The moon mold
| Movie | |
|---|---|
| German title | The moon mold |
| Original title | The moon stallion |
| Country of production | Great Britain |
| original language | English |
| Publishing year | 1978 |
| length | 141 minutes |
| Age rating | FSK 6 |
| Rod | |
| Director | Dorothea Brooking |
| script | Brian Hayles |
| production |
Anne Home Sibylle Storkebaum |
| music | Howard Blake |
| camera | Ian Hilton |
| cut | Bill Wright |
| occupation | |
| |
Der Mondschimmel (Original title: The Moon Stallion ) is a British television miniseries directed by Dorothea Brooking from 1978 with James Greene , Sarah Sutton , Caroline Goodall and David Haig in the lead roles, which ran from November 15, 1978 to December 20 was broadcast in 6 episodes of 25 minutes each on BBC1 in England .
In 1980 the six-part adventure series was reworked by the BBC together with the Südfunk Stuttgart into a three-part television film and broadcast in Germany on December 25, 1980 on ARD under the title Der Mondschimmel . A repeat ran from December 25, 1987 to December 31, 1987 on ARD. In 2009 the film was also released on DVD.
action
Part 1
England at the beginning of the 20th century. The English archaeologist Professor Purwell travels on behalf of Sir George Mortenhurze with his two children, the blind daughter Diana and the younger son Paul on the train to Uffington to look for evidence of Mortenhurzes thesis that King Arthur is not just a legend , but in Truth was a real general who fought against the Saxons with a mighty, mounted army .
When the clumsy steam locomotive arrives at the station, Professor Purwell, Diana and Paul are finally met by the stable master Todman, who is supposed to take them to the Mortenhurze estate by carriage. On the way there, the sensitive and spiritually inclined blind girl suddenly feels the presence of something strange and lets the carriage stop. - And sure enough, Todman sees the shape of a white horse some distance away. A magnificent white horse that instantly casts its spell over the four travelers. But as quickly as the animal appeared, as suddenly and in no time at all it disappears behind the hills again. Todman, who in truth is more than just a stable master, registers the girl's observation with suspicion and urges him to hurry.
When they arrive at the stately Mortenhurze estate called Coleshill Hall, they are finally welcomed by Mrs. Brooks, the housekeeper, housekeeper and good soul of the estate. Todman immediately informs Mortenhurze of the encounter with the white horse. He would like to hunt right away, but Todman reminds him to be patient, as he believes the right time for the hunt for the horse will only be in three days for the coming full moon . Mortenhurze complies. In the meantime, Estelle brings Diana to her room, who, after a brief empathy, familiarizes herself with the local conditions. The two girls quickly become likeable and become friends. Diana tells Estelle about her encounter with the horse. It turns out that it could be the legendary "moon mold", around which an eerie legend is entwined.
Meanwhile, Professor Purwell and his host Sir George Mortenhurze are passionately discussing how to work and how to better proceed. The difference between the two characters quickly becomes apparent. On the one hand the thoughtful and far-sighted scientist and archaeologist and on the other hand the hot spur and horse breeder Mortenhurze, for whom animals and their significance in the present and history are above everything. The two men have only one thing in common, their passionate search for the truth and the discovery of real facts.
In the garden, the slightly older Estelle then tells Diana and Paul the story of the moon mold and explains the two of them about the tragic death of their mother when Estelle was still a child. Diana explains this with an old prophecy : "Whoever sees the moon mold in the moonlight will not experience the next solstice "! Estelle is upset.
In the study, however, Mortenhurze gets excited about the professor like a man possessed , convinced of his own bold thesis, which has become an obsession for him: "King Arthur, the general on horseback, leader of the resistance against the Saxons". He tries to convince the archaeologist of the need to look for solid evidence, evidence of a real battle. The legendary Battle of Mount Baden , the historic site of which was never discovered. The professor gives in at this point, he wants to go in search of Mount Baden.
Meanwhile, Estelle leads her guests to the stables where Todman Diana and Paul are supposed to show off an award-winning breeding horse named Duchess. After an initial refusal, Todman finally obeys and brings Duchess out of the stable. However, not without ulterior motives, he whispers a few words in the animal's ear, barely noticeable, and the horse suddenly signs them like Satan in person. Only the fact that Diana is blind and at the same time frozen in shock protects her from the fatally kicking hooves of the angry horse. After Todman has brought the horse to rest in the same way by whispering after a few moments of what felt like eternity, the spook is over again. The animal becomes pious - Diana remains unharmed. Todman is a horse whisperer , a "sorcerer" of four-legged friends.
To recover from the horror, Diana is brought to her room. There she is embraced by Mrs. Brooks, Estelle, Paul, and the professor with sympathy, concern and loving care. Diana is reassured by her father with a rare coin that is supposed to depict Dragon Hill , where, according to legend, Saint George slayed the dragon , whose blood then seeped into the hills of White Horse Hill , the location of which later became the scene of bloody battles and pagan, Celtic fighting games and rituals. In this context, the archaeologist informed his daughter about the Celtic name of Epona , which is Diana in Roman . Following a sudden inspiration, Diana names the golden branch and confuses those present even more with her statement. It is decided to pay a visit to White Horse Hill, the legendary stone horse.
The next morning, Sir George Mortenhurze, Estelle and Paul ride out early to look for the white horse. At the height of the stone horse , the mysterious animal appears all of a sudden. But all attempts to get hold of the white horse fail. Again the moon mold disappears between the tangle of hills like a ghost. Defeated, the group rides back.
At the lunch table, the conversation revolves exclusively around the fabulous moon mold and its eerie appearance and its just as quick and inexplicable disappearance. Diana reminds the board of the dangerous old prophecy of the moon mold and points out the consequences! Mortenhurze is angry because he feels that his daughter has indiscreetly informed the guests about the death of his wife. He doesn't believe in this ancient prophecy . All he sees in the daring white horse is a wild horse that needs to be captured. The fire of vengeance burns deep inside Sir George Mortenhurze. He never got over the loss of his wife and her death left a traumatic scar. He wants to hold the moonshine accountable for his wife's riding accident, no matter what the cost. The mood at the table is depressed.
After dinner, Mortenhurze confronts Todman in the stable. Todman, who sees himself as a magical priest, suspects the chosen one among the children who has power. He imagines a dangerous rival. Is it paul - is it Diana? He implores Mortenhurze to occupy the professor and Diana, thereby distracting them so that he can calmly take care of Paul and determine whether the boy is his arch rival for power.
The next day the carriage is ready to take Professor Purwell, Estelle and Diana to the Stone Horse. The professor is in a good mood and inquires about other sights in the area and Sir George Mortenhurze refers to the nearby cultural and historical monument of Wieland the blacksmith , a pagan place of worship that is also a historical tomb surrounded by trees. The professor is delighted, he is a lover of old graves and after a brief consultation with Diana they agree to pay a visit to this special place of worship before White Horse Hill. Mortenhurze breathes a sigh of relief, believing the small group to be a safe distance from the white horse.
Meanwhile, stable master Todman and Paul have ridden off towards the stone horse. It comes as it has to come - you meet the moon mold again, which appears out of nowhere. The two try to follow his trail but without luck. Excited, Todman and Paul, looking for the fleeting white horse, pass Wieland's forge, where the professor, Estelle and Diana have meanwhile stopped and inspected the stones and the grave. Estelle, gripped by the hunting fever of the two, immediately decides to take part in the search for the white horse. Diana still protests not to catch the white horse. But in vain, she feels connected to the animal in a strangely familiar way.
The professor and Diana are left alone at Wieland's forge . Professor Purwell, succumbing to his secret passion for the occult, re-enters the prehistoric tomb while Diana waits outside. Suddenly the white horse stands next to her. The blind girl feels safe in the presence of the horse and is even allowed to touch and stroke it. There is an invisible connection between animals and humans, a strange familiarity. In the presence of the moonlight, Diana suddenly has a vision . A lofty figure on a white horse appears in their mind's eye. It is the legendary Black Knight who sits on the moon mold and points south with his outstretched hand. Shaken by the force and violence of the vision, Diana collapses.
The professor who comes out of the grave sees his daughter lying lifeless on the ground and, frightened, rushes to his daughter and then quickly after the seeker and calls her back. Back at Wieland's forge, Diana has already woken up from her brief faint and is leaning slightly weak and pale but composed against a stone pillar. Relieved but fed up with the excitement for a day, the group decides to head home, not without receiving the triumphant reprimand from Diana that Todman did not catch the white horse!
Back at the Coleshill Hall estate, in Diana's room, one then tries to interpret and fathom her vision. But the description of the Black Knight as King Arthur with the golden crown sounds too fantastic for Estelle, Paul and the professor. Everyone except Diana remains skeptical.
Part 2
The next morning the stable master, not entirely free of pride, tells Estelle and the young Paul about the power of blacksmithing . In the presence of the blacksmith from Coleshill Hall, Todman lectures on the high reputation of this profession in pagan and also in Christian times. And it also reminds of Wieland the blacksmith, who was even worshiped as a demigod in the past . Like a magical priest , he also talks about the power of the horseshoe, the horseshoe as a good luck charm , because the iron contains magic power, because it is the metal of the gods, which once fell from heaven to earth through meteors and asteroids, forged and in his power only tamed by the psychological will and physical strength of a blacksmith.
Following Todman's lecture, Estelle explains to Paul about the legendary Stone Horse, because this should also promise luck, especially if you stand in the middle of his eye. They decide to try Diana the next day and visit the legendary hill.
Meanwhile, in the study, Sir George Mortenhurze heavily accuses Professor Purwell of having already lost a valuable day at work because of the excitement about Diana's well-being. The archaeologist counters with the argument that it was Mortenhurzes idea to go to Wieland's forge. Sir Mortenhurze sees Diana as a disruptive factor and as ballast and expects that the blind girl will no longer be involved in any trips in the future. As the girl's father, the professor firmly rejects Mortenhurze's objection. He has firmly promised his daughter to visit the Stone Horse and he intends to keep his promise. Mortenhurze warns. The moon mold is none of his business. The professor reassures him that he is only interested in the stone horse. The conversation ends in a stalemate .
In Diana's room, Mrs. Brooks helps the blind girl to dress, while she tells of the death of Estelle's mother and the planned revenge of Sir George Mortenhurze on the wild horse. But Diana is no longer afraid, she now sees the white horse as a messenger of a higher power that is not hostile to her.
Estelle, Paul, Diana and the professor go out to the stone horse the next day. Estelle and Paul place Diana in the eye of the Uffington landmark . Diana should turn three times around her own axis in the eye of the stylized horse so that the magic of luck can work according to old tradition . Diana spins on herself, but after the third turn she loses her balance and falls to the ground. Terrified of the unknown, she calls for help. The father who is standing nearby rushes over and helps his daughter up. At this point there is no danger, but only a few meters further the hill drops dangerously steep in the direction of Dragon Hill where human sacrifices used to be made. Not a friendly place! Diana desperately wants to leave the eerie scene.
Meanwhile, in the stables at Coleshill Hall, Mortenhurze and his stable master have a serious verbal argument. Mortenhurze now sees the blind girl as a real threat to his plans, while Todman dissuades and acts entirely as a magical priest. Because only he has the power as a magical priest.
Near the stone hill of Uffingten, Estelle and Diana discuss White Horse Hill and the moon mold. Estelle believes that her father only wants to catch the white horse in order to ride it later and present it at tournaments . She has no idea of her father's true intentions. Diana urgently warns Estelle of her plan to catch the white horse, to let go, because one must not wrest his secret from it by force. The group decides to return to the Coleshill Hall estate. Diana draws her father's attention to the fact that the Battle of Mount Baden did not take place on the Stone Horse.
The professor, who began to think more and more about his daughter's words, was able to convince Mortenhurze in a personal interview at the command post around Liddington Castle to look for evidence of the battle of Mount Baden. He wants to go again in the afternoon in the vicinity of the county of Wiltshire without the children in search of the ominous battlefield .
Estelle, Paul and Diana meet in the garden and almost stumble over a toad skeleton lying on the ground. When Todman shows up, the three of them hide and watch the stable master as he picks up the skeleton , throws all the bones into the nearby water of a stream and only fishes the spine of the skeleton out of the water. Diana explains to the others that the spine is a magical bone for a very special spell. It serves as a protective amulet and it gives the power to rule horses. Todman believes that he can banish the power of the moon mold.
Meanwhile, Professor Purwell sets off towards Liddington Castle , Diana, who still has important things to tell her father, but comes too late with her message.
In the evening Paul surprises the stable master as he prepares for the magical ritual , this time Todman abruptly rejects the boy, he cannot use any witnesses in his dark plans. Diana, meanwhile, worries because her father has still not returned from his exploration, and he is looking for her conviction in the wrong place, as the Black Knight in her vision pointed south and Liddington Castle is west of Wieland's forge. Diana informs Paul and Estelle that that night is full moon and that the Celtic festival of Beltane will take place at the same time . Mrs. Brooks asks the three of them to go to bed because the hour is late.
Meanwhile, in the face of the approaching full moon, Mortenhurze is becoming increasingly irritated. Todman puts his iron amulets unmoved and explains their magical meaning to the horse breeder. The stable master can appease Sir George Mortenhurze, even that Professor Purwell is no longer a danger to him due to his absence.
The full moon is now full and round in the night sky and Diana is woken up in her room by the incident light from the moon. As if in a trance , the blind girl leaves her bed and sneaks out of the room downstairs.
In the meantime, Mortenhurze refuses his daughter Estelle permission to accompany him on his ride. He doesn't want his own flesh and blood with him in his upcoming venture. Mortenhurze is getting ready to venture into the unknown. His daughter remains troubled and in a feeling of helpless and oppressive despair.
Down in front of the house in the garden the moon gray is already waiting for the blind girl and Diana mounts the horse with the help of an old tree stump. The animal rides with her into the night.
Todman gives Mortenhurze a final briefing in the stable about the upcoming fire from Beltane and the magical spells that are supposed to put the moon mold out of action. He - Todman - gets power and Mortenhurze can satisfy the thirst for revenge that has haunted him over the years since his wife's death. Mortenhurze rides out into the night, laughing confused and drunk with victory at Todman's words, in order to finally seize the moonlight after nine long years of waiting.
Diana enjoys the ride into the night. The moon mold leads you straight to Wieland's forge, where Beltane's magical fire is already burning. The light illuminates the tomb. A figure waits for the blind girl and reveals himself to her as the Green King. He lets the girl in on the deeper secrets of the moon horse and the black knight.
Meanwhile, Professor Purwell returns in the middle of the night with the answer to the mystery of the question about the location of the Battle of Mount Baden in his luggage. He decides to wait for Sir George Mortenhurzes to return.
The horse breeder, who has ridden out into the night on his black horse Rollo, can already see the magical fire of Beltane from a distance and approaches the fateful place.
Meanwhile, the Green King shows the girl in the tomb of Wieland's forge the dangers that mankind's senseless striving for power has been through since ancient times. He shows her the transience and folly of people and their glorious deeds in terrifying images for the future . Diana sees the Black Knight, the King of the past and future, in a new vision before her inner eye! A mistletoe , given by the Green King, is supposed to protect the girl. Your physical blindness proves to be an indispensable protection from the Higher Powers.
On the property in Coleshill Hall, the professor explains to his son Paul the place where, in his opinion, Mount Baden can only have taken place. His son points out that Diana's prophecy to look south of Wieland's forge was correct. The father decides to wake his daughter in spite of the midnight hour and tell her the good news, but full of concern they have to realize that Diana's room is empty.
In front of the forge, the moon gray is already waiting for his adversary Sir George Mortenhurze, who does not want to refrain from his dangerous and foolish undertaking despite Diana's last warning. He wants to speak the magic spells, but the moon mold prevents him. The amulet falls to the ground without any effect. Then he can already hear the approaching clatter of hooves of invisible horses galloping up. Beltane's wild chase has begun and Mortenhurze knows his fate is sealed. In panic, he rushes out into the night, screaming.
At the Coleshill Hall estate, the decision is now made to make preparations to look for Diana, who is now believed to be straying barefoot and defenseless outside, looking for the white horse. But in front of Wieland's blacksmith shop there is still Rollo, the black horse - his master's loyal companion.
Mortenhurze is running for his life. He constantly hears the drumming of thousands of hooves, but not a single horse wants to see his haunted eyes. Close to madness and completely exhausted, he reached the stone horse at dawn. He is now near the abyss where Diana was already frightened. But there is no more escape for him. The moon mold that suddenly appears behind him, plunges him into the depths of Dragon Hill.
Before the group can start looking for Diana, the blind girl appears calm and collected on Rollos back and she brings the waiting community the sad news of Sir George Mortenhurzes death!
part 3
Professor Purwell, Estelle, and Stable Master Todman find Mortenhurze's body at Dragon Hill. Mortenhurze fell victim to Beltane.
Back on the property, everything is prepared for the domestic funeral service. Estelle is now the mistress of Coleshill Hall and is now in charge. But she is happy about the professor's sympathy.
In her room, Diana explains to her father the circumstances surrounding Sir George Mortenhurze's death. She talks about her new vision at Wielands Schmiede and about the Black Knight who is waiting for his return. That now, in the barely dawn of the 20th century , machines will fly through the air and terrible wars will come, but that nature will survive - changed, but capable of regeneration. These human crimes will not harm the Black Knight. He rests deep and timeless in the mountains, he is the king of then and future. The stone horse is the symbol of the moon goddess and the white horse is her messenger. Mortenhurze became their necessary sacrifice.
Estelle, who still wants to believe that her father was killed in a riding accident, enters the room. Her displayed self-control fades when the professor leaves the room and she sheds bitter tears of grief for her father at Diana . When the tears slowly subside, she asks Diana to stay and the blind girl agrees. Diana warns Estelle not to take over her father's obsession with the moonshine.
As soon as Mrs. Brooks and Estelle have left Coleshill Hall in the carriage to take care of the funeral formalities in town, the stable master sees his hour come. At last he is alone with the blind girl. The self-proclaimed magical priest finally drops the mask of the good, honest man and takes possession of the girl. He takes back the toad amulet, which Mortenhurze could not protect, and at the same time also takes away the mistletoe from Diana when he realizes that it is the legendary golden twig , which provides protection as an ancient talisman . Diana tries to convince the megalomaniac Todman that she is not his rival, but only the voice of the moon goddess . In vain. The stable master is intoxicated with the possibilities of power. Todman believes he can rise to the rulership of the tides of fate and the wheel of being and rule over the mold of the moon. Knowing that the Beltane Festival will last until midnight , he kidnaps the girl from the house. With Diana in his power, he hopes to finally be able to conquer the white horse.
In the garden the professor and Paul suspect nothing of any of this. On the contrary, Professor Purwell regards Todman as a competent groom, but otherwise quite simple-minded. Paul contradicts and asks his father about Silbury Hill , the legendary man-made hill, where, according to legend, a golden knight is buried with his golden horse in the mountain, waiting for the day of his return. Paul makes sense that it can only be about the Arthurian legend. The professor agrees and now doubts even the version that Mortenhurze was killed in a simple riding accident. The idea that the old power of pagan ritual could still be valid at this time holds a certain fascination for archaeologists. Perhaps, he thinks, there is a magical power emanating from the ancient sites that his blind daughter felt from the first moment. The two decide to visit Diana.
Meanwhile, near Dragon Hill, Todman waits with Diana for the arrival of the moon mold, but his patience is put to a severe test. As a horse magic priest he soon believes that he will rule over wind and water , earth and fire . He sees himself talking to the animals. He wants to subjugate all living beings in this world. Todman intends to become the greatest magical priest of all time and presumes to be able to challenge Wieland the blacksmith as the Green King and guardian of the moon goddess to a duel. He wants to invoke the law of the holy grove and challenge the Green King to a duel with the help of the golden branch . Man to man only - no magic . He wants to take the place of the Green King and become the priest and consort of the moon goddess and be all-powerful. He sees the moon-mold as the last obstacle that still has to be overcome. Todman doesn't want to wait any longer - he wants to order the white horse to come to him.
Meanwhile, Professor Purwell and Paul notice the disappearance of Diana. They suspect that the girl might have gone with Estelle and Mrs. Brooks, but when they are back and Diana is not with them, it becomes clear that there must be serious reasons for Diana's absence. Paul and the professor now fear that the stable master has a hand in it.
Finally the white horse appears on Dragon Hill and Todman tries to command it with the toad amulet. Diana warns the self-proclaimed magician priest of the consequences, but Todman refuses to hear. He now feels very close to his goal. He swings on the white horse, which is also the horse of death. Todman is ready to risk it all now. He's playing a risky game of life and death. He drives the moon mold forward, leaving Diana alone on Dragon Hill.
In the meantime the professor, Paul and Estelle have set out to find Diana. You split up and you have a better chance of finding the blind girl.
Todman rides with the moon gray horse straight to Wieland's forge and there the stable master challenges the Green King, the guardian of the moon goddess, to a duel with the help of the golden branch according to an old custom . Man against man - without weapons and without magic. The Green King puts down the shield of knowledge, the hammer of justice and the helmet of wisdom. Now he asks the stable master to put down his toad amulet. Todman, in the intoxication of certain victory , complies with the demands of the Green King with an arrogant laugh and carelessly throws his magic amulet behind him, which is supposed to keep the white horse under its spell. The duel begins. A tough physical wrestling match breaks out, brutal and without mercy for the opponent , who remains without a winner for a long time, until Todman suddenly seizes the opportunity, falls to the rock and takes the gavel of justice for himself. That is not according to the rules because he did not defeat his opponent fairly in battle. The horse whisperer plays wrong and wants to kill the Green King with his own weapon. He forces the Green King to kneel before him. But in the feeling of certain triumph , he no longer expected the moon mold. This takes revenge, just as Todman strikes for the final blow, the white horse strikes the self-appointed magician priest with his hooves. Todman lies lifeless on earth. The imprint of the upturned horseshoe is emblazoned on the back of the fatally injured person. The loser's bad luck symbol.
This is how Paul and Estelle find him. But no trace of Diana. On the way they meet the white horse again, but Estelle has lost all interest in pursuing the animal. However, the moon mold remains in place, signaling the two of them to follow them. Estelle and Paul understand. The white horse will lead them to Diana.
Estelle, Paul and the professor now all meet and continue the search together. After some searching you find Diana all alone but sitting well in the eye of the stone horse. The white horse had guided and protected the blind girl.
The reunion is warm. Diana finally says goodbye to the moonshine who had stayed nearby. The girl's words are enough of an incentive for the animal and the white horse gallops to freedom. As the white horse rushes through the hills, he carries the returned Black Knight - King Arthur - on his back.
synchronization
The German synchronization was created by Bavaria Atelier GmbH in Munich. The dialogues come from Sabine Seifert, the dialogues are directed by Frank Strecker .
| role | actor | Dubbing voice |
|---|---|---|
| Professor Purwell | James Greene | Hans Paetsch |
| Diana Purwell | Sarah Sutton | Susanna Bonaséwicz |
| Estelle Mortenhurze | Caroline Goodall | Conny Franz |
| Equerry Todman | David Haig | Christian Brückner |
| Paul Purwell | David Pullan | Matthias Stegmann |
| Sir George Mortenhurze | John Abineri | Holger Hagen |
| Mrs. Brooks | Joy Harington | Käthe Jaenicke |
| The Green King | Michael Kilgarriff | Herbert Weicker |
Production notes
The buildings are by Roger Cann. Viv Gunzi was responsible as a makeup artist. Judy Pepperdine provided the costumes. The sound is from Doug Mawson. The horses were trained by Vera McLeod and Richard Viner, who also took on the role of the Black Knight. The film was set in Uffington , Oxfordshire , England .
Soundtrack
- A CD with the music of the composer Howard Blake has been released as a soundtrack album with 9 selected pieces on the Highbridge Musik label.
publication
The film was released on January 30, 2009 as a bilingual DVD German / English ( region code 2). It had its television premiere in Germany on December 25, 1980 on ARD .
DVD
- Format: Dolby, PAL
- Language: German (Mono 2.0), English (Mono 2.0)
- Region: Region 2
- Aspect ratio: 4: 3 - 1.33: 1
- Number of discs: 1
- FSK: Approved for ages 6 and up
- Studio: Polyband - DVD
- Release Date: January 30, 2009
- Production year: 1978
- First performance: November 15, 1978 - December 20, 1978 in (England)
- First performance: December 25, 1980 (ARD) (Germany)
- Playing time: 141 minutes
Web links
- The Moon Stallion in the Internet Movie Database (English)
- The moon mold in eofftv
- The moon mold in campus web