Oh, the 80’s. . . a child’s mother dead, vicious bullies, a horse dying by way of depression in a boggy swamp, a killer wolf, a fantastical world coming to an end, heavy doses of existentialism – and that’s a children’s movie?! Of course, some of you might have guessed it by now, I’m talking about one of the most bizarre family films in the history of the silver screen, 1984’s The NeverEnding Story.
Co-written and directed by Wolfgang Petersen (in his first English language film – Air Force One, Troy and several others would follow), this German produced feature, based upon the 1979 novel of the same name written by Michael Ende, though successful in its original release, definitely falls within the cult classic moniker. With a 21st century lens, those who have not yet seen it will be shocked by just how dark and depressing it is for a so-called family film. . . but, like those original Grimm fairytales, just below its overtly bleak outlook, there are many more upbeat themes and life lessons to learn.
The story of Bastian (Barret Oliver), he is a ten year old who has had a rough start to his life. Losing his mother, and with a father who is wrapped up in his own forward thinking grieving process, the boy must also deal with a triumvirate of ruthless bullies. . . his only escape, the fictional world of literature.
Hiding one day from the aforementioned bullies, he finds himself in an antiquarian book shop run by a rather persnickety old owner (Thomas Hill). Spotting a most unusual book (as you might have guessed, it shares its title with that of the movie) that the shopkeeper only makes more appealing (a case of curiosity killed the cat), Bastian nabs the mysterious piece of reading, hiding in his school’s unusual attic to explore the novel.
The NeverEnding story of a place called Fantasia, an evil called the Nothing is wiping out its very existence. With its leader, The Childlike Empress (Tami Stronach), taken deadly ill by this darkness cursing the land, she has called for a warrior (who just happens to be a boy), Atreyu (Noah Hathaway), to look for a cure to this most accursed sickness.
Shot in an almost vignette style, Atreyu, by way of Bastian getting sucked into the engrossing story, begins the Promethean task. . . a journey that will be filled with death, sorrow, frustration, self doubt, loss, and danger. He will have to rise above challenges like the Swamps of Sadness, the confounding (and exceedingly cynical) split-personality of Morla the Ancient One (a gargantuan turtle), Sphinx-like gates with murdering laser eyes and head-scratching riddles, as well as a most vicious wolf, Gmork, brought forth by the Nothing to vanquish the only foe that can stop it from destroying everything.
Along the way, he meets a cast of helpful and friendly creatures that live in this colourful land, from a pair of long-married and bickering gnomes – one a scientist, the other a healer (Sydney Bromley and Patricia Hayes) and a mountainous formation known as a Rockbiter, to a lucky pink-hued dragon named Falkor (Alan Oppenheimer voices Falkor, Rockbiter, and Gmork), as well as several other unique individuals.
A very meta tale that finds Bastian’s own grief, misery, and trauma tied into the problems of the ailing world of Fantasia, it is through the power of reading and his lively imagination that he finds his own spirit, energy and potential. . . and ultimately, healing. By way of his love and passion for books, this unique form of escapism allows Bastian to find the courage that he has long been missing, the self-confidence to learn and grow as a person, the empathy to care for everyone and everything (be it a seemingly fictional land, or all of the people within it. . . bullies excluded), and a newfound energy to combat the hopelessness that once consumed him (i.e. the Swamps of Sadness). Plus, you can never argue with a luck dragon, and Falkor reminds us, “Never give up hope and good luck will find you”.
With impressive special effects (that still mostly hold up), a complex meta tale for kids, and a fairytale that harkens back to the good old days when people weren’t afraid to scare their kids with graphic fables that ended with a ‘moral of the story’ message, The NeverEnding Story is a true piece of 80’s eccentricity. And I haven’t even mentioned its electronic heavy score by jazz artist Klaus Doldinger, or the so-catchy-it-will-get-stuck-in-your-head-for-weeks theme song composed by Giorgio Moroder and sung by Limahl yet, with the theme song having regained popularity recently with its use in the series Stranger Things. So, help make sure that this story never ends, there’s nothing to it – oh, that may be the wrong word for it.