vaynard_12 Review of Jacob the Liar

Jacob the Liar (1974)

Jacob the liar, one of the great German films

[8/10 · 28 September 2005]

As you can see in, the film, different kinds of aesthetics were used to create this kind of environment that the director wants us to experience. By using close-up shots, we could see and feel the character's feelings and emotions first hand, as if we are right in front of them, every detail of it, and we can really relate to that kind of scene, and that makes the film more personal and up-close to the viewers. Another thing is the claustrophobic environment which depicts the kind of life in the polish ghetto and makes us feel and experience that we are also in that environment. Another interesting shots in these film is the long shot used in the somewhat castle like structure and the clouds in the end part. You could not usually see that in a Frank Beyer film specially that most of his films shows close-up and mid-ranged shots. Another intriguing fact here, that's the first ever German Film that I had watched in colored and so does Frank Beyer's first time to use modern technology to enhance his film. The blending of colors as I may say is good and it really enhances the scenes and the character's emotion. You could see that much livelier and lighter colors appears when Jacob and his niece were in a dream sequence, so does when people gets hope from the news Jacob brings, their faces light-up and so does the surrounding. When it come to the storyline and background of the film, you could easily see that the film really focuses on people's reactions, emotions and their life as a whole in the ghetto rather than really opposing and getting into the antifascist theme that Beyer usually does in his films. Natzis here portrays a different side of the story as they are somewhat humanized or rather has shown the soft side of the Natzis as rationale beings and considerable ones if I may add. I have also seen the remake of this film, the one starred by Robin Williams. I really never thought that this film is much better than the remake. Nothing beats the original.To sum it all up, I think it's really one of the best movies Frank Beyer has ever done.