The Sorcerer's Apprentice

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TV spot 1
Animation / Horror / Fairytale
Czechoslovakia / West Germany, 1977, 72 min

Plots(1)

The magical fairy tale of Krabat is the story of a boy on the threshold of adulthood facing dark forces which fascinate him until he realizes they can destroy him. The Krabat fable dates back to the end of the 17th century from Silesian Upper Lausitz. Inspired by the book by Otfried Preussler, master filmmaker Karel Zeman managed convert this story into a movie in his own inimitable way. This fairy tale deals with forces of the heart that control our emotions and behavior, and can't be changed. They can be a source of hatred and love, anger, envy and joy. In this eternal battle, only a strong will and a faith in love can lead to liberation from the snares of evil. (Zlín Film Festival)

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Reviews (3)

JFL 

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English Other than a few imaginative technical solutions for elements such as water, fire and smoke, one could almost say that The Sorcerer’s Apprentice is simply an ordinary animated film in terms of craftsmanship and technique. However, the film’s brilliant atmosphere, which derives from the symbiosis of all of the formalistic components and mainly the director’s talent and feel for animation in the sense of bring something to life and inserting it into time, proves that Zeman was a true master of his medium. ()

gudaulin 

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English I would say that this is one of the absolute highlights of rich Czech animated productions. It's a dark substance, appreciated more by those who are more mature and ideally by adults, but that's fine in the end because fairy tales in the original sense of the word meant stories mainly orally transmitted to adults. There is tension, courage, self-sacrifice, and a big dose of romance in it. This film fascinated me as a boy and I love coming back to it today. The artistic treatment is also amazing, and it is one of the peaks of classical flat animation. Overall impression: 100%. The Sorcerer's Apprentice is one of the rare cases where the film triumphs over the book. It has plenty of fantasy, but it also has a horror visual stylization that adds to its impact. ()

Necrotongue 

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English An incredible film. As a kid, I always looked forward to this fairy tale and I knew that I would not have an easy time of it at night. The Sorcerer's Apprentice was delightfully scary, and it still works for me today, although not to the point of being scared at night. :) Amazing work by Karel Zeman. The atmosphere puts to shame many horror films by established authors. ()