Labyrinth
Director: Jim Henson
Cast: David Bowie, Jennifer Connelly, Brian Henson
The film “Labyrinth” represents the symbiotic relationship between fantasy and reality, illustrated by an intimate, albeit unusual marriage of human actors and animated characters created by one of the world’s most renowned, creative minds, Jim Henson.
The story centers on a young girl named Sarah (Jennifer Connelly) who pierces the fabric of reality and embarks on a journey into an enchanted world of goblins and magic when, in a moment of desperate frustration, she accidentally wishes her little brother to be taken by Jareth (David Bowie), the Goblin King. When Sarah pleads for Jareth to return her brother, the manipulative Jareth strikes a bargain with Sarah, telling her she has 13 hours to solve his labyrinth and rescue her brother from his castle or he will be transformed into a goblin.
The underlying purpose of Sarah’s journey involves Sarah learning to understand the difference between fantasy and reality. In the beginning, Sarah’s life is a whimsical aura of fairy tales and imagination. When her brother is taken by Jareth, Sarah’s love of fantasy is challenged when she must enter a world that she has only ever imagined in order save her brother. As she embarks on this journey, Sarah ultimately learns the difference between fantasy and reality and comes to recognize her place in the fabric of each world.
The ballroom scene represents the first example of the power struggle between Sarah and Jareth. The crystal that the ballroom scene is reflected in represents the symbolic power that Jareth has over Sarah as he attempts to make Sarah forget her task in favor of falling in love with him. Sarah is momentarily entranced by Jareth and dances with him, however, when she sees the clock, she is reminded of her true purpose, and flees from Jareth’s arms. Sarah breaking the crystal symbolizes her beginning to break free of the power that Jareth has over her.
The climax in the Goblin King’s castle represents another facet of the power struggle between the heroine and the villain. This encounter differs from the encounter they shared in the ballroom for a couple of different reasons. In the initial encounter, Sarah is compelled into Jareth’s illusion when she consumes the peach, and Jareth’s trickery causes her to momentarily forget her course. In the climactic confrontation between Jareth and Sarah, Sarah goes willingly to confront Jareth in his castle, and more significantly, she chooses to face him alone. The climax illustrates a significant turning point in Sarah’s character. Her final encounter with the Goblin King allows Sarah to not only distinguish illusion from reality, but also to acknowledge her own inner strength. This ultimately results in Sarah breaking free of Jareth’s seduction of her and allows her to finally save her lost brother when she declares that Jareth has no power over her.
The essence of Labyrinth revolves around the notion that in the Goblin world, nothing makes sense and nothing is really as it appears. The goblins in the movie vacillate between being puppets in the majority of the movie, and actors who give the impression that they are goblins by wearing goblin masks in the dance sequence of the movie. The monstrous creature that guards the gate of the goblin city is another example of the distorted illusion of the world. While the creature appears menacing and huge at first, he is really only a goblin controlling a larger machine. The labyrinth itself is a strong illustration of an entity that is not really as it appears. At first it seems to follow a straight path, but when Sarah looks more closely, she realizes that the elusive path truly is a maze, she just needs to let go of her perceived impression of it and embrace the alien world of the labyrinth.
The strength of “Labyrinth” may be defined in the creative magic of Jim Henson’s characters, as well as its engaging musical score, exceptional storyline, and dream-like essence that allows both children and adults a brief moment of comfortable nostalgia as they watch Sarah’s journey unfold and remember a time when they believed in the power of imagination and fairy tales.
© 2013 – 2016 Keriane Kellogg. All rights reserved.
Director: Jim Henson
Cast: David Bowie, Jennifer Connelly, Brian Henson
The film “Labyrinth” represents the symbiotic relationship between fantasy and reality, illustrated by an intimate, albeit unusual marriage of human actors and animated characters created by one of the world’s most renowned, creative minds, Jim Henson.
The story centers on a young girl named Sarah (Jennifer Connelly) who pierces the fabric of reality and embarks on a journey into an enchanted world of goblins and magic when, in a moment of desperate frustration, she accidentally wishes her little brother to be taken by Jareth (David Bowie), the Goblin King. When Sarah pleads for Jareth to return her brother, the manipulative Jareth strikes a bargain with Sarah, telling her she has 13 hours to solve his labyrinth and rescue her brother from his castle or he will be transformed into a goblin.
The underlying purpose of Sarah’s journey involves Sarah learning to understand the difference between fantasy and reality. In the beginning, Sarah’s life is a whimsical aura of fairy tales and imagination. When her brother is taken by Jareth, Sarah’s love of fantasy is challenged when she must enter a world that she has only ever imagined in order save her brother. As she embarks on this journey, Sarah ultimately learns the difference between fantasy and reality and comes to recognize her place in the fabric of each world.
The ballroom scene represents the first example of the power struggle between Sarah and Jareth. The crystal that the ballroom scene is reflected in represents the symbolic power that Jareth has over Sarah as he attempts to make Sarah forget her task in favor of falling in love with him. Sarah is momentarily entranced by Jareth and dances with him, however, when she sees the clock, she is reminded of her true purpose, and flees from Jareth’s arms. Sarah breaking the crystal symbolizes her beginning to break free of the power that Jareth has over her.
The climax in the Goblin King’s castle represents another facet of the power struggle between the heroine and the villain. This encounter differs from the encounter they shared in the ballroom for a couple of different reasons. In the initial encounter, Sarah is compelled into Jareth’s illusion when she consumes the peach, and Jareth’s trickery causes her to momentarily forget her course. In the climactic confrontation between Jareth and Sarah, Sarah goes willingly to confront Jareth in his castle, and more significantly, she chooses to face him alone. The climax illustrates a significant turning point in Sarah’s character. Her final encounter with the Goblin King allows Sarah to not only distinguish illusion from reality, but also to acknowledge her own inner strength. This ultimately results in Sarah breaking free of Jareth’s seduction of her and allows her to finally save her lost brother when she declares that Jareth has no power over her.
The essence of Labyrinth revolves around the notion that in the Goblin world, nothing makes sense and nothing is really as it appears. The goblins in the movie vacillate between being puppets in the majority of the movie, and actors who give the impression that they are goblins by wearing goblin masks in the dance sequence of the movie. The monstrous creature that guards the gate of the goblin city is another example of the distorted illusion of the world. While the creature appears menacing and huge at first, he is really only a goblin controlling a larger machine. The labyrinth itself is a strong illustration of an entity that is not really as it appears. At first it seems to follow a straight path, but when Sarah looks more closely, she realizes that the elusive path truly is a maze, she just needs to let go of her perceived impression of it and embrace the alien world of the labyrinth.
The strength of “Labyrinth” may be defined in the creative magic of Jim Henson’s characters, as well as its engaging musical score, exceptional storyline, and dream-like essence that allows both children and adults a brief moment of comfortable nostalgia as they watch Sarah’s journey unfold and remember a time when they believed in the power of imagination and fairy tales.
© 2013 – 2016 Keriane Kellogg. All rights reserved.