Rediscovering Labyrinth: 13 Things to Notice

Screencap from TriStar Pictures

“The Bowie”

If you watched Labyrinth as a child or teen, raise your hand if you left with a lot of questions? Keep them raised if they regarded David Bowie? Everything about Bowie in this film fascinates. He’s charismatic, domineering and takes a seriously gleeful joy in watching Sarah struggle to win back her baby brother. His introduction in the film – cape flowing, massive hair and enough glitter to foster many an elementary school art project – is legendary in itself.

One of Labyrinth’s more infamous “legacies” is Bowie’s distracting attire, and I ain’t talking about the hair and the lip gloss. Already a knowledgeable young girl when I saw this at age eleven, nothing could prepare me for what I’ve unofficially called “the Bowie.” The camera really enjoys filming Bowie in awkward positions, and on a movie screen it’s near impossible not to notice how his crotch finds placement within the frame. (The scene of Hoggle kneeling in front of Jareth got a lot of giggles in the audience.) One goes through puberty pretty quickly after a screening of Labyrinth. There were quite a few young girls in the audience who I’m fairly certain left the theater thinking they loved Bowie, but couldn’t quite put their finger on why.

Next: Spend Some Time in Sarah's Room