The main thing that I love about Neverending Story is how incredibly dark it could be. Animator Don Bluth famously said that you can show a child anything as long as it had a happy ending. I think that is true to some extent. The best fiction, in my opinion, is that which most accurately reflects life as we know it. Early on in our lives, we find out that life isnt all a colorful disney musical, it can be sad, scary, and even dangerous. The film conveys this so well. Many aspects of the film are beautiful, the art direction is just mindblowing, but there are some really dark and depressing moments. For example, when Atreyu the hero of the story journeys through The swamps of sadness its just this dark, dank expanse of greyness, its like an ocean of grey mud. The thing about the swamp of sadness, is that its kind of like quicksand; if you allow yourself to feel depressed, you will sink and eventually drown. Atreyu is leading his beloved horse Artax through the swamp when suddenly the horse stops and Atreyu comes to the horrible realization that his companion is beginning to succumb to the swamps spell. The most heartbreaking part of the film is undoubtedly the segment when Atreyu fruitlessly screams at his sinking horse not to give in. Fight against the Sadness, Artax!!! Please!!! You’re letting the Sadness of the Swamps get to you!!! You have to try!!!! You have to care!!!!! For me. You’re my friend. I love you. At this point, the horse is up to its face in dark grey mud, and the entire audience is in tears. Yep. This was intended for children. Atreyu then has to carry on alone, struggling through the swamp of depression and just when all seems lost........ FALKOORRRRR!!!!!! This is when the Luck Dragon shows up and rescues him. Falkor is my favorite part of this film. His character is the voice of humanitys ability to accept the darkness of the world and always turn towards the light. Cross between a dog and a lizard, hes hardly what one might picture as a dragon. His cuddly appearance and his wonderful deep voice is practically the embodiment of optimism. This movie ultimately succeeds in balancing extreme fantasy with the harder truths of real life. Watching it, you cant help but be swept along on the journey. The gorgeous special effects and puppetry coupled with the wonderfully subtle soundtrack is completely immersive. Despite being released in 1985, the special effects still hold up, and the story is still living and relevant in all of us. Kids can still learn from it, that you can do anything with enough imagination, and, according to Falkor, never give up and good luck will find you. Lets see, how to end this essay..hmm...of course!!! With a cheesy music video!! youtube/watch?v=7Vf2sDgeu7k
Posted on: Fri, 07 Nov 2014 02:39:27 +0000
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