The Labyrinth is a 1986 movie starring David Bowie and Jennifer Connelly. This was the last movie ever directed by the genius Jim Henson, and it was produced by Terry Jones of Monty Python! While being a staple for Bowie Fans and Jim Henson Fans alike, this movie is otherwise kind of obscure. However, it is one of my favorite movies OF ALL TIME! So I need to share with you everything that makes it so awesome.
The Labyrinth follows feisty (yet sometimes annoying) teenage girl Sarah, who is bored with her average life, annoying baby brother, and overbearing parents. Sarah (like many of us) wishes she could abandon this all to live in a land of fantasy. One day, after wishing that the "Goblin King" would take her baby brother Toby away, she is unexpectedly transported to a fantasy world, where the Goblin King is REAL and tules over his labyrinth with mind-bending and reality shifting powersHer task? Get to the palace to save her baby brother dodging crazy monsters, confusing riddles, and the King himself, who continues to offer her a place as his Queen.
When I was younger (watching this on VHS), the costumes were absolutely my favorite part, besides being introduced to David Bowie. Sarah has three looks she wears throughout the movie: the renaissance dress from the opening scene, her jeans and pirate blouse with a vest, and her stunning masquerade look. I can not emphasize to you enough how OBSESSED I was with her outfits (and still am), particularly her ballroom look. I thought this was the absolute PEAK of beauty. Honestly it had a huge impact on my interest in things like going to the Ren Faire and doing cosplay. One day, I'll own a ballgown like that!
As for the other characters, of course the puppeteer work is amazing and Henson and Lucasfilm put together a really convincing little world. And when it comes to Jareth, his outfit is ICONIC!! And I will say no more. If you do want to read more about Jareth's...everything you can go here. Or even here, though this one is not for the faint of heart!
This film was my first inroduction into the wonderful world of David Bowie's music and I've been a huge fan of him ever since. I actually just saw the 50th anniversary re-release of his filmed Ziggy Stardust concert in theaters a few weeks ago. Anyways, Bowie penned and recorded 5 original songs for this movie:
As I re-watched the Labyrinth for the millionth time recently, I was thinking a lot about why I loved it as a kid vs. why I STILL love it now as an adult ( although I don't think of myself as an adult yet). The Labyrinth serves two purposes as a movie: when you are a child, you see it as a fun adventure. Everything is glittery, bizarre, and unexpected. I was always jealous of Sarah for getting to experience the Labyrinth and visit that world, not to mention she gets to dance with the Goblin King. As I get older, I realize that the Labyrinth is also a coming of age story, as Sarah learns that life isn't fair, and her experience in the Labyrinth bridges the gap between her time as a child and her time as an adult.
Unfortunately most of these websites have been archived.I have found that there used to be a Labyrinth web ring and a David Bowie web ring, but they are archived and not active today. If you or anyone you know had interest in starting a new web ring please contact me! You can reach me through my guestbook on my homepage.
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