Das Zaubermännchen (1960)iMDB Rating: 6.5
Date Released : 6 June 1972
Genre : Family, Fantasy
Stars : Karl-Heinz Rothin, Karin Lesch, Reinhard Michalke, Peter Dommisch. Once upon a time, there was a lazy miller, who spent all his time drinking wine and telling lies. When the king's treasurer demands payment of taxes, the miller lies that his daughter Marie can spin straw into gold. The father and daughter are told to report to the palace, where Marie is locked into a tower room full of straw. She is to spin all the straw into gold by the next morning. Of course ..." />
Movie Quality : HDrip
Format : MKV
Size : 870 MB
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Once upon a time, there was a lazy miller, who spent all his time drinking wine and telling lies. When the king's treasurer demands payment of taxes, the miller lies that his daughter Marie can spin straw into gold. The father and daughter are told to report to the palace, where Marie is locked into a tower room full of straw. She is to spin all the straw into gold by the next morning. Of course she does not know how to spin straw into gold, as she tries to explain, and, once left alone, begins to cry. At that moment a little man appears, who says he will spin the straw if Marie gives him something of value. She agrees, gives him her necklace, and he fulfills his part of the bargain. The next morning, the king finds the gold and is delighted. The greedy treasurer makes Marie spin again. Marie must spin three times, and each time the little man comes to the rescue. On the third day, however, she has nothing left to give him, and promises him her first-born child. The little man spins ...
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Review :
Not the best DEFA fairy tale, but charmingly naive
Out of this world, out of this time - this can be easily said about DEFA movies from a country that disappeared 20 years ago: East Germany, DDR (GDR in English). However, it is still alive in some peoples' memories, and can even create new memories in other people. I bought this film today with SuperIllu magazine, just finished watching it. Now what to say? Had I lived some at most 100 km more to the east in 1960, this might have been a highlight in my childhood. Now I'm experiencing (mild) East German propatainment, 49 years later.
The fairy tale (Rumpelstilzchen in the Grimm Bros. collection) is somewhat decently retold, but like often, the end lacks the real strength. In the book, the magic midget cries "The devil has told you that!" and tears himself apart from the legs. How often have I read this story to my daughters... and how I waited for this scene... in vain. Instead we get a short sermon about the dangers of greed (which the young king had already found out on his own).
In comparison, this lacks the psychedelic looks of Das tapfere Schneiderlein, or the lavish sets and costumes of Dornröschen. It is basically a rendering of a play by Potsdam theatre, pepped up with some close-ups and "special" stop-motion effects. The most surprising scenes were the feet-only takes of everybody searching for rare names (which might even be called a little Eisenstein-ish).
And still, I enjoyed it, as a trip to an unreal reality. The young and bankrupt king.. the not exactly beautiful, but therefore even more impressing queen.. a sometimes revolting (see the painted moon) movie experience, but ultimately rewarding film. We don't have time machines yet, but you might watch this to feel out of this time, out of this world.
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