The Never Ending Story

The Never Ending Story

           Wolfgang Petersons 1984 epic fantasy film The NeverEnding Story is a delightful mixture of  romanticism and high fantasy that not only captures the audiences imagination but uses dream like imagery to enthrall viewers. The story centers a young boy named Bastian, he is a shy daydreamer who is sullen at the loss of his mother and his fathers tough love attitude does little to comfort the young protagonist. Bastian is bullied by other children and spends his days running away from school yard narcissists. What's peculiar about  Bastian is he just wants a distraction from the often harsh and disappointing realities of life. This escape comes in the form of a book, where a mysterious book owner hints that he will become infused in the story and witness fantastic beasts and see the struggle of both good and evil. Bastian's curious nature and his boredom compel him to take the book as he desires to be apart of a world where he is important. While reading he envisions the magical world of Fantasia where there are racing snails, giant bats and rock eating giants that patrol the land and a mysterious force called "The Nothing" erodes the landscape. The creatures and residents of Fantasia are goofy, interesting and just the type of characters that Bastian needs  to instill him with confidence and he feels as if his reading of the book is fate. Bastian is being engaged in a way that he cannot find at home or on the school yard. The film is full of lush imagery, both swamps and "The Nothing" are used as metaphors for the often depressing and disappointing nature that comes with the human condition; since children are often dismissed and ignored because of their daydream like nature. 

         Through his reading Bastian discovers that he has the power to save Fantasia and this empowers the young protagonist since he often feels like no one even notices him.  Researchers Hintz and Tribunella describe children in the sacred model of childhood as, " precious and aesthetic objects to admire" (22). Bastian is shy  and misunderstood but does not realize that  he serves a higher purpose and that his curiosity has led him to a world where he is not bullied or pushed to  the side but being depended on by the fantastic creatures that he thought never existed. Bastian fits the Sacred Model of Childhood because he is fragile and his lonely existence are what make him  powerful. He knows what it feels like to be placed on the backburner and he focuses all of his attention on the residents of Fantasia and in the end he can save them because he understands there struggle and the value of hope. Pulitzer-Prize winning film critic Roger Ebert commented on the frame style narrative and the power it could have on young viewers by stating, "It lets kid know that the story isn't just somehow happening, that storytelling is a never ending act of the imagination". Everyone experiences loneliness and The Neverending Story, is a delightful reminder that hopes and dreams empower people to look beyond their own pain.

To read Roger Ebert's original review of the film simply click, http://www.rogerebert.com/reviews/the-neverending-story-1984

This Youtube clip is from The NeverEnding Story, is the scene where two of Fantasia's residents, the Childlike Empress and Atreyu cry out for Bastians help. Bastian then learns that he has the power to save the world of Fantasia. He is a fragile character and in this scene he is being empowered by the Childlike Empress. https://youtu.be/wUttwzazq30, https://youtu.be/3bzYc7FASoM