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Fresh off the World War II submarine thriller Das Boot, German director Wolfgang Petersen turns his attention to a family-oriented fantasy film based on Michael Ende’s book The Neverending Story. While this adaptation loosely covers only the first half of Ende’s book, it manages to capture hearts and imaginations in its own right. The story centers on a bullied grade schooler named Bastian (Barret Oliver). He finds solace by skipping class and hiding in the school attic to read from a fantasy book he ‘borrowed’ from a mysterious book store. Between the covers of that book, he follows the adventures of Atreyu (Noah Hathaway), a young teen summoned by a dying girl princess (Tami Stronach) to save their world, Fantasia, from obliteration by the Nothing — essentially a storm-like apocalypse that erases the land from existence. Along the way, Bastian comes to realize he is more than a passive reader in this experience. Atreyu and the princess ultimately need his help to save Fantasia, and in return, Fantasia helps him confront the school bullies.
The Neverending Story was the most expensive film ever produced in Germany, and it shows in the size and number of incredible sets in the film. There’s also Falkor, a large, cuddly animatronic ‘Luck Dragon’ that comes to Atreyu’s aid in times of need, as well as several other fabricated creatures and characters. Those characters often leave an indelible impression on the viewer, including a sad ‘Rock Biter’ giant, a refugee fleeing The Nothing who is the first to introduce us to the existential threat. There’s also Morla, an enormous turtle who resides in the Swamps of Sadness, where Atreyu’s beloved horse Artax commits suicide by letting the Sadness consume him, sinking into to the mud — a scene that traumatized many Generation X children.
Yeah, The Neverending Story is as dark as it is fantastic, which always seems to be key to a fantasy film’s endurance. The episodic nature of the screenplay almost causes it to lose focus, but it holds together by always focusing on the next most immediate aim of Atreyu’s quest. The film contains plenty of whimsy and spectacle for the youngest audience members, while also containing emotional resonance for the older viewers. The film’s message — if it has one — gets a bit convoluted by the end. But on at least a surface level, it’s an anti-bullying, pro-creativity escapist fantasy. First seeing it as a bullied ten-year-old, I just about stood up and cheered when Bastian rides Falkor the Luck Dragon into the real world to scare his bullies into submission.
The film was slightly modified for American audiences, a process overseen by Steven Spielberg (E.T.). But the changes are minor, overall. The most significant difference is the inclusion of a chart-topping title song performed by Limahl. The synthesized score by Klaus Doldinger (with additional music in the American version by Giorgio Moroder) dates the film as a distinctly ’80s production. The film’s practical and photographic effects (no digital shenanigans) are sometimes quaint or unconvincing by today’s standards. Whether or not this keeps the film from finding new fans in the cynical 21st century, I cannot say. But there’s absolutely no question that The Neverending Story remains a touchstone and an anthem for all us Gen X kids — even in our adulthood.
With Gerald McRaney, Moses Gunn, Deep Roy, Sydney Bromley, and Patricia Hayes (Willow).