris / Vienna 1998, ISBN 3-631-33860-0 , 255 pp.
  • Olaf Kutzmutz: Hope in Need - a series of lessons on Jurek Becker's novel »Jakob the Liar« and its film adaptations (9th / 10th grade) . RAAbits German, Stuttgart 2002

Web links

Individual evidence

  1. ^ Filmography of the artistic work group "Johannisthal" , on the Internet Movie Database
  2. ↑ a b Nominations and awards according to the Internet Movie Database
  3. ↑ Neues Deutschland, October 4, 1974, see also list of winners of the GDR National Prize, 2nd class for art and literature (1970–1979)
  4. ↑ Film tips . In: Die Zeit , No. 11/1976, Hans-Christoph Blumenberg