The adventure continues from Part 1 of this review, as Bastian reads the further exploits of Atreyo in The NeverEnding Story while Fantasia falls further apart at the seams and the 'nothing' quakes violently beneath Atreyo's feet.
At this moment, the Southern Oracle who has imparted the knowledge to Atreyo that he must find an earthling child begins to dis-integrate before his eyes, as she tells Atreyo that he must hurry on to the boundaries of Fantasia before everything is lost forever.
Falkor, the Good Luck dragon re-assures Atreyo the child warrior, that they will reach their destination so long as good luck is on their side. But as they fly over the Sea of Possibilities, an enormous storm prevents them from travelling any further and the Aureyn which Atreyo has been wearing around his neck which has guided them so far, suddenly falls into the ocean as they spiral down towards it.
Two Worlds Meet
At the same time, a storm is blowing where Bastian is reading The NeverEnding story, to bring the worlds of Fantasia and earth into a parallel universe in which characters from both places experience similarly bad weather each at the same time. This describes in graphic detail how two worlds collide in order to bring the protagonist closer to an alternate state of reality.
The 'Nothing' is Revealed
Now the beast of prey that has been following Atreyo throughout his journey finally reveals the secret behind the nothing which is destroying the world of Fantasia, as he manages to locate the whereabouts of Atreyo.
Gmork tells Atreyo, that he has not fully understood the meaning of Fantasia, since Fantasia has no boundaries and therefore it is not possible for Atreyo to reach them. He further explains, that Fantasia is the world of human fantasy and that every part of its creation is based on the dreams of different people which make everything in Fantasia exist. The nothing, is therefore the result of humans who have forgotten how to dream and the absence of their imagination is the reason for the void which has taken its place.
Gmork informs Atreyo that he has also been working on behalf of the 'nothing' because'people with no hope are easy to control and whoever has the control has the power'. This leaves Atreyo no choice but to kill Gmork and to fly with Falkor to the Ivory Tower so that he can tell the Empress all he has learnt.
Boundaries Surpassed
As Atreyo and Falkor fly across the sea towards the Ivory Tower which they hope is still standing, they see the entire world of fantasia utterly destroyed. All that now remains are the tiny grains from a once bountiful and expansive dominion, to which Bastian is gravely disappointed to learn.
So, to Atreyo and Falkor's relief they see that the Ivory Tower is still intact and floating high on a tiny piece of land which appears suspended in mid-air. Atreyo and Falkor dismount to enter inside and find the Empress in great distress, while Bastian is surprised to find that the Empress is actually a little girl.
However, Atreyo is frustrated to discover that there is still no sign of the earthling child. But the Empress explains to Atreyo, that in each adventure he has experienced, the earthling has travelled alongside him using his imagination so that he has been with Atreyo the whole time.
The Empress also tells Atreyo that the human child is already with them but he is yet to take the final step into Fantasia because the child does not truly believe that he is the one they are speaking of. This is the final confirmation needed for Bastian to truly understand that he really is a vital part of The NeverEnding Story and it is up to him to restore Fantasia because nobody else can do it but him.
Dreams Realised
As Bastian eventually comes to his senses, he realises just how much he wants to help the Empress and Atreyo to save the world of Fantasia. So, in high drama and against a backdrop of whaling winds and unknown outcomes, Bastian, sums up enough courage to open a window in the room of an attic where he has been reading the story and at the top of his voice shouts : 'OK!, I will do it. I will do what I dreamed!' and then shouts the name he has chosen to give to the Empress which will bring fantasia back to life again.
Now the very last stage in the crossing of boundaries is realised, with Bastian physically stepping into the world of fantasia as he wishes the world back to life again. As he does this, he is brought face to face with the Empress who explains that although only a small grain of sand remains of Fantasia, Bastian can bring everything back to life again with as many wishes as he chooses to make. The Empress also adds that the more things Bastian asks for 'the more magnificent Fantasia will become'.
Conclusion
The story discusses the possibilities of dreams coming true when all hope is forgotten, and even when the dream being chased vanishes before the dreamer's eyes. This is convincingly played out in the possibility of a character living in two separate places and in each dimension of existence possessing the ability to challenge the boundaries of each universe to bring the dreams of fantasy into reality.
Therefore, through the child protagonist we are asked to question the finite assumptions of time and space to reach beyond assumed beliefs, in order to escape beyond the mundane to reach the untouchable. In this way the film works to remind adults and children alike about the possibilities of dreams that sometimes really can come true.
Alicia Rudd - Alicia enjoys literature which explores the connections between the romantic and the realistic, the mythicised and the ordinary. In ...
