Krabat – The Sorcerer's Apprentice
 | This article consists almost entirely of a plot summary. (February 2020) |
| The Sorcerer's Apprentice | |
|---|---|
 Czech DVD cover | |
| Directed by | Karel Zeman |
| Screenplay by | Karel Zeman |
| Based on | Krabat by Otfried Preußler |
| Produced by | Karel Hutěčka |
| Starring | Jaroslav Moučka |
| Narrated by | Luděk Munzar |
| Cinematography | Bohuslav Pikhart Zdeněk Krupa |
| Edited by | Ivan Matouš |
| Music by | Frantíšek Belfin |
| Distributed by | Ústřední půjčovna filmů[1] |
Release dates |
|
Running time | 73 minutes |
| Countries | Czechoslovakia West Germany East Germany |
| Language | Czech |
Krabat – The Sorcerer's Apprentice (Czech: Čarodějův učeň) is a 1978 Czechoslovak cutout animated dark fantasy film directed by Karel Zeman, based on the 1971 book Krabat by Otfried Preußler, and the Sorbian folk tale upon which the book is based.[2] The name Krabat is derived from the word Croat.[3]
Plot[edit]
| This article needs an improved plot summary. (February 2020) |
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 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." This is used when he ultimately has to defeat his master for the sake of love.
Voice cast[edit]
| Role | Czech version | West German version | East German version |
|---|---|---|---|
| Krabat / Narrator | Luděk Munzar | Christian Brückner | Joachim Siebenschuh |
| Master | Jaroslav Moučka | Friedrich Schütter | Horst Kempe |
See also[edit]
- Krabat (2008 film)
References[edit]
- ^ Opening credits of the original Czech version of the film in question.
- ^ Zipes, Jack (2011). The Enchanted Screen: The Unknown History of Fairy-Tale Films. Taylor & Francis. ISBN 9781135853945.
- ^ Entry on Česko-Slovenská filmová databáze (in Czech)
External links[edit]
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- 1978 films
- 1970s Czech-language films
- 1970s dark fantasy films
- 1970s stop-motion animated films
- Animated films based on novels
- Animated films based on Slavic mythology
- Cutout animation films
- Czech animated fantasy films
- Czech animated horror films
- Czech dark fantasy films
- Czech horror films
- Czechoslovak animated films
- Films based on fairy tales
- Films based on fantasy novels
- Films based on German novels
- Films based on works by Otfried Preußler
- Films directed by Karel Zeman
- Films set in Europe
- Films with screenplays by Karel Zeman
- 1970s animated film stubs