Director
Jim Henson
Leading Actors/Actresses
David Bowie, Jennifer Connelly
Supporting Actors/Actresses
Toby Froud, Christopher Malcolm, Shelley Thompson
Genre
Musical / Fantasy
Language
English
Awards
Nominations: British Academy Film Awards for Best Special Visual Effects Saturn Award for Best Fantasy Film and Best Costumes Hugo Award for Best Dramatic Presentation
Date of Release
June 27th, 1986
Producer
Eric Rattray
Setting and Context
The film is partially set in the contemporary world and mostly in a supernatural realm of goblins.
Narrator and Point of View
The film is narrated through the musicals performed by Jareth. It is told from the point of view of Sarah.
Tone and Mood
Sinister, Nightmarish, Eerie
Protagonist and Antagonist
Protagonist: Sarah Antagonist: Jareth the Goblin King
Major Conflict
Sarah wishes and casts his little brother Toby into the realm of goblins and has thirteen hours to solve the labyrinth and save him.
Climax
The climax of the film is the confrontation between Sarah and Jareth as she climbs the staircase towards Toby defying Jareth's request.
Foreshadowing
While reciting a play named The Labyrinth, Sarah forgets the last line, which she later says to Jareth during a confrontation in the labyrinth.
Understatement
Every time the Goblin King asks Sarah about her experience solving the maze, she answers it is a “piece of cake” despite the difficulty.
Innovations in Filming or Lighting or Camera Techniques
The film incorporated animatronic creatures from Jim Henson's Creature Shop. The puppets were radio-controlled and required a team of puppeteers to operate their every action. The entire set was built in a sound stage that utilized the biggest panoramic backcloth ever assembled.
Allusions
The room the main characters have the final confrontation in is modeled after M. C. Escher's Relativity.
Paradox
The Goblin King puts Sarah through a series of precarious obstacles yet claims he does it for her because of his love
Parallelism
N/A
