Krabat
Harry Potter should steer clear of the challenges facing the 14-year-old orphan in this expertly crafted dark fantasy. The effects of the 17th-century Thirty Years’ War have spread disease over a desolate landscape. An unfamiliar voice comes to the homeless Krabat in a dream, luring him to an old mill where he exchanges labor for shelter and food. After he suspects that the other 11 boys working at the mill are hiding a secret, Krabat discovers that the owner of the mill, The Master, practices sorcery in the dark arts. As an initiate of the secret society, Krabat finally feels that he belongs, but when the sorcerer’s plan will inflict harm on his best friend Tordo, Krabat must choose between power and loyalty. Smart use of color and shadow bring the film’s environment alive, heightening the sinister and mysterious atmosphere. Marco Kreuzpainter waves a sure-handed director’s wand over the alluring characters of Otfried Preußler’s classic novel, guaranteed to electrify fans of the genre and draw new members to the “dark side.”
Cast & Crew
Director: Marco Kreuzpaintner
Producer: Uli Putz, Thomas Wöbke, Jakob Claussen, Bernd Wintersperger
Editor: Hansjörg Weissbrich
Screenwriter: Michael Gutmann, Marco Kreuzpaintner, based on the novel by Otfried Preußler
Cinematographer: Daniel Gottschalk
Music: Annette Focks
Principal Cast: David Kross, Daniel Brühl, Christian Redl, Robert Stadlober, Paula Kalenberg
Filmography: Trade (2007); Summer Storm (2004); Breaking Loose (2003)
World Sales: Bavaria Film International
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(4 reviews)
user reviews
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A really good classic dark fantasy film!, Jun 06, 2009
By Mimi Noyes
“This is a "dark fantasy" that is much more in the traditional vein of dark fantasies versus, say, the other dark fantasy at the festival this year, Hansel and Gretel. During the 1600's in Germany, during a time of terrible war and the plague, a young man travels the countryside with his friends,”
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Worth seeing on a big screen, Jun 10, 2009
By Zheng Wang
“"Krabat" is sort of a cross between "Lord of the Rings" and "Harry Potter" - I dub it as "Fellowship of the Black Magic." Visually it looks great even without being as flashy as those big-budget epics. More importantly, it has a solid story that integrates many significant themes. A star-making”
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Mildly entertaining fantasy, Jun 12, 2009
By Ronald Woan
“Others have summarized the plot. I found it quite simplistic and just unsatisfying. It is quite unfair to compare it to Lord of the Rings or Harry Potter as it is not in the same league of cinematic story telling in terms of depth, ambition, or really evoking emotion.
I really wouldn't even”
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3.5, if it were possible, Jun 13, 2009
By Anais Vitalis
“I enjoyed watching the film, thought it wasn't as engrossing as I normally like my fantasies. The fantasy part of the plot didn't really shine through; the whole magic thing was underdeveloped and a lot of things were left unexplained. I also felt that the resolution was rather abrupt for all of”
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