spell / fascination
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to captivate
To exert a strong fascination or attraction on someone so that the person is completely captivated.
Die spannende Erzählung zog die Kinder sofort in ihren Bann.
The exciting story immediately captivated the children.
spell
A magic spell that places a person or place under a magical power; also an official condemnation and expulsion from a religious community (excommunication).
Im Märchen wird der Prinz durch einen Bann in einen Frosch verwandelt.
In the fairy tale, the prince is turned into a frog by a spell.
to break the spell
To end a negative streak, e.g. of defeats in sports, or a long-lasting, inhibiting situation.
Nach fünf Niederlagen in Folge konnte der Stürmer mit seinem Tor endlich den Bann brechen.
After five defeats in a row, the striker was finally able to break the spell with his goal.
The word 'Bann' (spell/fascination) is used almost only in fixed idioms today. As a standalone word, it is archaic and appears mainly in historical or fantasy contexts.
Die Magierin sprach einen mächtigen Bann über das ganze Dorf.
The sorceress cast a powerful spell over the whole village.
The expression 'jemanden/etwas in seinen Bann ziehen' (to captivate someone/something) describes a strong fascination. The structure is: something (nominative) captivates someone (accusative).
Der Film hat mich von der ersten Minute an in seinen Bann gezogen.
The film captivated me from the very first minute.
The idiom 'den Bann brechen' (to break the spell) means to end a negative, repeating situation. It is very often used in sports when a team wins again after a long time or a player scores a goal.
Mit diesem Sieg hat die Mannschaft endlich den Bann gebrochen.
With this victory, the team finally broke the spell.
The original meaning of 'Bann' (spell/ban) as magic or banishment is found today almost only in fairy tales, fantasy stories, or historical texts. Pay attention to contexts involving magic, the Middle Ages, or religion.
Der Papst belegte den König mit dem Bann.
The pope placed the king under an ecclesiastical ban.
suction / pull
Sog mainly describes the strong attraction itself, while Bann refers more to the state of a person who is completely captivated by it. Both words can be used for a fascinating film or book: Sog emphasizes the effect, while Bann emphasizes the captivated attention.
Die Zuschauer saßen während des spannenden Films völlig in seinem Bann.
The viewers were completely spellbound by the suspenseful film.
Der spannende Film entwickelte einen starken Sog, dem ich mich kaum entziehen konnte.
The suspenseful film exerted a strong pull that I could hardly resist.
