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Arts & Entertainment
Imprint, Friday, October 30, 2009
“
Comparison of Krabat to Harry Potter is inevitable, but Krabat does present a unique story without being overwhelmed by cliches. It brings to the table a darker take on sorcery and those who practise it.
”
Serbian folklore evokes dark magick
Julia Gunst reporter
E
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ver wonder what Harry Potter would be like if it took place in 17th century Germany, with a fraternity of mill workers learning dark magic from the mill owner who is known only as the Master? If so, then Krabat, a film adaptation of Otfried Preußler’s 1971 children’s book, fulfills this curiosity. These sorcerers definitely did not get any Bertie Bott’s Every Flavor Beans, or a cozy room in a luxurious castle. Comparison of Krabat to Harry Potter is inevitable, but Krabat does present a unique story without being overwhelmed by clichés. It brings to the table a darker take on sorcery and those who practise it. The story itself has been around for quite some time, as it is based on Serbian folklore, and it is well-known in Germany, Serbia, and Russia. It begins with a 14-year-old beggar and orphan, Krabat, struggling to survive in the rugged and plague ridden mountainous valley of Schwartzholm during the Thirty Years War. The scenery is stark and breathtaking, of which the director, Marco Kreuzpaintner, makes good use of with many long panoramic shots. Although for me, this sometimes became a bit redundant. The filming is highly atmospheric, often by utilization of strong contrasts, such as that of black crows and crisp snow. Black crows are a constant presence in the film, and first appear in a dream somehow created by the mill Master for Krabat in order to lead him to the mill. In the dream, Krabat is promised to rise out of poverty and gain power if he finds the mill and agrees to become an apprentice. Being desperate, Krabat listens to the dream, finds the Master and becomes an apprentice, unknowingly agreeing to also learn the dark arts. In order to learn from the Master and earn room and board, a steep price is paid by Krabat and the other all-male apprentices (numbering well over 10). They must work hard at the mill by day and perform dark magic at night — although the film strangely chooses to focus lengthly on the former. Krabat had to first earn his participation in the dark magic night shift by working hard during the day, until Easter Eve. Once this day arrived, he was initiated by swearing allegiance to the Master and pledging the total devotion of his life to dark magic. After the initiation, amusingly, what appeared to be a medieval version of a col-
lege-style kegger celebration occurred, which for me felt somewhat out of place. Without giving too much away, following his initiation, a decent begins into the sacrifice of Krabat’s ordinary freedoms and dreams for power and separation from the outside world. Mistrust and schemes for the favour of the Master develop among the apprentices in a drive for more power, making for a complicated and stimulating plot. Further thickening the plot is the love interest of Krabat, Kantorka, who is both endangered by the Master’s rule against any evolvement of the apprentices with women and challenged by Krabat’s seemingly unbreakable separation from the real world. A strength of the film are the plot twists, which were surprising and unconventional. There are a few weaknesses within the film. The special effects, at times, did not mesh with the rustic, medieval, and realist tone of the film and created an awkward jarring effect. Also it often seems as though important emotional heights in the movies are rushed — especially when ending the film. Despite this, the acting is emotive and believable. You may recognize Daniel Brühl from Goodbye Lenin, an award-winning German film, as Krabat’s friend Tonda. The emotion left in the destructive wake of the drive for power is brought to life starkly on screen in the film’s prime moments. This is quite possibly the only film I have seen in which men are seen both collectively inebriated on beer in one scene and then shedding quite a few tears in another. “Everything has its costs” is the main moral driver of the film, and is mentioned more than a few times. In the end, the Master’s best magic was of persuasion. This is also literally the case on screen, as very little visually spectacular magic occurs, with the sorcerers using their magic sticks mainly to wack people. Despite its weaknesses, the film is entertaining and provides a glimpse into an important piece of German folklore. Debatably, this may be better viewed in the imagination with the aid of Preußler’s book. Krabat has already won awards at the 2009 Bavarian Film Award with Best Children/Youth Film, the 2009 Stockholm International Film Festival 2009 and the 2008 Toronto International Film Festival, and has made a respectable and unique contribution to the diverse array of films at the Grand River Film Festival.
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10/23/09 10:00:13 AM