THE NEVERENDING STORY

West Germany, 1984, 94 minutes, Colour.
Barret Oliver, Gerald Mc Raney, Moses Gunn, Patricia Hayes.
Directed by Wolfgang Petersen.

The Neverending Story is the attractive film version of the children's novel by Michael Ende. It was adapted for the screen and co-written by its director Wolfgang Petersen (The Boat, Enemy Mine). There is a musical score and song by Giorgio Moroder.

The film was produced in English but its special effects were all produced in Germany - rivalling American special effects. The world of Fantasia is created with high imagination, many of the characters are visualised with great creativity. And there is an enthusiasm about the characters and the fantasy which involves audiences, adults and children alike.

Barrett Oliver is good as Bastion and Noah Hathaway as the child-warrior Atreyu. The supporting cast includes Gerald Mc Raney is Bastion's father, Moses Gunn as Cairon and Sidney Bromley and Patricia Hayes as the little old people.

The film highlights the power of the imagination, the importance of reading. When there is no imagination, the world of fantasy (Fantasia) is corroded and destroyed by the Nothing. It needs the imagination of a child and a child reader to re-create Fantasia.

There was a 1990 sequel directed by Australia's George Miller (The Man from Snowy River).

1. Entertaining fantasy? Enjoyment for adults, for children? The delight of the plot, characters, creativity? The message about imagination and the Nothing?

2. The novel and the adaptation for the screen? The visual impact? The quality of visual imagination? Music and song?

3. The title, the reader being involved in the Neverending Story? The world of imagination to continue, the world renewed, always possible?

4. The music and atmosphere, the theme song?

5. Bastion, little boy in San Francisco, his school experience, daydreaming, his father and his demands on Bastion, giving him a little talk, urging him to have his feet on the ground, not wanting him to read books? The three boys pursuing Bastion, into the garbage? His hiding, going into the bookshop, discussing books with the bookseller, the reading list, taking The Neverending Story and leaving the note? The maths exam? The irony of the ending - and the boys who taunted him diving into the garbage?

6. The world of Fantasia - as seen by Bastion as he read the book in the attic, the atmosphere of the attic - darkness, thunder and lightning? His hearing the voices from the book? The mirror - and his mirror self? The experience of reading the book, the excitement, the return to Bastion reading, his eventual entering into the world of Fantasia, naming the empress with the name of his mother, riding Falkor? His achievement?

7. The Neverending Story: the Giant Rockbiter (the visuals and the comedy)? The Night Hob and the Teeny Weeny in the Howling Forest? The visuals of the world? The meeting and the fear of Fantasia being consumed by the Nothing? Their plan to go to the Ivory Tower, the plea to the empress?

8. The gathering at the court, Cairon and his speech, the sickness of the empress? The decision to search for the saviour? The warrior of the plains, Atreyu?

9. The character of Atreyu, the boy warrior? His manner, mission? Setting out, his horse Artax, the search for Mola, the deadly Swamps of Sadness, the horse despairing and sinking in the swamp? Mola and his agelessness, the comic style of Mola, his memory? His advice?

10. Atreyu's journey, 10,000 miles? His despair? Hunted by the beast, Igmork, the devil-figure? The chase, the bared fangs, the sinister voice? The rescue by Falkor and flying?

11. Going to Engywook and Urgl, the elves and their house, their telescope, their advice about passing through the gates to the Oracle? Atreyu and his courage, the gates, the sphinxes, the destruction of the knights who wanted to go to the empress? His strategy? The encounter with the empress, ailing? The search for the human? The desperate search at the boundaries of Fantasia? The Ivory Tower and the gradual collapse, the overcoming of the Nothing? Atreyu and his achievement in confronting Igmork and killing Igmork?

12. Bastion and his involvement in the climax, his calling out, realising that he was the human? That he had the power to save? Giving the empress his mother's name?

13. The revitalisation of Fantasia? The wishes granted to Bastion? His riding Falkor over the New York streets - and the boys diving into the garbage?

15. Entertaining in terms of plot, characters, fantasy, identification with Bastion and Atreyu, the quest, the quality of imagination?