If there’s ONE defining feature that sets us humans apart from our more furry and scaly fellow planetary inhabitants, it would probably be our imagination, and specifically the almost god-like power to turn our thoughts and ideas into tangible reality. To not only imagine something like a big iron triangle standing over Paris, but to then go on and make it. Make it real. To create something out of nothing, is truly of the gods themselves.
And, of course, this doesn’t start and stop with a single human being. Because we’re also able to communicate those thoughts and ideas to other people (well, at least some of us are…) and work together, we can do just about anything. Our imagination, in itself, is, therefore, forever. As long as there will be human beings, there will be that grand overarching, unifying and ephemeral thing called fantasy. You may very well call it NeverEnding. And a Story, too. See what I did there?
Now, it is this very concept that is explored in this, quite possibly one of the awesomest of warm childhood memory movies ever made. For those of you poor sods who had to spend their cold, barren childhood without this great and gentle movie, allow me to recap its story for you:
While fleeing from bullies, young Bastian discovers a mysterious book in the bookstore where he’s taken refuge. He takes it with him and, hiding in his school’s attic, begins reading. He is introduced to the magical world of Fantasia, a realm slowly being consumed by a force called The Nothing. There, the Childlike Empress has fallen ill, and only a human child giving her a new name can save her. Bastian follows the story of Atreyu, a young warrior chosen to undertake the dangerous quest to save Fantasia. On his way, he encounters many truly weird and wonderful creatures and, after overcoming hardship and sorrow, eventually saves the world. Yay!
A crucial element of the story is that Bastian himself, as the reader, plays a key role in saving Fantasia. One of the most goosebump-inducing moments in the film comes when he realizes that he is not merely a passive bystander, observing someone else’s adventure, but that it is his very imagination that keeps Fantasia alive. Every thought, every belief, every flicker of wonder within him fuels the world he is reading about, turning him from observer into participant, reminding us that there is no real boundary between reader and story. We are the story.
Finally, a word, if I may, about the sheer craft behind this movie. Made in a time well before CGI, which means every setpiece, every creature, every piece of the fantastical world was created by hand, with imagination, skill, and relentless attention to detail. From Falkor’s flowing form to the Rock Biter’s massive presence, from the Swamps of Sadness to the Ivory Tower, everything feels tangible, lived-in, and utterly real. It’s the kind of movie that only comes from people who pour their heart and soul into their work—a true labor of love, and it shows in every frame.
The NeverEnding Story is a great and endearing movie that can be watched again and again. I know I did. And you should, too! Let go, I’d say—let it all go and fly with Falkor, the Luck Dragon. Keep dreaming, good people of planet Earth. It’s what makes us human.
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