Rediscovering Labyrinth: 13 Things to Notice

Screencap from TriStar Pictures

Count the Bowies

If you’re of the appropriate age you can come up with quite a few drinking games watching this movie. Outside of all the weird phallic imagery, the glitter explosions or Henson’s love for circles, you should also note how much Bowie is in this. Now, I don’t mean Bowie physically. His character looms large over every frame, so much so that his visage shows up in other areas.

One of the more overt Bowie’s is in the image above. As Hoggle comes out after leaving Sarah to die, we see Bowie’s face form in a series of rocks. It’s impossible not to see that as deliberate. (I’m assuming Bowie got paid by the scene.) As I mentioned already, we know he’s in Sarah’s bedroom via the various photographs and press clippings – something elaborated on in the novelization. Jareth’s reach is wide and it’s interesting to note how we see less of him as Sarah inches closer to the castle beyond the Goblin City. It’s almost as if his hold is waning the closer Sarah gets to him.

Next: Sarah's Kind of the Worst