The answer to a Neverending Story
Written on the pages is the answer to a neverending story. The song that went with this movie artfully sets the entire theme for a beautiful childhood fantasy. The tale begins with an introverted preteen boy, who, due to the death of his mother, retreats into a fantasy world of his own making. Running from bullies, Bastian, hides in an old book store where he finds the book called, “The Neverending Story.” Intrigued by its promise of escapism, he steals it.
The Neverending Story is set in the fantasyland aptly named Fantasia. The land’s Empress is dying. As her lifeforce fades, so does the vast expanse of Fantasia. Known as the “Real”, every object and life-form is consumed by a dark and formless entity. This destructive force is known only as “The Nothing”. It leaves literally “Nothing” behind in the wake of its invasion. Needing a cure for her illness, a quest is proposed to a young boy warrior, Atreyu. He reluctantly agrees and sets off in search of a mystical oracle that can tell him how to save Fantasia. Like many quests, the hero encounters difficulties that he can’t surmount alone, and when all things looked hopeless, a Luck Dragon named Falkor comes to his rescue.
Falkor has the face of a puppy, and is very relatable to children. His appearance in the Neverending Story, lightens a dark theme. The fact that he is a dragon and can fly, increases the wonderment of Fantasia. But of course he is not the only lovable, fantastic character.
Be part of the Story
As Bastian reads the Neverending Story, he is completely drawn into the story. He realizes that the characters, know he is reading about them. This almost causes him to abandon reading the book. First because it is disturbing. But mostly because his father has been worried about his escapism. But it’s at this moment that a villain, a savage wolf, makes his appearance. He reveals himself as a servant of the “The Nothing”. His mission is to destroy hope, because in the real world people without dreams are easy to control. If “The Nothing” can eliminate mankind’s dreamland, then humanity can be dominated by evil forces. The Neverending Story is sort of like a “Choose your own adventure” book, popular when the movie was made. Only instead of choosing different adventures, the reader decides whether to participate in the story or let it be erased completely from existence.
As a children’s movie, the Neverending Story is obviously going to end on a high note. And as the title suggests, the tale continued in two sequels. However, the appeal to the Neverending Story isn’t the conclusion, it’s the adventure and the absolutely wonderful characters. This is a movie that stands the test of time. No one would know that it was released in 1984. This is a definite must see movie for the young and the young at heart.
