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Editorial Review:
Amazon.com:
The inspiration for the 1999 Robin Williams comedy Jakob the Liar didn't come from Roberto Begnini's acclaimed tragifarce Life Is Beautiful; it's a remake of a 1976 German film. Curiously enough, the original wasn't so much a comedy as a wistful, sad drama of the human spirit buoyed by memories, fantasies, and a lie that takes on a life of its own. Set in the waning days of the Warsaw ghetto when the Polish Jews have all but given up hope as the population dwindles and rumors fly, sad sack Jakob (Vlastimil Brodsky) overhears news of a Russian advance on a nearby German town while detained at the police station. Because no one will believe he survived a visit to the Nazi police, he makes up a story of a hidden radio. News of Jakob's secret spreads like wildfire through the town, lifting spirits and starting debates, and he's forced to start making up news to keep the neighbors satisfied. In the film's most touching scene, Jakob creates a mock broadcast for the orphaned girl he looks after. She peeks around the corner to see his handiwork, then chooses to believe the fantasy instead and sits back down to enjoy his stories. Frank Beyer's picture, which was nominated for an Oscar for Best Foreign Film in 1977, becomes a quiet, gently ironic tale about the need to believe, against all evidence. --Sean Axmaker
Customer Reviews
Average Rating: 
Rating:  - Jacob The Liar
Bought Jakob The Liar because am a fan of Robin Williams, actors will make a bad movie every now and then, this is one.
Rating:  - Highly Recommended
Excellent film! Shows a realistic view of life in the Ghetto during WWII without the gore of "The Pianist." This is the only comedy that I have ever seen regarding the Holocaust; Robin Williams gives a stellar performance! I highly recommend this movie to anyone interested in WWII or the Holocaust, but who is turned off by intense brutality or gore. Of course, the movie loses quite a bit of historical accuracy by cutting this reality out, but in my opinion it still captures the event well and ... Read More
Rating: - Beware of the Reviews
There are two films named "Jacob the Liar". The Robin Williams film (actually spelled "Jakob the Liar") is a remake of the film displayed above, which was an award-winning East German film of the 1970s. You can ignore any of the reviews below which mention Robin Williams, since they have been posted here in error.
Rating:  - An honest liar
Jakob the Liar/Jakob der Lugner was the only East German film to be Oscar-nominated and, considering how neatly it falls into the ever-popular tradition of East German films reminding the population of their sins during the war as a means to engender guilt and stifle criticism, it's surprising to learn how difficult it was to get made after the government detected a possibly subversive thread - you don't think the Nazis could be symbolising the communists, do you? It's a good film but not a great ... Read More
Rating: - Sincere but not entirely successful remake
Jakob the Liar/Jakob der Lugner was the only East German film to be Oscar-nominated, yet it was long-forgotten by the time this much-delayed Robin Williams remake finally made it to cinema screens. Indeed, many people thought it a ripoff of Life is Beautiful, despite being finished long before it's rival.
It's certainly isn't really deserving of the contempt poured on it when it was initially released in the wake of Roberto Begnini's surprise hit. The film certainly has better design ... Read More
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