Krabat (DVD)

Krabat (David Kross), a 14-year-old orphan boy, takes up a job as an apprentice in a watermill in Koselbruch in 1646. But this soon turns out to be the "Black School", whose master (Christian Redl) instructs his twelve journeymen in magic. The boy is initially fascinated by the dark power and makes friends with the other apprentices, especially the old journeyman Tonda (Daniel Brühl), in whom he has found a role model. But mysterious incidents accumulate in the mill that lead him to the revelation of a cruel secret. Krabat decides to free himself from the clutches of the master - whatever the cost.

Otfried Preussler's novel "Krabat" from 1971, which formed the basis for the screenplay by Marco Kreuzpaintner and Michael Gutmann, is based on the Sorbian folk tale about the sorcerer's apprentice Krabat. Kreuzpaintner's film is the second live-action film adaptation of the material, which was first filmed in 1975 under the title "Die schwarze Mühle" (The Black Mill) based on the book of the same name for GDR television. Preussler was expressly taken with Kreuzpaintner's cinematic adaptation, which brings together a first-class ensemble of German actors with David Kross, Daniel Brühl, Christian Redl, Tom Wlaschiha and Anna Thalbach, among others. "Marco Kreuzpaintner has actually achieved the feat of doing justice to both the medium of film and my book," says Preussler. "A highly sophisticated, coherent whole has emerged." The Wiesbaden Film Rating Board awarded the film the rating "particularly valuable".

EXTRAS:
Audio commentary by director Marco Kreuzpaintner and cameraman Daniel Gottschalk; Making-of: "Krabat"; Deleted & Alternative Scenes: Alternative Film Start, The Story of Pumphutt, The Journey to Dresden; Interviews with director and actors: Marco Kreuzpaintner, David Kross, Daniel Brühl; Behind the scenes: Daniel Brühl on the film project, wardrobe in the 17th century, magic on the computer; Original theatrical trailer