Stardust: An Unusual Twist on Common Folktale

The 2007 romantic fantasy adventure film, Stardust, from Paramount, is directed by Matthew Vaughn and based on the novel Stardust by Neil Gaiman. It comprises of an ensemble cast including Charlie Cox, Michelle Pfeiffer, Claire Danes, Robert De Niro, Mark Strong, Sienna Miller, and many more. The film is narrated by Ian Mckellan. In 2008, it won the Hugo Award for Best Dramatic Presentation, Long Form. It has mainly received positive reviews and grossed $135.6 million on a $88.5 million budget.

The film starts off with two separate worlds, divided by a stone wall. This wall divides the magical world from the normal world. There is a wide open gap in the wall that is guarded by an old man with a staff, a man who Dunstan Thorn out witts and manages to get passed. Dunstan enters the magical world, coming across a village where he comes across a slave who says she is a princess. She gives him a white flower that she says will give him protection and he in return tries to free her. She cannot be freed, the chain cannot be broken. She in return wants a kiss. They enter the carriage and close the doors. Nine months later a baby was left at the wall for Dunstan, his name: Tristan.

The film jumps forward eighteen years later to Tristan working as a shop boy and in love with a girl named Victoria who does not return his love.

He takes her to a field for an early birthday present and there they see a falling star, to convince her not to marry another he tells her he will cross the wall and retrieve the star for her.

She agrees. He sets off, only the guard is prepared for him this time and he doesn’t get passed.

Tristan learns the truth about his mother and reads the letter she left him, in it she left him a babylon candle that when he lights it he just has to think of where he wants to be and it will take him there.

Meanwhile, the star is in a crater on the magical side of the border and the star is a person. She was knocked out of the sky by a necklace that the king of Stormhold threw, claiming that the son who recovered it and returned it to the ruby color would be his successor, right before his death.

Tristan crashes into the star whose name is Yvaine, although first unaware she is in fact a star.

In this film everyone is after the star, for she will bring eternal life in an unconventional way. Tristan and Yvaine face many obstacles in this spellbinding adventure full of twists and turns including three trickster killing sister witches, pirates with a cross dressing captain, and prince brothers vying for the throne.

This film is truly out of this world. It’s very unique, I’ve never seen another film like it. Ultimately, it has a beautiful ending and can be considered a sweet film, even with all the wacky bits and pieces leading up to it.