SCHTONK! is a meaningless expletive uttered by Charlie Chaplin in his 1940 satirical film "The Great Dictator", and used as title for a movie of events that took place in 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.
It's required viewing for everyone who thinks Germans don't have a sense of humour (some do), can't make fun of themselves (most can't), and have problems with their NAZI past (they all still have). This hilarious film tackles all three clichés by retelling the true story of the man who faked Hitler's diaries and sold them to the Stern magazine.
It's even worth the enormous trouble of learning the German language - although I am sure there's a copy somewhere with English subtitles.
SCHTONK! is a German classic, as unforgettable as "Das Boot" (The Boat), "Die Brücke" (The Bridge), "Im Westen nichts Neues" (All Quiet on the Western Front), and "So weit die Füße tragen" (As Far as My Feet Will Carry Me). Also "Das Leben der Anderen" (The Lives of Others).
