In the seventeenth century, a 14-year-old orphan named Krabat flees the horrors of the Thirty Years War by becoming an apprentice to the ominous master of a mysterious mill. One of 12 young men working for the miller, Krabat is not only taught the craft of milling but is also initiated into a sinister world of dark arts. When the life of his friend and protector becomes threatened, Krabat must struggle to free himself from an evil sorcerer’s control in a gripping fight for freedom, friendship and love.

- - -

- - -

If the recent news of the delayed release of Harry Potter disappointed you, then perhaps you might want to watch a new German movie about sorcery, magic and mystery. While it seems unfair to compare the two movies, I for one was looking forward to seeing the latest Harry Potter this year, so I was definitely on the lookout for movies dealing with similar themes.

From the director Marco Kreuzpaintner, who gave us the critically acclaimed Summer Storm (starring Robert Stadlober and Kostja Ullmann), comes a movie called Krabat. Aside from two of my all-time German favorites Daniel Brühl and Stadlober, the film also introduce us to one of Germany's rising teen actors, David Kross. [See the movie trailer right after the jump ]

- - -

- - -

More about the Movie: The Thirty Years´ War brought much death and destruction to central Europe, and left 14-year-old Krabat an orphan. Lost and devastated, Krabat’s keen survival instincts lead him to a remote valley, where he finds a mysterious mill run by an ominous figure known as the Master. The lure of a safe haven, hot meals and an apprenticeship under the Master is hard to resist... but gradually Krabat uncovers a horrifying secret: the mill is in fact a school of black magic and the Master is in league with satanic powers.

While Krabat and his young colleagues revel in the teachings of the Master, they realize there is a price to pay: complete submission to the Master and even death. After Krabat witnesses Tonda, his closest friend at the mill, perish at the Master’s hands, the fires of rebellion starts raging within the young boy. He realizes that the only way out is to defeat the Master in a duel. In the face of such adversity, Krabat is able to find strength through the lovely Kantorka.

Armed with nothing but courage and their love, the young couple brave the Master and the arsenal of magical powers that make him nearly invincible. But is the power of love alone enough to defeat the power of black magic?

Says director Marco Kreuzpaintner: Getting to adapt KRABAT for the large screen has been a dream come true. It is a dark yet universal story, calling for powerful visual images. It is a profound and, at the same time, entertaining story. It’s rare for filmmakers like myself to come across such rich source material that is also a classic with a huge fan base. KRABAT is also a parable about fascism, about the temptation and seduction of power, about exerting one's powers without taking the ramifications into consideration. The story is, in my opinion, as relevant as ever.

- - -

[ Official Movie site - in German ] [ Bavaria Films details ]

- - -

x

Set as favorite

Bookmark

Email This

Hits: 991

Comments (5)

...

ooo...i want to see this movie now! i'm all for the magic and anything set in this time period!

Lydia , August 30, 2008 | url

...

Thanks for linking my video! I know, the video quality isn't all that great, but it was the best I could do.
Can't wait for this film to finally be released (I wish I could go to the premiere in Toronto).
Btw, the novel, written by Otfried Preussler and published in 1971) is considered a classic in Germany. I highly recommend reading it.

meininki , August 31, 2008

You're welcome!

I watched the trailers- English, Spanish, French and German at the Bavaria Films website but no way for me to copy or donwload the trailer and I was quite happy that you got this one.

I love the trailer, hope I can catch it! But it might be only on DVD.

Jed , August 31, 2008

David Kross

I hope you'll have a post about him at some point. I saw him in "Knallhart" ("Tough Enough") and thought he was fantastic. Of course, he also has his first English-language film coming out soon: "The Reader" (including love scenes with Kate Winslet) and from an advance review I read he's great in that, too.

meininki , September 02, 2008

sorcerer's apprentice

Here's an interview with the cast of the film in a german magazine: http://www.parkavenue.de/perso...15557.html

Christin , September 17, 2008

Write comment

Name

Email

Website

Title

Comment

smaller | bigger

Subscribe via email (Registered users only)

Add Comment Preview