Jim Hensonbecame a household name whenThe Muppet Showbecame a pop culture sensation in the late 1970s and grew distinguished as a highly successful creator of family entertainment. While Henson’s work was certainly geared toward a younger audience, his groundbreaking film intended to revolutionize the art of puppetry was not only aimed towards youthful viewers. Henson was also keen to prove he was not confined by the vaudeville-style premise ofThe Muppet Show, as his 1986 cult hitLabyrinthsuggested he wasinterested in much darker material. The dark fantasy coming-of-age story intertwines Henson’s cheeky sense of humor with some sinister undertones relating to childhood fear and the perils of emerging adolescence. While the film is often credited as one of the darker family films of its era,Labyrinth’s infamous ballroom scene was much more disturbing in the original script.
Sixteen-year-old Sarah must solve a labyrinth to rescue her baby brother when he is taken by the Goblin King.
The ‘Labyrinth’ Ballroom Scene Has a Deeper Meaning
Labyrinthfollows the teenage girl Sarah (Jennifer Connelly) as she struggles to receive any attention from her stepmother, Irene (Shelley Thompson), and her father (Christopher Malcolm). Despite her close relationship with her parents when she was younger, she finds their free time is dominated by caring for her infant brother, Toby (Toby Froud). As she grows increasingly frustrated by her younger brother’s constant crying, Sarah wishes Toby would be whisked away; unfortunately, her wish is granted when he is kidnapped by the malevolent Goblin King, Jareth (David Bowie), and taken to a mythical fantasy world inside a labyrinth.Like many dark fantasy films,Labyrinthis a highly metaphorical film that examines Sarah’s maturation and burgeoning sexuality.Her journey through the labyrinth serves as a visual representation of the hardships that adolescents feel as they become adults.
Throughout the film, it becomes unclear how much of the labyrinth exists in Sarah’s mind, as she has elaborate dream sequences about her potential future. In perhaps the film’s most memorable sequence, Sarah has a vision of Jareth dancing with her during an extravagant masquerade ball. It’s only after recognizing Jareth’s malevolence that Sarah realizes that his professions of affection are not sincere. While it’s an important step within Sarah’s journey within the narrative,Labyrinth’s ballroom scene is highly unnerving due to the overt sexual overtones of the sequence.The suggestive nature of Bowie’s performance and the strong romantic tension between the characters make it surprising thatLabyrinthmanaged to walk away with a PG rating.
While the nature of the Goblin King’s intentions isn’t directly expressed,it is implied that Jareth intends to make Sarah his Queen. The sequence serves as a reminder that, despite the somewhatcomical nature of Bowie’s performance, Jareth is not a character that should be trusted. Although the notion of a 38-year-old man pining for the affection of a teenager makes the ballroom scenes quite uncomfortable to watch, it’s critical that Sarah rejects Jareth’s seductions and chooses to continue in her quest to find Toby. After waking from her vision, Sarah reunites with her allies Ludo (Ron Mueck) and Hoggle (Brian Henson) so that they can retrieve Toby from the heart of the city.
‘Labyrinth’ Could Have Been a Lot Darker
Although it’s becomea much-celebrated cult classic,much ofLabyrinth’s most disturbing material didn’t make it to the final cut. Henson conceived the story in conjunction withMonty PythonalumTerry Jones, who fleshed outthe sexual undertones in his original draft of the script. While Bowie had added some quirky mannerisms to his depiction of Jareth, creating some comic relief to the character, Jones had intended for him to be a more intimidating villain. It wasalso clear within Jones’ draftthat despite manifesting in the dreamlike logic of the labyrinth, Jareth resembles a figure from Sarah’s past.
Early on in the film, it is revealed that Sarah’s mother was a former theater star who passed away prior to her father’s remarriage. Sarah’s mourning is felt throughout the film, as an early scene features her looking at a mirror adorned with newspaper clippings about her mother’s tumultuous personal life. Included within these clippings is a photo of Sarah’s mother with her co-star and lover, Jeremy, who is played by Bowie.It’s implied that Jareth is based on Sarah’s imagined fantasy of her mother’s boyfriend.While this is an easily missed detail in the film, it suggests Sarah’selaborate dream sequencesare linked to her sexual awakening.
The ‘Labyrinth’ Deleted Scene That’s in the Novelization
While, thankfully, this more disturbing subplot was left out of the final edit of the film,theLabyrinthnovelization gives more context to Sarah’s relationship with Jeremy.According to authorA. C. H. Smith, Henson invited him to the film’s production and gave him over 20 pages of notes on his original manuscript. Smith’s novelization references Jeremy giving Sarah a gown, which resembles the one she wears during the ballroom scene, and takes her to a musical. It is after the vision of Jeremy attempts to kiss her that Sarah wakes from her vision and realizes his intentions to be sinister. The film’s conceptual designer,Brian Froud, described the sequence as intended to take place “inside the girl’s head” and that Jareth was merely an amalgamation of the various men she has fantasized about.
Whilethe film’s blend of fantasy and coming-of-ageelements serve as an interesting way of alluding to its more serious themes,removing the overt sexual components of the ballroom scene was in the best interest ofLabyrinth. The direct tie to a specific older man Sarah already knew breaks the allusion of the film’s fictional reality, and the details about her specific interactions with Jeremy are simply uncomfortable. While the novelization may contextualize the film’s narrative for invested viewers, the vast majority ofLabyrinthfans can enjoy the slightly more innocent depiction of Jareth in the theatrical cut.
