Lili Marleen is a 1981 film directed by Rainer Werner Fassbinder (World on a Wire). The screenplay was written using the novel Heaven Has Many Colors by Lale Andersen. However, according to Lale Andersen's last husband Artur Beul, the film plot has not much in common with her real life. Zurich, 1938: The love between the German bar singer Willie Bunterberg and Robert Mendelsohn, the son of rich Jewish parents, is not under a good star from the beginning. The persecution of the Jews in Germany takes on ever more terrible proportions and a wartime mood prevails everywhere. Robert's father is also against their relationship and sees to it that Willie is deported to their homeland. In Germany, their song "Lili Marleen" is broadcast on the radio and immediately becomes a hit. Willie becomes a star overnight. While she is increasingly involved in Nazi propaganda campaigns, Robert is arrested by the Gestapo. With secret documents about extermination camps, which Willie smuggles out of Poland, she now tries to save Robert's life.
There is a 1950 British movie named Lilli Marlene with a completely different plot.
The following weapons were used in the film Lili Marleen (1981):
The henchmen of David Mendelsson (Mel Ferrer) hold Sten Mk II submachine guns.
Rifles
Karabiner 98k
The most used rifle is the Karabiner 98k. Bernt (Rainer Will) and Hugo Taschner (Hark Bohm) are seen several times with Kar98ks.
Mauser Puška vz. 98/22
Three German soldiers at the train station can be seen with full-length Mauser rifles which appear to be Vz. 98/22 Czech Mausers.
Mauser Carbine
At least, one German soldier is very briefly seen with a Mauser Carbine which could either be a 1909 Argentine Mauser Cavalry & Mountain carbine or an M43 Spanish Mauser.
Soviet soldiers can be seen with an unknown water-cooled machine gun which appears to be a Swedish Kulspruta M/1936. The same machine gun is also manned by a German soldier.
Trivia
Near all of the fighting scenes are taken from the 1977 WWII film Cross of Iron and its 1979 unofficial sequel Breakthrough.