Two different brothers. King Ansgar is terminally ill, which is why he thinks about the transfer of power. His Majesty's heirs include two sons, the arrogant Falk and the good Lennard. Although not everything is hopeless: according to the existing belief somewhere in the sleepy kingdom there is living water that can cure anyone. Only here to get it, you need to go through a gloomy forest, full of magical traps and trials of your own character. On a campaign for the healing elixir, the ambitious Falk goes, who wants to get the crown from his father rather than save him. Time passes, but the eldest prince never returns. After the disappearance of his brother, the dearest Lennard goes in search of water. Who knows, maybe he'll be more lucky?
The film differs from the fairy tale of the same name quite strongly, so the adaptation of Alexander Vidl is rather filmed based on the work of the Grimm brothers. The king had not two but three sons. In the black enchanted forest lived not a black witch of white magic, but also a powerful dwarf. There were no trials in the sleepy kingdom at all, but the machinations of his brother are the most truthful. And where are the three kingdoms which had to be saved from starvation and destruction? So, after reading the work, you can safely take up watching the film, without fear of repetition. In this regard, David Unguriet significantly refined and deepened the plot.
The heroine Marlin Tanczyk came out as a very colorful character. Such a model of female loyalty, courage and independence. She does not wait for the prince on a white horse to come to her, but she goes on the same horse in search of a narrowed one. A number of moments allow you to clearly reveal the image of Princess Frederica. Prince Lennard seemed at first thoughtful but foolish. Very trusting, he easily falls into the trap of his own brother. But this same boundless faith in people helps Lennard first find a common language with the sorceress Salva ("bird of paradise"), free the Sleepy Kingdom, and then heal his father. There is no need to talk about marriage.
Separately, it is worth dwelling on the trials that the prince must pass together with the local Princess Frederica. In fact, they are not fabulous at all and do not fit with the plot itself. Judge for yourself: move the match so as to solve the problem; make the walls of the secret room disperse back. Apparently, the imagination of the filmmakers was very scanty. It is not surprising that such tests did not come up with the storytellers themselves. Only the temptation of soulmates seemed organically connected with the storyline.
Director Alexander Vidl, who had previously produced exclusively long series, did not work with the plot of fairy tales. As with the full-length films. The more surprising is the success of the picture, which turned out to be quite bright and convincing. What is only one Prince Falk - the genius of deceit and pretended intrigue, or his complete opposite - Princess Frederick. For 21-year-old Gustav Schmidt, Prince Lennard became the first major role on television (and so far the only one), with which, by the way, he coped wonderfully.
Filming took place between 8 and 26 June 2017 in numerous castles and surroundings of Cologne and Düsseldorf. In particular, the final scenes of the film were filmed in the medieval castle of the XII century Hulkrat. The premises of Erehoven Castle served as the backdrop for the interior filming of the Sleeping Kingdom, in which Prince Lennard meets Princess Frederick and frees her from an evil curse. Erehoven Castle, I must say, is a popular place for cinema and television - almost every year there are filming fairy tale films based on the works of the Brothers Grimm, action films, thrillers and even soap operas. In addition, the creators of "Living Water" made shootings in the castle of Gimnich and in the Mining Museum of Mehernich.
7 out of 10