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Schtonk!
Schtonk!

Schtonk!

March 12, 1992
1h 55m
Comedy
History
Critics
85/100
Story
82/100
Acting
88/100
Cinematography
90/100
Soundtrack
80/100
Audience
70/100
Story
78/100
Acting
83/100
Cinematography
85/100
Soundtrack
75/100

Schtonk! is a farce of the actual events of 1983, when Germany's Stern magazine published, with great fanfare, 60 volumes of the alleged diaries of Adolf Hitler – which two weeks later turned out to be entirely fake. Fritz Knobel (based on real-life forger Konrad Kujau) supports himself by faking and selling Nazi memorabilia. When Knobel writes and sells a volume of Hitler's (nonexistent) diaries, he thinks it's just another job. When sleazy journalist Hermann Willié learns of the diaries, however, he quickly realizes their potential value... and Knobel is quickly in over his head. As the pressure builds and Knobel is forced to deliver more and more volumes of the fake diaries, he finds himself acting increasingly like the man whose life he is rewriting. The film is a romping and hilarious satire, poking fun not only at the events and characters involved in the hoax (who are only thinly disguised in the film), but at the discomfort Germany has with its difficult past.

Where to Watch

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Details

Director
Helmut Dietl
Cast
Götz George, Uwe Ochsenknecht, Christiane Hörbiger, Harald Juhnke, Ulrich Mühe, Rolf Hoppe, Dagmar Manzel, Veronica Ferres, Hermann Lause, Martin Benrath
Release Date
March 12, 1992
Production
Bavaria Film, WDR

Rating Distribution

User Ratings

5 Stars65%
1235
4 Stars25%
475
3 Stars8%
152
2 Stars2%
38
1 Stars0%
0
Total: 1,900 ratings

Reviews

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Mo
MovieCritic
Critic
December 15, 2023🇺🇸 US
90/100

An outstanding film that delivers on all fronts. The performances are stellar, and the direction is impeccable. Highly recommended for fans of the genre.

Story: 92Acting: 95Cinematography: 88Soundtrack: 85
Fi
FilmFan123
User
December 10, 2023🇬🇧 GB
98/100

Absolutely loved it! The story kept me engaged from start to finish, and the visuals were breathtaking. One of the best I've seen this year.

Story: 97Acting: 99Cinematography: 99Soundtrack: 96
Ci
CinemaExpert
Critic
December 5, 2023🇫🇷 FR
70/100

While the film has its moments, it falls short in some areas. The pacing is uneven, but the strong performances make up for it somewhat.

Story: 65Acting: 80Cinematography: 75Soundtrack: 60

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