40 years ago years, Michael ende’s book appeared, in which a lone Boy warrior Atreyu and the luck dragon Falkor, the main roles play. The fantastic story has even left in the pop culture tracks.
Michael has created a world in which reality and fantasy merge. In real life the bookworm Bastian Balthasar Bux home. He is overweight and is bullied by the other children. On the run in front of his classmates, he hides download in a book and steals a strange-looking novel with the promising title “The neverending story”. As he delves into the reading, he notices that he shows up in the story.
Fantasy worlds: The book in the book
Google celebrated the anniversary of the book in 2016, with this Doodle
The book that Bastian is reading is from the Land of Fantastica, which is ruled by the so-called “childlike Empress”. An evil force that threatens the Nothing, your universe. The Empress calls on the young warrior Atreyu to to you and Fantastica to save it.
During his adventure He meets creatures from other worlds, such as the rock biter, the evil werewolf Gmork and the luck dragon Falkor, the Atréjus and, later, Bastian’s companions.
In order to save Fantastica, must be a human child, the childlike Empress a new name. And so Bastian himself is called in the fantastic world.
Michael ende used different colors to distinguish the two levels of Narrative: He alternated between red (reality), and green (Fantastica). Also, the illustrations in the book are decorated in Red and Green, and link the worlds together. And sometimes the narrative merge layers: Then Atreyu Bastian hears a scream or see his shape in the mirror.
One of the book’s cover
“The neverending story” was released on 1. September 1979, exactly 40 years ago, and quickly became a customer in Europe. Michael had taken with his novel in the spirit of the time, because its utopian and eco-friendly messages arrived at the West German nuclear opponents and peace activists, well. The book was therefore considered to be more than just a children’s book, and gave it to various analytical interpretations of the act.
Until his death in 1995, Michael has spoken, however never to the meaning of the story. The famous children’s book author who also wrote books such as “Momo” or “Jim button and Luke the engine driver”, saying only that “every good Interpretation of the action is right”.
The first edition had just comprises up to 20,000 copies, but “The Neverending story” remained for many years at the top of the bestseller lists. The award-winning book has been translated into over 40 languages and worldwide a million times sold. The English Translation by Ralph Manheim was published in 1983, in the United States, the Film came a year later in the cinema.
Michael ende (1929-1995), one of the most famous authors of children’s books in Germany
The Cult Film
The German Director Wolfgang Petersen, who made in 1981, with his war film “das Boot”, a name that was looking for new Material for his next project. “When I came across ‘The neverending story’, I had the feeling: Oh my God, after three years of work on ‘The boat’ it would be wonderful, completely immersing yourself in another world and to do something that deals more with the Dreams and Wishes of children,” he told the creators of the website “Nerdist”.
Wrote the beginning of Michael at the end of the script, together with Petersen. Since the two, however, had different ideas, distanced himself significantly from the Version of the Director. The script differed significantly from his book, the end was unsatisfied with the drastic Changes to his story. The Film was a “gigantic melodrama of Kitsch, Commerce, plush and plastic,” he complained. Michael was so unhappy with the implementation, he sued the movie Studio even, unsuccessfully.
The German production was Petersen’s first Film with English original sound. Later, he led, directed Hollywood blockbusters such as “Troy” (2004) and “Poseidon” (2006). As “The neverending story” in 1984 came out in theaters, it was the by then most expensive Film ever produced in Germany – the sensational box office results, betting made the costly investment but loose.
Except for a few scenes in Canada (including in Vancouver), and Spain, the Film was shot in the Bavaria film studios in Munich. Until today you can visit the “Bavaria movie city” and Fans can ride on the luck dragon Falkor.
Fans for jobs in the Bavaria film city is the iconic movie scene of Bastian and Falkor
Due to the great success of the first movie, two sequels were filmed. The plot of “The neverending story II – In search of Fantasia” begins immediately after the first Film and is loosely based on the second half of the book. The third part of “The neverending story 3: escape from Fantasia” has nothing to do with the book’s content and followed a completely original Plot.
An iconic Song
The famous title song for Petersen’s Film was written by the Italian Giorgio Moroder, the “God father of Disco music”, brought his Hits such as million people Dancing. The Lyrics come from Keith Forsey, sung the Song of the British Christopher “Limahl” Hamill and the American Beth Anderson was.
With its dream-like synths, the song fit perfectly to the fantastic world of film. For many Fans the Single for a long time was the only way to call the Film to mind – until he came out at last on video cassette. The Song has been covered countless times. The most recent Version in the Netflix series “Stranger Things” helped him to new popularity.
“Rhino Records”, the record company of the Original Songs, loaded the Video in July, after the season finale of the series again on “YouTube” high. Now it’s been clicked 2.5 million Times. The previously available Version of the song has been listened to 44.5 million Times.
Suitable to the title of the film, the Original Song has not a hard Intro or the end, but will slowly fade in and out, as the song was “infinite”. As Michael ende’s magical history, which still lives in the thoughts of all who read the book, the movie watched, or music listened to.