Das blaue Licht (2010)

The soldier Jakob has received no wages from his king; the ruler gives his brave men only a worthless medal. As he wanders hungry through the forest, the smell of soup lures Jakob to a little house in the woods. The woman who lives there, a witch, lets him eat and drink and offers him a bed for the night if he helps her with a few things. She also tends to the wounds he got in his last campaign. She acts very kindly and hides her truly hideous witch’s face to deceive him. He has no idea that if he eats her soup for three days, he will have to stay with her forever. But he seems to sense something and wants to move on on the second day. Before he leaves, the witch asks Jakob for one last favor: she wants him to fetch a “Blue Light” from a dried-up well. Jakob agrees, but refuses to hand it over until he is standing firmly on both feet on solid ground again. Enraged, the witch—now showing her true, ugly face—shoves Jakob back down into the well. Feeling somewhat desperate, alone in the deep well, he uses the little lamp to light his pipe. Unexpectedly, the lamp’s servant appears and offers Jakob his services. First, Jakob has himself freed from the well, and in the process comes upon the witch’s treasure. Delighted, he asks his new servant for fresh clothes and food. Before he knows it, he finds himself at a lavishly laden table, and his servant immediately teaches him a few rules about how a gentleman should behave. Jakob is sure that, with his servant’s help, he can still get the wages he is owed from the king—and teach the king a lesson at the same time. He takes a room at the best inn near the castle and orders the lamp’s servant to bring him the king’s most valuable treasure. Sure enough, the servant appears that night with the king’s daughter, something Jakob really had not expected. Unsure what to do with the princess, he goes for a walk with her. After her initial surprise, Princess Augustine is quite taken with the idea. She can feel the grass beneath her feet, hear the frogs croaking, and enjoy the fresh air. She likes this carefree feeling and asks Jakob to have her brought to him again the following night. Meanwhile, the king wonders at his daughter’s good mood and spies on her. He discovers that Princess Augustine has been “mixing with the village rabble.” In turn, the princess also realizes that her father is not being honest with her: her impending marriage to the prince of the neighboring kingdom is meant only to increase his power. When the king finds his daughter with Jakob, he has Jakob thrown into the dungeon at once. Jakob is to be executed the very next day, and Augustine is to be married to the prince. Jakob asks the king to grant him one last wish. He wants to be allowed to light one last pipe. The king grants his request, and at the light’s appearance the servant arrives, frees Jakob as requested, and punishes everyone who wishes his master harm. In the end, Jakob drives the prince away and sends the king to the witch. Jakob has his servant send him and Augustine to Venice.