The magic grain

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Movie
German title The magic grain
Original title Волшебное зерно
Country of production USSR
original language Russian
Publishing year 1942
length 87 minutes
Rod
Director Valentin Kadochnikov
Fyodor Filippov
script Alexei Simukov
production Mosfilm - ZOKS
music Lew Black
camera Fedor Firsow
occupation

The magic grain (original title: Волшебное зерно , Wolschebnoje serno ) is a Soviet feature film, directed by Valentin Kadotschnikow and Fyodor Filippov from the year 1942 .

action

The siblings Andrejka and Marijka live in a half-ruined hut with their aunt Olga. This is so poor that the only remaining piece of sugar is only there to look at, as it cannot buy new sugar. A single magpie sitting on the perforated roof is enough to bring the house to collapse. While the aunt chases the magpie, the children take the opportunity to eat the sweet piece. When Aunt Olga discovers this, she wants to punish the siblings, who therefore run out of the broken hut, which then collapses completely. In the open air they see a strong young man singing, explaining to them that everyone calls him the Master because he is a friend of all good people. Now Andrejka and Marijka can express their wishes, which consist of a large amount of sugar and a new house, the last one being the aunt's wish. Now the master takes out a beautiful box from his sack, in which there is a seed. When the little ones were disappointed, he explains to them that this is a magic grain and tells its story.

Originally there were two grains that resembled each other like one egg to the other, and in pairs they would have been able to feed people all over the world. But one day the grains disappeared and despite an intensive search they could not be found until the master discovered one of the two. He now wants to give this to his siblings so that they no longer have to suffer hardship if they take it underground and look after it carefully. When asked, the master explains that the second grain fell into the hands of Karamor, who is the most evil and disgusting being in the world who does not want anything good for people. The wicked keep the grain in a shrine and guard it like the apple of his eye, because he knows that if someone takes it away from him, he must die. But if he learns that the two children have one of the two grains, he will definitely try to take it away from them. The magpie overheard all this and now flies to Karamor to tell him all about it. Before the master leaves, Andrejka gets a little pipe from him, on which you can blow a melody if you are in great need and everything will turn out fine. In addition, the children are advised to visit the doctor who knows everything, who lives on the highest peak on earth and who will help them.

While Andrejka and Marijka are on their way to the Doctor All-Knowing, Karamor awakens in his kingdom from a terrible dream that he tells his servant Schnupperich. According to this, human hands have stolen his seed, freed the prisoners and hit him, which is why Schnupperich is given the task of checking that everything is right in the Reich. A look Karamor in his magic mirror tells him that humans are in possession of a magic grain, which is why he immediately checks his shrine, but his magic grain is intact in it. At this moment the magpie appears at the window and tells him the story of the second grain and Karamor immediately decides to destroy it. To do this, he summons his army of long noses and instructs them to look for grain all over the world.

In the meantime the children have come to see Doctor All-Knowing, who does not want to talk to people from Earth. Only when he discovers the magic grain, which he takes to be a normal seed, is his curiosity aroused. The siblings explain to him that they need his help to bring the grain into the earth, but the doctor pretends to have no time for it, because he has to find the planet where there is no sorrow, no suffering and no need . However, when he hears that Karamor has had a hand in this story, he immediately agrees to help. Together they bring the grain into the earth, but are watched by the long noses. The plant grows and thrives, but while the children fetch water to water, the long noses eat the leaves of the plant. Andrejka and Marijka discover who caused the damage and kill some of them. Since Karamor is no longer satisfied with his army of long noses, he instructs Schnupperich to destroy the seedling.

Andrejka now sets out to kill Karamor while his sister continues to take care of the plant. Her brother calls the storm with his pipe to help him find Karamor. During the flight, the boy hears calls for help from the earth and he leaves the storm to save the caller. It is Schnupperich who is drowning in a pond and saves it. Then he tells him about the magic pipe that he needs to kill Karamor and shows him the way to the place where the grain was brought under the earth. Here Schnupperich tries in a variety of ways to destroy the meanwhile magnificently grown turnip. Before that, he finds another way to inform his ruler about the boy's plans after he has explained the way to him. Once there, Andrejka asks Karamor, whom he does not recognize, to help him, because he has come to kill the evil being. But he manages to tie up the boy with a few tricks and take the magic pipe away from him. But Karamor has made a little black-skinned boy his servant whom he torments at every opportunity. He has heard of the power of the pipe and can steal it from the sleeping Karamor. With that he goes to Andrejka and can free him from the chains by blowing his pipe. When they want to fetch the grain from the shrine, the monster is already there and swallows the grain. So that he can no longer cause damage, he is locked in the shrine by the two boys and after they are already on their way to Aunt Olga, the whole kingdom of Karamor collapses and kills him.

Doctor Omniscient sees in his binoculars that Andrejka is on his way home again. Schnupperich therefore makes another attempt to destroy the plant, but is discovered and captured by its protectors. The master, who has meanwhile returned, enchants him into a rat that is eaten by the aunt's cat. Then the beet is harvested and smashed and innumerable balls come to light, in which there are again grains. Master explains that each grain fulfills a wish when it hits the ground. And so Aunt Olga got her new house and the children got their sugar. The master now wants to go out into the world and help all people who need it with the remaining grains, whereby the siblings Andrejka and Marijka want to help him. The Doctor All-Knowing is now satisfied too, because he has found the planet on which there is no more sorrow, no suffering and no need.

Production and publication

The black and white film had its premiere on April 10, 1942 under the title Волшебное зерно ( Wolschebnoje serno ) in the Soviet Union.

The magic grain was mentioned for the first time on February 13, 1948 in the announcement of the Odeon cinema in Berlin-Pankow , Berliner Strasse 53/54 in Germany. The first broadcast on television took place on August 26, 1954 from the Berlin television center in Berlin-Adlershof .

criticism

The lexicon of international films writes that the film is an imaginative and child-friendly fairy tale film that was unfortunately dubbed carelessly.

Web links

Individual evidence

  1. ↑ Neue Zeit of February 13, 1948, p. 4
  2. ↑ Neues Deutschland from August 26, 1954, p. 6
  3. ↑ The magic grain. In: Lexicon of International Films . Film service , accessed December 2, 2018 .Template: LdiF / Maintenance / Access used