It was more of a love story, actually, than a fairy tale�it highlighted the more romantic areas of the story rather that fantastical. While it focused on the struggle for each of the villains� interests (which were all positioned in or above the Star�s chest), and the main characters� struggle to survived, the process of their relationship was what was really highlighted.
The film had portrayed that in the search for one�s Heart�s Desire (the term in the book, not the film), it could just turn out that what this person is chasing, isn�t what he�s looking for in the first place. It�s like that old saying that the journey is more important than the destination�or that the chase is better than the kill. Of course, what�s fueling one to go through the chase is the kill. In this case, a portion of his chase became his kill.
The Fallen Star said in a scene where Tristan was transformed into some sort of rodent, that with the little she knew about love, it was that love was unconditional, and it was what made watching mankind bearable. It�s such a strong emotion that it could be mistaken for loathing, irritation, or any of those negative feelings�uncontrollable and sometimes unbearable. It asks for nothing else but the �heart in exchange for yours�.
As where love is unconditional, there�s nothing really debatable. You can�t love a person if you don�t surrender your heart to him or her. There are many things you can give to another�time, attention, material possessions, your body�but it is your heart that makes the difference. Surrendering your heart is very much like the Fallen Star�s case: it could kill her, but it could mean someone else�s immortality. When you give your heart to someone, it will make you feel as though, while s/he is immortal, you survive as well�longer than forever as you live in his/her memory and whatever you left will be remembered through that act of surrender and through the person to whom you surrendered your heart.
However, when the person to whom a heart is surrendered acquires it through deceit or force, or with vile intentions, it�s worthless. In the film, the Fallen Star�s heart would make anyone who consumes it immortal, young, forever beautiful. However, the star has to be glowing�and for it to glow, it has to be happy, suffused by true love. If the witches (to cure hopeless cases of ageing) and the Septimus, the last surviving prince of Stormhold (who wanted his ego rubbed with a throne) wanted the star�s heart, they had to take it while it was still beating, and when she was glowing and happy. Otherwise, it would have been useless to them. In real life, if one forces the heart, an all it�s worth, to be surrendered, then it�s an act that is self-defeating.
What was good about the film was that it didn�t sugarcoat the idea of love. First, that it can�t be forced. Second, that love asks for risks, and it requires taking risks to get to the highest points. Third, a heart can�t be surrendered just for the simplest of reasons, and to the most vile of creatures, no matter how powerful they are. Fourth, that the heart is worthless unless it�s beating, and that it actually feels something.
The thing about Stardust is it had a fairytale feel to it. However, it didn�t require high drama or magic just so love can be felt. It began as opportunistic, silly, crazy�and yet ended, somehow, as a story of love. And really, admit it, love is like that: it could be stupid, funny, silly, unreasonable�but it�s those feelings that make people realize how they feel about each other. Say for instance, when you use someone and then feel bad about it, and try to bargain, what does that say about you as a person? And though the person feels that s/he is being used, it still says something about you.
Delle: �The little I know about love is that love is unconditional.� I wouldn�t know. Heck, my brother tells me I fall in love with all the Wrong people. (And he means uppercase W)
Chow: Primus: Why would I kill my sister if these two cretins are still alive? Chow: Why would I kill my sister if there are more women who want to kill her? Oh, and falling in love with morons will eventually kill her anyway. She needs me to save her from those. Really, I�m quite noble about all of this.