Sarah Williams is a teenager who wishes her baby brother away. That wish sets off a chain of events that sends her through a twisting, magical maze to get him back. Labyrinth is a 1986 musical fantasy film directed by Jim Henson, starring Jennifer Connelly as Sarah and David Bowie as Jareth, the Goblin King. It is a story about responsibility, imagination, and the price of wishing for something too hard to bear.
Trailer, via Fathom Entertainment.
Toby Vanishes
Sarah is babysitting on a Saturday night. Her stepmother leaves for the evening with her father, and Sarah is left alone with Toby, her baby half-brother. She is frustrated. Toby has taken her beloved teddy bear, Lancelot, and he will not stop crying. In a moment of desperation, Sarah summons the Goblins from her book and wishes that Toby be taken away.
Toby disappears. The Goblin King Jareth appears at once, offering Sarah her dreams in exchange for the baby. She refuses. Jareth gives her 13 hours to solve his labyrinth and find Toby before he turns him into a goblin forever. Sarah enters the maze, and the film begins its journey through a world of strange creatures and impossible paths.
The Maze and Its Guardians
The labyrinth is the central space of the film. It is a twisted maze of deception, populated with outrageous characters and unknown dangers. Sarah meets Hoggle, a dwarf who helps her enter the maze. She falls into an oubliette, a trapdoor chamber, where she reunites with Hoggle. They are confronted by Jareth and escape one of his traps.
Then they meet Ludo, a troll being tormented by goblins. Hoggle flees, and Sarah frees Ludo from his torment. She loses him in a forest. Later, she meets Sir Didymus, a small fox terrier who guards the Bog of Eternal Stench, a flatulent swamp. The trio reunite there, and together they continue their search through the labyrinth.
Bowie’s Goblin King
David Bowie plays Jareth with a mix of charm and menace. He offers Sarah her dreams, but his offer is a trap. He plays carelessly with Toby in his palace at the labyrinth’s center, showing no concern for the child he has taken. His performance is theatrical and commanding, and he carries the film’s villain role with a presence that feels both otherworldly and cruel.
Jareth’s palace is a grand, elaborate set, full of crystal balls and mirrors. His throne room is a place of ceremony and spectacle. Bowie’s singing is a highlight of the film, particularly in the song “As the Arrow,” where he performs a crystal-ball manipulation that was originally created for his stage performances and is now known as contact juggling. He performed the manipulations blind, behind Bowie’s back.
Connelly’s Sarah
Jennifer Connelly plays Sarah as a young girl caught between childhood and adulthood. She is frustrated, imaginative, and determined. She moves through the labyrinth with a sense of purpose, even as the world around her grows stranger and more dangerous. Her performance is earnest and committed, and she holds the film’s emotional core.
Connelly’s casting was a deliberate choice. Jim Henson wanted the lead to be a teenage girl from contemporary America to make the film more commercial. He noted that he wished to “make the idea of taking responsibility for one’s life, which is one of the neat realisations a teenager experiences, a central thought of the film.” Connelly was chosen because she could act that “dawn-twilight time between childhood and womanhood.”
The Creatures of the Maze
Brian Froud designed the film’s fantastical creatures, and Jim Henson’s Creature Shop created them. The characters are outrageous and memorable. Hoggle is a dwarf who helps Sarah enter the labyrinth. Sir Didymus is a fox terrier who guards the swamp. Ludo is a troll who joins Sarah on her quest. Each creature has a distinct personality and a specific role in the story.
The casting of voices adds to the effect. Dave Goelz voiced Didymus, The Worm, The Four Guards, Left Door Knocker, and Firey 3. Ron Mueck voiced Ludo, Firey 2, and a Goblin. Timothy Bateson voiced The Worm. Denise Bryer voiced The Junk Lady. Brian Henson voiced Hoggle and a Goblin. These voices give the creatures a sense of individuality that makes the maze feel alive.
The Songs and the Score
Labyrinth is a musical film, and its songs are an important part of the experience. Bowie sings several tracks, including “Magic Dance,” “As the Arrow,” and “Underground.” The music is whimsical and theatrical, fitting the tone of the story. The songs break up the action and give the film a sense of rhythm.
The score, composed for the film, provides a sense of wonder and danger. It moves from delicate piano pieces to sweeping orchestral arrangements, depending on the scene. The music supports the story without overwhelming it, and it helps establish the film’s fairy-tale atmosphere.
The Reception and Its Legacy
Labyrinth was a mixed critical success. The film was a success in the United Kingdom and overseas, grossing over $34 million worldwide. However, it underperformed at the United States box office, grossing $12.9 million during its US theatrical run.
The film’s production history is notable. It was a co-production between Henson Associates and Lucasfilm, with George Lucas serving as executive producer. The screenplay was written by Terry Jones, based on a story conceived by Jim Henson and Dennis Lee. Laura Phillips, Lucas, Lee, and Elaine May revised the script, although Jones received the sole screenwriting credit.
The film was shot from April to September 1985. Locations included Upper Nyack, Piermont, and Haverstraw, New York, as well as Elstree Studios and West Wycombe Park in the United Kingdom. The New York Times reported that the film had a budget of $25 million.
The Verdict
Labyrinth is a flawed but ambitious film. It attempts to create a fairy-tale world that is both magical and frightening. It succeeds in creating a memorable universe, with a strong lead performance and a distinctive villain. The songs add to the experience, and the creature design is impressive for its time.
However, the film suffers from pacing issues. Some sequences feel slow, and the middle stretch drags. The plot is straightforward, and the resolution is predictable. The film’s mixed critical reception is understandable, given its uneven quality.
The film remains a cult classic. It has found an audience over the years, and its songs and images have become part of popular culture. For fans of fantasy cinema, it offers a unique vision of a magical world. For casual viewers, it may be a curio with its share of rough spots.
Key Facts Box
– Title: Labyrinth (1986)
– Director: Jim Henson
– Screenplay: Terry Jones, Jim Henson, Dennis Lee
– Starring: Jennifer Connelly, David Bowie, Toby Froud
– Budget: $25 million
– US Gross: $12.9 million
– Worldwide Gross: Over $34 million
– Runtime: 101 minutes
| Element | Detail |
|---|---|
| Director | Jim Henson |
| Lead | Jennifer Connelly |
| Villain | David Bowie as Jareth |
| Location | Elstree Studios, West Wycombe Park |
| Budget | $25 million |
| US Gross | $12.9 million |
| Worldwide Gross | Over $34 million |
The film’s legacy is assured. It has influenced generations of fantasy cinema, and its images remain vivid in the memory. It is a film worth seeing, but not a perfect one.
Get the Notebook.
The day's best stories and every fresh verdict, in plain English, in your inbox by seven. One email a day, no more.
