Page 37 - NAMAH-Jan-2022

Namah The call of the supernatural

fantasy, starting with cartoons from the to fairies, but he holds the key to something
beginning of the film industry. Now in 3D, it else. He crosses over the threshold of the real
is re-writing classics like Alice in Wonderland. world, and takes the children to an alternate
Let us look at an example of how the modern world. When Wendy recognises the place, she
age is re-mythologising a well-known fantasy. tells us, “Remember the voice in your head?
In the Disney movie, Wendy, it is continuing The one that said,‘Sneak away in the middle
the legacy of eternal youth and adventure of the night.’ Here is the place it came from.”
of Peter Pan, but after a re-vision. The movie
imagines a modern-day Wendy growing up Is it all fun and play on the island? No. Just like
in a small town, helping her mother run a the Peter Pan story, there is Captain Hook and
restaurant. She seems to have little prospects his crew of pirates eager to kidnap children
for growth. She stretches her fingers every and sacrifice them. These characters, as you
night to catch a few stars while she waits for can imagine, are all symbolic. Eternal youth
Peter Pan to show up for her. has to fight the men who have lost youth,
which means have lost hope, wonder and
Who is Peter Pan? The Greek nature god, Pan? curiosity. A warning in the film says, “Beware
Peter, Christ’s disciple who was building the children, you can leave yourself behind, you
kingdom of God within? Or the flying green won’t even know when it happens.” The trick
pixie in James Barrie’s story? Peter Pan, the is to nurture the inner child as one grows and
boy who would never grow up, is all these takes up responsibilities. It is not an escape
three, and more. He is the inner child, a friend into the fantasy world, as Wendy and the
of the soul, the part in us that remains curious other children realise. They return to the adult
and adventurous, that is wonder-struck at world, and when they become parents, they
every turn and full of foolish bravery. The are parents of a very different kind. They are
child hero is Peter Pan in us. Our awakened okay if they lose their children to Peter Pan’s
outer beings are Wendies, yearning for Peter wonderland for a few years.
Pan to come and rescue us from the mundane.
Some of us have forgotten our Wendy self, Is there a blossoming of the inner child again
some of us are re-discovering her, and some with the return of fantasy stories? Or is that
are always aware of her. As little Wendy in why fantasies have returned — because
the movie says, “All children grow up. For most the inner child was knocking on the closed
it just happens like a change in the weather. But door? The Lord of the Rings, was written some
some, the wild ones, the ones with the light in seventy years ago. But now it is becoming a
their eye, escape.” world classic. Along with Harry Potter and the
Chronicles of Narnia. It is not just the books that
And one day Wendy escapes, dragging her are being read, but the movies are perhaps the
brothers along with her, because a little boy bigger reason behind their fame. A director
on a train has come to fetch her. This Peter has choices — to pick a realistic story or a
Pan steals children from their beds and fantasy. The viewer’s taste drives the director,
takes them to an island full of volcanoes and the director entices the viewer. They are
and surprises. He looks just like any other a mutually influencing pair that have chosen
child, does not seem to be able to fly or talk fantasy over all other genres.

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