This live-action fantasy film is based on the 1960 children's novel of the same name, which was the first published work of
Michael Ende. Internationally, Ende is best know for the book on which
La storia infinita (1984) was based, although Ende himself didn't like that film. But in Germany, Jim Button is better known than the Neverending Story.
Ende's excellent book won the German Youth Literature Award, but part of the book's success is owed to two adaptations for television by Augsburger Puppenkiste, a marionette theater. The first,
Jim Knopf und Lukas der Lokomotivführer (1961), consisted of 5 half-hour episodes in black and white. The color remake,
Jim Knopf und Lukas der Lokomotivführer (1977), was shortened to 4 slightly shorter episodes. Regular re-runs of the serial ensured that generations grew up with it, and generations looked forward to passing on the joy of watching the serial to their children, often rewatching it on the occasion. Special cross-over episodes combining Jim Knopf and his friends with other Augsburger Puppenkiste stars were long an important staple of German TV's Christmas Eve programming. But an even more obvious indication of the production's popularity is probably the fact that a remix of the title song (the Lummerland Song "Eine Insel mit zwei Bergen" -- "An Island with Two Mountains") by Dancefloor project Dolls United was in the German charts for 33 weeks in 1995/96, reaching second position at some point. I am not sure they made the song more popular; they just gave people an excuse to play it outside its original context.
It was always obvious that any new adaptation would be received as a remake of the classic marionette version, and so would be held to the highest standards in terms of narrative charm. Failure was almost guaranteed, but in the end they did pull it off. Compared to the 2 hour color serial, some cuts were required, but the result is still a complete, coherent story with all the important highlights intact. And most importantly: The film's visual quality is just stunning. It cannot have been easy to accurately reproduce so many of the marionette serial's shots by means of special effects that hit the sweet spot between realism and overt but seamless artificiality. The casting and acting is also excellent. The actors seem aware at all times that they are replacements for marionettes, acting naturally with just a hint of woodenness.
A few words on the plot / the underlying book: Michael Ende famously wrote its beginning with no idea where it would lead him. So he started with a tiny island in the sea with two mountains, a castle, two houses, and a tiny railway system. It has a king and three subjects, including the shopkeeper and Luke, the train driver. When Ende wrote about the surprise delivery of a large parcel, he himself did not know what it would contain. Similarly, much later Jim, Luke and steam engine Emma find themselves in mortal danger in an extremely dark and cold place. Here again, Ende wrote down the problem before spending weeks in search of a solution.
The film is targeted to children and to adults who grew up with the underlying book and TV serial. But the plot's highly original blend of fantasy and fairy tale, combined with the stunning visuals and high production values, makes the film well worth watching for a more general audience. Just not suitable for those who feel they must constantly prove they are adults and run screaming out the cinema when the film opens with the description of Morrowland -- a tiny fantasy island in the sea that only makes sense as a model railway landscape.
