What do you get if you merge Lucasfilm’s powerhouse with the creative energy and beauty of The Jim Henson Company? The answer is the delightful and ingenious cult classic Labyrinth.
Following The Dark Crystal in 1982, Jim Henson and Brian Froud began drafting a new fantasy adventure. However, this time, the aim was to produce a lighter tale inspired by The Wizard of Oz.
Sarah (Jennifer Connelly) is a teenager with a vivid imagination who resents her daily responsibilities and longs for a life of fantasy. When her infant brother, Toby, is taken away by the Goblin King Jareth (David Bowie), Sarah embarks on a journey through the intricate and treacherous labyrinth to rescue him. Along the way, she encounters an array of fantastical creatures and must solve riddles and overcome obstacles to reach the Goblin King’s castle.
While the core inspiration may have come from Baum’s Oz, the fantastical story also includes several nods to Carroll’s Alice’s Adventures in Wonderland. However, at its heart, Labyrinth is a coming-of-age tale. One of the central themes in Labyrinth is the power of imagination. Sarah’s journey through the labyrinth symbolises her self-discovery as a young woman. During her adventure, she encounters obstacles and confronts her inner fears, realising that her abundant imagination can help her meet her need for recognition from adults. The maze represents every teenager’s journey to adulthood and our need to move beyond childhood fantasies, while Bowie’s Goblin King represents the arrival of desire as we grow into sexual beings.
These coming-of-age themes ensure Labyrinth transcends the simple label of a children’s fantasy adventure. Jim Henson’s movie invites us to embrace the challenges of growing up, reminding us that our imagination need not be lost as we become adults, but rather fine-tuned.
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