Carodejuv ucen (1978)

Réalisateur:

Karel Zeman

Scénaristes:

Otfried Preußler (book)
Karel Zeman (writer)

Date de sortie:

1 mars 1978 (Czechoslovakia)

Genre:

Animation | Fantasy | Horreur | Romance

Plot Keywords:

Good Versus Evil | Shapeshifting | Orphan | Spy | Deception

Avis des utilisateurs:

My first glimpse at animation from Czechoslovakia

Ensemble

Ludek Munzar	...	Vypravec (voice)
Jaroslav Moucka	...	Havran, carodej (voice)

Autre(s) titre(s):

Čarodějův učeň (Czechoslovakia: Czech title)
Krabat (West Germany)
Krabat: The Sorcerer's Apprentice (International: English title)

Durée:

Czechoslovakia:73 min

Pays:

Czechoslovakia | Allemagne de l'ouest

Langue:

Tchèque

Couleur:

Couleur

Rapport de forme:

1,37 : 1

Son:

Mono

Classification:

West Germany:6

Société:

Bavaria Atelier

Connexions De Film:

version de Krabat (2008)

My first glimpse at animation from Czechoslovakia

At first, when I watch this film online (subtitled), I had confuse the title for the poem version by German poet Johann Wolfgang von Goethe that inspired French composer Paul Dukas for his famous musical piece with the same title. But really, the film is based on a book called The Satanic Mill by a Otfried Preußler and the Sorbian folk tale upon which the book is based. I thought the cutout animation is really good, it's like the illustrations of some ancient book come to life! Why The National Film Board of Canada used that technique for their 1991 animated short, inspired by the legends of the Native Americans of the Pacific Northwest - Lord of the Sky.

Well anyway, the film about Krabat, a beggar boy in early 18th century Lusatia, is lured to become an apprentice to an evil, one-eyed sorcerer. Together with a number of other boys, he works at the sorcerer's mill under slave-like conditions while learning black magic, such as guising himself as a raven and other animals. Every Christmas one of the boys has to face the master in a magical duel of life and death, where the boy never stands a chance because the master is the only person who is allowed to use his secret grimoire: The Koraktor, or the Force of Hell. One Easter while performing an annual ritual near a small village, Krabat meets a girl (whom he dubbed the "Kantorka" or "The girl who sings") and falls in love, but has to keep the romance secret in order to protect her. After witnessing his friends one after one being helplessly slaughtered by the master every Christmas, Krabat starts to sneak up at night to study the forbidden book. On the last page of the book, Krabat finds a phrase saying: "Love is stronger than any spell."

That's all I could tell you folks, you will have to see the film for yourself how it ends, and overall, I enjoy this dark-fantasy film. And one thing I should tell, is that watching this film is my first glimpse at animation from Czechoslovakia.