Dance Magic Dance: Revisiting Labyrinth and the Goblin King's Spell

Growing up, babysitters came and went, but none were quite as memorable as Imogen from Norway. It was Imogen who first introduced us to the enchanting world of Labyrinth. For my sister Harriet and I, already devoted David Bowie fans thanks to our parents, the Goblin King’s grand entrance was instantly captivating. The billowing curtains, the dramatic sleeves, the sheer charisma – we were hooked from the moment Jareth appeared in a swirl of midnight wind.

Recently, I felt the urge to dive back into the labyrinthine world and called Harriet. Despite her busier, more organised life, she carved out an hour for us to discuss this 1986 classic. We both re-watched Labyrinth and then connected for a nostalgic conversation.

Here’s what we explored:

David Bowie as Jareth the Goblin King looking intently at Sarah in Labyrinth movie scene.

Olivia: So Harriet, what sparked this Labyrinth chat for you?

Harriet: You texted, and I quote, ‘please do this.’ And conveniently, I had some free time.

O: What were your overall impressions this time around?

H: [shows a phone screen filled with notes] I’ve got pages of notes throughout the entire film.

O: I took notes too, but mine are considerably shorter!

H: My last note was about Jareth’s “yellow and gray eyeshadow with a banana yellow lip” in the final scene. I swear he was rocking yellow lipstick!

O: Banana lipstick? I think you might be misremembering.

H: No, it was yellow lipstick that perfectly coordinated with his eyeshadow!

O: Okay, I definitely need to re-examine that detail.

H: I was watching it in glorious 4K on our massive TV, so every detail was crystal clear.

O: True cinematic experience! Was your first note perhaps, “Sarah is peak relatable for cosplaying alone in the park?”

H: Actually, no. It was “Sarah lives in a mansion.”

O: Yes!

H: And her mom was an actress!

O: Exactly!

H: It just clicked this time. The cosplaying suddenly made perfect sense. She’s not just any fantasy nerd; she’s got a backstory!

🕰 Entering the Realm of the Goblin King

H: Watching Labyrinth right after reading Midnight Sun [a dramatic, teenage-centric novel] is quite an experience.

O: [makes exaggerated gasp]

H: Because both feature a dramatic, somewhat eccentric, ageless, mythical man who is fixated on a teenage girl… Jareth is undeniably in love with Sarah. It’s hard to interpret it any other way. And it’s curious – what happened before the film even starts? He’s clearly been observing and chosen Sarah from the outset. But she also isn’t particularly surprised when he manifests?

O: I think we have to allow for a bit of suspension of disbelief to quickly move past the “Whoa, what’s happening?” phase.

H: There’s no “Who are you?” moment. It’s just, “Ah, yes, Jareth.”

O: “Oh, Jareth! Of course!”

H: “Welcome Jareth, make yourself at home!” …And his name is Jareth. It’s so perfectly Goblin King-esque.

O: And he seems genuinely thrilled to have human interaction. The man is desperate for connection. It’s almost comical; when he appears, he almost cracks a smile. Then he remembers to be serious, launching into his dramatic speech. But I think he’s just secretly delighted. He’s been stuck with goblins and chickens for ages, and clearly, they aren’t the most appreciative audience. They probably never laugh at his jokes!

H: Honestly, I think David Bowie initially wanted to guest star on The Muppet Show, but scheduling didn’t work out, so they decided to make a whole movie instead.

O: I’d argue this outcome is far superior. A Muppet Show appearance would have been fun, but a full movie with original songs written by Bowie himself? That’s magic.

Scene from Labyrinth movie showing Sarah in a beautiful white ball gown dancing with Jareth in a ballroom filled with masked figures.

🕯 The Iconic Ballroom Dress

O: I think a lot of us, especially girls growing up with certain narratives, dream of having that ‘Mysterious Ballroom Moment.’

H: You know how French cuisine has the five mother sauces? Well, I believe there are three mother dresses in cinematic history. The quintessential ball gowns that all others are measured against. And undeniably, Sarah’s dress in Labyrinth is one of them. Alongside Elizabeth Swann’s dress from Pirates of the Caribbean, and Anastasia’s purple gown.

O: The purple Anastasia dress, absolutely, a top-tier choice. The Pirates of the Caribbean dress, I’d almost forgotten about that one!

H: It’s a truly remarkable dress.

O: You’re right. I’m trying to think of other contenders… but honestly, the Anastasia dress might just be the ultimate. The pinnacle of ball gowns.

H: Sarah’s entire wardrobe in Labyrinth is enviable, though.

O: Yes! Poet sleeves and waistcoats for everyone! It’s a timeless aesthetic.

H: I’m actually considering incorporating that style into my teaching wardrobe. Imagine introducing Shakespeare to my class in poet sleeves – instant cool factor.

✨ The Ubiquitous Glitter

H: [referencing the set design] When I was younger, I simply assumed everything was glistening because it had just rained in the Labyrinth. Incorrect! Everything is very clearly covered in glitter, as if it’s constantly shedding off of Jareth’s cloak as he walks through his kingdom.

O: See, I always thought it was snail slime! Some kind of fantastical, iridescent snail trail covering everything. It was a minor revelation – for some reason – upon rewatching. The sheer volume of glitter employed throughout the Labyrinth is astounding.

H: The cobwebs in the oubliette? Glitter. The candles? Glitter. Walls, fallen tree trunks – glitter everywhere. It’s not magic; it’s simply Jareth’s glitter fallout.

O: He’s like a walking glitter bomb. Also, oubliette. I’m suddenly determined to have a black dog named Oubliette. It’s such a fantastic name.

H: ‘Forgotten’, the dog!

O: “Oubliette!” I’d shout across the dog park. And maybe he could wear a little bow!

H: Ooblie for short.

O: Little Ooblie. Perfect.

🔮 The Enigmatic Crystals

O: So, the crystal that “shows your dreams?” …Not particularly compelling as a magical offering.

H: Was that truly what he was proposing?

O: Yes! Jareth presents the crystal and says, “This will show you your dreams.” And it’s like… thanks? Is that it?

H: I’m now completely distracted by the realization that it’s not actually David Bowie’s arm doing those wavy crystal motions. [demonstrates wavy hand motion]

O: Wait, what?

H: No! Why else would he be shrouded in a massive cloak every time he manipulates the crystal? It’s clearly someone’s hand poking up from under the cloak, doing that [wavy motion]. It looks so hilariously goofy once you notice it.

O: That’s funny because I did vaguely wonder about that crystal ball rolling the first time I saw the movie.

H: He could probably manage small movements, but not sustained, fluid motions while acting and delivering lines.

O: I just assumed David Bowie, being David Bowie, would have dedicated himself to mastering… contact juggling, I suppose it’s called?

H: Contact juggling.

O: Contact juggling. Of course.

🪄 Share the Magic

Know someone who’s obsessed with Labyrinth or maybe even dressed as Jareth for Halloween? Spread the magic!

🪄 This newsletter reminds me of the babe 🪄

Image of a promotional graphic with text “This email reminds me of the babe” and a stylized drawing of Jareth from Labyrinth.

⏳ The Vanishing Art of Scary Kids’ Movies

O: I genuinely feel like contemporary children’s movies are hesitant to genuinely scare kids the way films used to. And I think they should.

H: [pauses] I want to argue that point and say, no, there are still scary kids’ movies. But honestly, I’m mostly thinking of TV shows like Over the Garden Wall and Gravity Falls. They definitely don’t shy away from the creepy and unsettling. Kids are strangely receptive to creepy things. [pause] Also, I desperately want to know what that baby was experiencing during the ‘Magic Dance’ scene. Surrounded by those bizarre muppets, with absolutely no concept of filmmaking. One day, that baby was simply immersed in a world of the most unsettling-looking muppets imaginable.

O: I would love it if that child grew up never realizing they were in the movie, just carrying these inexplicable, recurring goblin nightmares. But the thing is, with Labyrinth, The NeverEnding Story, and… I can’t quite pinpoint other examples right now, but they all share this vibe I’ve internally labeled ‘Twilight in Fantasyland.’

H: Return to Oz, the second Wizard of Oz movie!

O: Yes! Where everything is strangely muted, eerily quiet, unsettlingly creepy, with upside-down staircases and pyramids. It always feels like perpetual twilight.

H: Constant fog machine, cobwebs, and endless forests. So many forests.

O: But devoid of any sensible adults. No one who can truly make sense of this world is there to guide you.

H: And specifically, those very artificial-looking rocks with the painted, orange-hued sky backdrop, like that initial scene where Sarah sees the Goblin King’s castle and the Labyrinth sprawling out before her. It’s reminiscent of those low-budget Greek mythology videos we watched in Latin class. Straight-to-TV aesthetic.

O: Oh my God, yes! And somewhat related is the cover art for Encarta ’95. Do you remember Encarta ’95, Harriet?

H: It sounds vaguely familiar.

O: Look it up. Search ‘Encarta ‘95 CD ROM.’

Image of the Encarta ’95 CD-ROM cover featuring a stylized, somewhat eerie landscape with ancient ruins.

H: [Googles image] Oh, that. It feels… vaguely familiar? But it wasn’t as prominent in my childhood as it clearly was for you.

O: Sometimes I’d just turn on the computer purely to explore ‘the encyclopedia.’

H: It has a high-concept, low-budget feel.

O: There’s a strange, unsettling emptiness to it. And… statues? I can’t quite articulate it.

H: Yeah, I get what you mean on some level.

O: I could create a mood board of this aesthetic, and you’d grasp the concept immediately. But you still wouldn’t be able to define exactly what it is.

🪨 A Deeply Absurd Rock Discussion

O: Big rolling rocks. Where do they fit into contemporary Hollywood? What is the big rolling rock equivalent of the 2020s?

H: [launches into a convoluted and rambling train of thought about big rolling rocks in cinema] … ‘big rolling rock’ undeniably had its cinematic peak with Indiana Jones. Now, it feels like every subsequent big rolling rock scene is just chasing that initial magic… I don’t think there’s room for ‘big rolling rock’ in modern filmmaking… big studios are too controlling… filmmakers aren’t brave enough to embrace big rolling rocks… nobody’s daring enough to incorporate a big rolling rock into an introspective character drama.

O: [eventually] What you’re saying is fundamentally nonsensical.

H: I’m just saying I want to see Timothy Chalamet dramatically crushed by a massive rolling rock, and no one in Hollywood is willing to make that happen.

O: No one’s getting tied to train tracks anymore either. That’s what struck me watching the rock scene. “Oh, a big rock rolling!” It’s visceral peril, boiled down to a primal confrontation between a person and ‘the thing.’ Just a raw moment between a human and a rock.

H: Man versus god, man versus nature, man versus rock. The fundamental conflicts.

O: …I’m probably going to cut this entire section.

H: Yeah, it’s completely useless.

👀 Recasting Jareth in 2023

H: If they were to make an inevitable prequel about the Goblin King, who would you cast as Jareth in 2023?

O: Okay, but it has to be 2023. And it should be a musician, I think. [pause] Oh god, my brain is immediately suggesting ‘Matty Healy’ purely to torment me. Absolutely not. We CAN’T let that happen. No Matty Healy. Okay, let me quickly Google, um, [typing] ‘musician men, 2023.’

H: We already know definitively who it cannot be.

O: Harry Styles.

H: Definitely not Ed Sheeran, definitely not Harry Styles. There’s no way Ed Sheeran could pull off that level of ethereal Goblin King energy. And Harry Styles, while charming, isn’t really an actor.

O: Harry Styles would be incredibly enthusiastic about the role, but he would never, ever, ever be able to embody Jareth. We need someone mainstream but with an indie edge.

H: See, I’m leaning towards Hozier.

O: What? …Okay, intriguing.

H: I’m not sure why, maybe just because he’s tall and has that long, flowing hair. He does possess a certain goblin-adjacent aura.

O: I… don’t actually hate that idea. Or! Hear me out: St. Vincent? She actually collaborated with David Bowie at some point, I’m fairly sure.

H: I can absolutely envision her as the Goblin King.

O: Yeah, St. Vincent might be my top pick. No, wait, Hozier is strong contender. Who’s… who’s a male musician who is just, like, a genuine freak? [Googling] ‘men who are freaks, 2023.’

H: Sufjan Stevens?

O: No, too gentle. I don’t think he could project that Goblin King authority. Definitely not Justin Vernon from Bon Iver; he’d be the most melancholic, heartbroken Jareth imaginable.

H: I feel like at one point Brendon Urie might have been a good, theatrical choice, but –

O: OH NO! He’d be like, [high-pitched voice] yaaaaaaa! Oh, the songs he would write. He’d be like, [singing loudly] EVERYBODY IN THE LABYRINTH, CLAP YOUR HANDS! EVERYBODY IN THE LABYRINTH, GET DOWN TONIGHT! That’s precisely what he would do. And it would be awful. [defeated pause] Okay, maybe Hozier is the best option. People can, um, contribute their own casting suggestions.

✨ WHO WOULD YOU CAST AS JARETH IN A 2023 GOBLIN KING PREQUEL?

👨🏻‍🎤 The Enduring Mystery of the Goblin King

H: I wholeheartedly believe that Jareth is at least a thousand years old.

O: Really? That ancient?

H: Like, ancient old. But I also suspect time functions differently for him in the Goblin Kingdom.

O: Do you think all the goblins surrounding him are essentially stolen human babies?

H: I don’t think they’re all recently stolen babies, in comparison to other goblins. I was also pondering, are these goblins just random inhabitants of the castle, or are they his court? Are they goblin courtiers? Goblin nobility? I think goblin babies exist in the Labyrinth, but not all of his immediate goblins are infants.

O: [laughing] No, I meant do you think all goblins, in general, are babies he’s stolen and transformed into goblins?

H: Ohhhhhhh, I see.

O: Not just, ‘are all the goblins baby goblins!’

H: I don’t think he’s stolen a baby recently, because people have largely stopped believing in the Goblin King in the modern era. I suspect they haven’t had a new goblin-baby since perhaps the early 1900s, late 1800s.

O: Yeah, it definitely feels like Sarah is the only person currently engaging with the Goblin King mythology. And to be honest, he’s probably been ecstatic about it, eagerly anticipating the day she finally wished her little brother away, giving him the opportunity to lure her into the Labyrinth and finally have some meaningful interaction. Good for him, in a twisted way.

H: But he also seems to be subtly trying to dissuade her from fully entering the Labyrinth at the same time.

O: Is he truly trying to deter her? I mean, he clearly doesn’t want her to even begin the Labyrinth quest in the first place.

H: I think he’s just grappling with the complexities of human connection and the fear of rejection, of appearing strange and out of touch after centuries of limited human interaction.

O: Totally. Aw, poor lonely Jareth! But what about those figures at his ballroom party?

H: Yeah, but I think that ballroom scene exists within a fantasy realm, and it’s likely his idealized fantasy of having friends and companionship.

O: Oh noooooo! He’s profoundly lonely!

H: Or, okay, here’s another theory: I think those ballroom figures represent what the goblin court looked like centuries ago. And perhaps Jareth himself is gradually transforming into a goblin over time.

O: Through sheer age and isolation?

H: Yes, potentially.

O: So he’s literally the last vestige of a once-grand Goblin Court.

H: Precisely.

O: Maybe it’s a Beauty and the Beast scenario, where he required Sarah to become his queen to prevent his complete transformation into a goblin.

H: Or perhaps he needed Sarah to facilitate his final transformation into a goblin, completing some kind of magical cycle.

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Dance Magic Dance: Revisiting Labyrinth and the Goblin King’s Spell