The series A posteriori le cinéma is intended to be an opportunity to celebrate the 7the art by revisiting flagship titles that celebrate important anniversaries.
Young Bastian has a vague soul. And for good reason: his mother died, his father doesn’t understand him, and a group of bullies enjoy intimidating him every morning on the way to school. It is, in fact, while trying to escape them that Bastian sneaks one day into a bookstore where his eye is drawn to a grimoire adorned with a strange seal. Ignoring the owner’s warning, Bastian “borrows” the book, locks himself in the school attic and begins reading which will plunge him – literally – into a fantasy world aptly named… Fantasia. Released 40 years ago, in April 1984, The NeverEnding Story (The never-ending story) enchanted and traumatized a delighted audience.
Which audience made it a cult film, as evidenced, among others, by an episode of the hyperpopular series Stranger Things paying homage to him.
As soon as he begins reading, Bastian (Barret Oliver) notices that Fantasia and its young empress (Tami Stronach) are threatened with destruction by the Void. Atreyu, a fearless warrior despite his young age (Noah Hathaway), is entrusted with the task of finding a cure for the evil that is consuming the kingdom and its sovereign. The latter gives him the Auryn, a powerful talisman – the same one worn in the book Bastian is reading.
Bastian who doesn’t know it yet, but who will have a crucial role to play in the adventure…
In an article from Entertainment Weeklydirector Wolfgang Petersen explains in 2019:
“The young actors were the most important part of the whole project: it was all about them, and them saving the world. »
The film is adapted from the first part of the novel by German author Michael Ende who, after acting as advisor to the script, rejected the final version and sued the producers before being dismissed in court. In the author’s defense, the film is a simplification of his novel.
As is, it is nonetheless a wonderful film.
Elaborate logistics
In this regard, creating the unusual and abundant universe of Fantasia required a hefty budget, so much so that the production decided to shoot the film in English, immediately intending it for the international market.
Building on the success of its technically very complex Das Boot (The boat), a thriller set in a submarine, Wolfgang Petersen was hired for his ability to manage a project with elaborate logistics. And the one at NeverEnding Story was unheard of in Germany.
A budding filmmaker since childhood, when he asked his parents, at the age of 12, to no longer buy him toys but instead to give him a Super 8 camera, Wolfgang Petersen was the ideal choice for this blockbuster implicitly ogling the lucrative North American market. In fact, it was by bingeing on Hollywood films in the 1950s as a kid that Petersen developed his passion for cinema.
“One film I really remember is the western High Noonwhich I saw when I was a child […] The hero is afraid, but he copes anyway. The courage this man demonstrates, while we ourselves can feel his intense fear, I just loved it,” the director shares in the book Director’s Cut: Picturing Hollywood in the 21st century.
In The NeverEnding Story, Bastian is also afraid, “but he copes anyway”. As for Atreyu, who crosses the plains of Fantasia on his faithful horse Artax, we can discern the influence of westerns in his quest.
A sad scene
On the subject of Artax: the tragic end of the beautiful animal in the swamps of melancholy brought (and continues to bring) tears to many young and old – hence the “trauma”.
In this regard, an urban legend has it that the horse really died during filming. This is obviously false. In this case, two horses, trained for months for this single scene, were called upon.
“In the film, we never see the horse’s head sink into the mud,” notes Petersen in Entertainment Weekly. It’s supposed to be a sad scene; it was a crucial part of the film. »
Another memorable passage is obviously Bastian’s final ride of Falkor, the lucky flying dragon, after the real world and the imaginary world had merged. Triumphant, the timid protagonist achieves sweet revenge against his tormentors in the denouement, cathartic for anyone who has ever suffered bullying.
A huge, benevolent creature that helps Atreyu on his journey, Falkor was designed in animatronics, digital effects having not yet been invented. A team of fifteen people was responsible for putting it together.
To remember Noah Hathaway, the interpreter of Atreyu, in Entertainment Weekly :
“Riding Falkor wasn’t as glamour than one could imagine. They had made this 10-foot head and neck attached to the engine of a forklift, and I was probably 15 or 20 feet off the ground, with boxes and mattresses underneath in case I fell. Sometimes, [Falkor] overheated and went out of control […] It ended up being like riding a mechanical bull. So I just had to hang on, but it was so fun! »
The Spielberg touch
As indicated, the production did everything possible to ensure that the film achieved worldwide success. And this is where none other than… Steven Spielberg stepped in. Impressed by Das BootSpielberg had become friends with Petersen who, like him, had studied with a Super 8 camera.
The second projected The NeverEnding Story to the first by asking for its suggestions for cuts for the North American market, more hungry for action. To thank Spielberg for his advice, Petersen gave him the Auryn, the pendant worn by Atreyu.
In short, this is why there are two versions of the film: the original European cut of 102 minutes, and the North American cut of 94 minutes. Each has its own music.
Earworm Warning: In the short version, Limhal performs a theme song composed by Giorgio Moroder with lyrics by Keith Forsey. In the final episode of 3e season of Stranger Thingsthe young protagonists intone it triumphantly.
Ode to imagination
Speaking of young protagonists, those of NeverEnding Story pleased the critic Roger Ebert. At the exit, he writes:
“The idea of a story within the story is one of the interesting discoveries of NeverEnding Story. Another beautiful idea is that a child’s faith can change the course of destiny. Not since children in the audience were asked to save Tinker Bell in Peter Pan, has the outcome of a story not been so clearly left to the children’s will to believe. There are many things we must believe in The NeverEnding Story, and this is the other great strength of this film. »
His colleague Gene Siskel, on the other hand, hated the feature film, which received mixed reception. Nevertheless, from telecasts to video reissues, The NeverEnding Story cemented its cult status with a vast audience that remained young at heart.
Ultimately, the film, like the novel, turns out to be an ode to the imagination. So, when Bastian believes that all is lost, the Empress whispers to him: “Fantasia can be reborn, from your dreams and your wishes. And the more wishes you make, the more magnificent Fantasia will become. »
So, in this 40e anniversary of the film, close your eyes, and make a wish.
The film The NeverEnding Story is available on VOD on most platforms.