''The Man Who Lies'' (french: L'Homme qui ment, sk, Muž, ktorý luže) is a 1968 French-Czechoslovak

drama Drama is the specific mode of fiction represented in performance: a play, opera, mime, ballet, etc., performed in a theatre, or on radio or television.Elam (1980, 98). Considered as a genre of poetry in general, the dramatic mode has been ...

art film An art film (or arthouse film) is typically an independent film, aimed at a niche market rather than a mass market audience. It is "intended to be a serious, artistic work, often experimental and not designed for mass appeal", "made primarily f ...

directed by

Alain Robbe-Grillet Alain Robbe-Grillet (; 18 August 1922 – 18 February 2008) was a French writer and filmmaker. He was one of the figures most associated with the '' Nouveau Roman'' (new novel) trend of the 1960s, along with Nathalie Sarraute, Michel Butor and C ...

. It was entered into the

18th Berlin International Film Festival The 18th annual Berlin International Film Festival was held from 21 June to 2 July 1968. The Golden Bear was awarded to the Swedish film ''Ole dole doff'' directed by Jan Troell. Jury The following people were announced as being on the jury for ...

, where

Jean-Louis Trintignant Jean-Louis Xavier Trintignant (; 11 December 1930 – 17 June 2022) was a French actor. He made his theatrical debut in 1951, and went on to be regarded as one of the best French dramatic actors of the post-war era. He starred in many classic fi ...

won the

Silver Bear for Best Actor The Silver Bear for Best Actor (german: Silberner Bär/Bester Darsteller) was an award presented at the Berlin International Film Festival from 1956 to 2020. It was given to an actor who has delivered an outstanding performance and was chosen by ...

award.

Plot

In a small European town that had been occupied by the German Army during the Second World War a man turns up calling himself sometimes Jean and sometimes Boris, claiming that he had been active in the Resistance. He suffers flashbacks that disconcertingly reveal incompatible memories of his role, as sometimes he is the hero Jean, shot by the Germans, and sometimes he is the traitor Boris. Nobody in the town admits to remembering him, which increases his alienation and his urge to gain recognition. In a decayed mansion he finds three secluded women: the widow of Jean, the sister of Jean, and the maid Maria. Starting with Maria, he attempts to convince them about his activities during the war, even if his accounts keep differing. Maria succumbs to his approaches and sleeps with him, as soon after does the sister. Before he can claim the widow, in the role of Boris he is apparently shot dead by an undead Jean.

Cast

as Jean Robin / Boris Varissa * Ivan Mistrík as Jean *

Zuzana Kocúriková Zuzana is a common female given name in the Czech Republic and Slovakia. It is often translated to other languages as Zuzanna (Polish), Suzanne, Susan, or Susannah – all commonly derived from the Hebrew language name Shoshana, meaning "lilly" ...

as Laura * Sylvie Turbová as Sylvia * Sylvie Bréal as Maria, the maid *

Jozef Cierny Jozef or Józef is a Dutch language, Dutch, Breton language, Breton, Polish language, Polish and Slovak language, Slovak version of masculine given name Joseph. A selection of people with that name follows. For a comprehensive list see and .. * J ...

as Father * Jozef Króner as Franz * Dominique Prado as Lisa, the barmaid * Dusan Blaskovic as Innkeeper *

Catherine Robbe-Grillet Catherine Robbe-Grillet (; ''née'' Rstakian; born 24 September 1930) is a French writer, dominatrix, photographer, theatre and film actress of Armenian descent who has published sadomasochistic writings under the pseudonyms Jean de Berg and J ...

as Pharmacist * Július Vasek as Vladimír * Ivan Letko as German officer

References

External links

* {{DEFAULTSORT:Man Who Lies, The 1968 films Czechoslovak drama films 1960s French-language films 1968 drama films French black-and-white films Films directed by Alain Robbe-Grillet Fiction with unreliable narrators Slovak drama films French drama films 1960s French films