Excellent, a Must See

Boring, long, and too preachy.

All of these films share one commonality, that being a kind of emotional center that humanizes a cast of monsters.

It’s sentimental, ridiculously long and only occasionally funny

At first I was incredibly skeptical about this, but it turned out to be something really special.I read the the book at school - quite a lot of years ago. And as I remembered it, it was quite good. But what almost made me not watch it was the style of animation. It reminded me of South Park but just more old school and stiffer in the way it's animated. I thought this is not going do be interesting but it was the opposite. Especially the style of animation made its atmosphere and deepness. It creeped me out some times.The story is good. But what makes it is the way it's told. You see the main character become a grown-up in some ways and it's darkness and violent moments. One of the main feelings is despair in this movie.Its really hard to explain but this is really something unique as far as I know. The combination of animation, the story, the character development and music is just unique.Everybody should see this.

At first, when I watch this film online (subtitled), I had confuse the title for the poem version by German poet Johann Wolfgang von Goethe that inspired French composer Paul Dukas for his famous musical piece with the same title. But really, the film is based on a book called "The Satanic Mill" by a Otfried Preußler and the Sorbian folk tale upon which the book is based. I thought the cutout animation is really good, it's like the illustrations of some ancient book come to life. Why, The National Film Board of Canada used that technique for their 1991 animated short, inspired by the legends of the Native Americans of the Pacific Northwest - "Lord of the Sky".Well anyway, the film is about 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 (whom he dubbed the "Kantorka" or "The girl who sings") and falls in love with her. But Krabat has to keep his 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."That's all I could tell you folks, you will have to see the film for yourself how it ends. Overall, I enjoy this dark-fantasy film. And one thing I should tell you folks is that watching this film is my first glimpse at animation from Czechoslovakia.

Unbelievable story, excellent animation, treasure of cinematography.. What more to say?I am actually happy I didn't have a chance to see this movie when I was a kid, because I would not be able to sleep for very very long time.. Sooo scary and dark, so much of fear, and I don't remember when last time I felt so helpless while watching a movie..it is not another naive fairy-tale where the Good beats the Bad somehow automatically and you are just witnessing that with smile on your face 'couse you expected that.. Easily beats most of late horror movies just by atmosphere, no special tricks needed.. recommend to everyone, you wont be disappointed.. amazing, 10 of 10, no questions asked..

I saw this movie twice in my youth. It played (both times) on Canada's French CBC channel-Radio Canada in the early 1980's. The film was shown on the (now defunct) Saturday matinée series Ciné-Famille . The film itself had been dubbed in French. To this day I can remember the film as being hauntingly beautiful, captivating, mesmerizing. Everything from the transfiguration of the Miller's disciples into Ravens, to the Master Disciple(s) having to build their own coffins before their final confrontation with the Miller. This film is a masterpiece thru and thru. Sure wish I could find a French or English copy of it. I saw it today on E-Bay, but it was the German version, no subtitles ($30 + US after shipping). I should still put a bid on it. Even a version in a foreign (to me) language is worth getting.