I think if people are really honest with themselves you would have said no as well because he is asking her to give up her free will which you couldn't do no matter what was promised xxxx
The film's director Jim Henson viewed the entire film as a representation of Sarah's inner journey that culminates in her taking responsibility for her own life. Henson viewed the main events of the film as a dream of Sarah's, a view that is supported by the fact toys and figures resembling the creatures Sarah encounters in the Labyrinth are seen in her room at the start of the film. Henson told Ecran Fantastique in a 1987 interview that Sarah "lives in her own little imaginary and fantasy-laden world. Dreams are very important to her. The Wizard of Oz means a lot to her. When she goes into the dream world, which makes up the whole film, she plays a role that recalls the way she feels about the real world. At the end, when she emerges from the dream, from the fantasy, she starts to renounce the foolishness of her childhood, and what the characters say is simply we’re here; we’re part of you, all of us as we are. You don’t have to give up your fantasies because you grow up; they’re part of you all your life."
I love how Jereth, in his love for Sarah, gives her exactly what she is looking for. she spends her free time fantasizing about this whole situation and in a twisted way, though she does love her brother, she wants to experience the hardships of the labyrinth and the Goblin King's challenge because it is her fantasy. he willingly made himself a villain and created the entire labyrinth for her to experience. When he says "look what I've done for you" she doesn't appreciate it or even see it as a gift he has given to her because she wants Toby back. He is in love with her and the only way for them to stay together is if she lets him continue to rule over her because he can't be with her in reality; only in her fantasy which she no longer wants. "just fear me, love me, do as I say and I will be your slave." he is begging her to want the fantasy, to want him.
As a kid at first I thought that jareth was just playing around with sarah making her go through the labyrinth and throwing trial after trial at her but then his character surprised me in this scene, The way he never looks away from her, the way he interpreted her journey and the way he acted as though it was something she wanted and how in the end when she ultimately refuses him by saying the line "you have no power over me" his face becomes resigned and saddened instead of spiteful and angry for having lost the game, even when he sends her back and throws the crystal he looked so longingly and melancholic and his gaze remained on her still. I always wondered if there was something more to him than just the villian in her storybook especially since he seems to say a last final goodbye to her in owl form at the end of the movie.
Jareth's monologue is such a great parallel to what I believe was Sarah's true struggle; learning not to become willingly lost in her own fantasy and imagination. Toby represents some of the unpleasant responsibilities that come with getting older, a thing that Sarah initially wishes away. Jareth represents both the allure and bottomless potential of what one's sense of imagination could be, however Sarah grows to realize one cannot exist solely within their own fantasies, even when DAVID FREAKIN' BOWIE rules over said fantasy as king. What's nice, though, is that we see that Sarah can enjoy both adult responsibility as well as a connection to her imagination, realizing that those adventures will always be around 'should she need them'. Man, I love this movie.
Everything in this movie is biblical. The character names, the story, jareth (Jared) the father of Enoch. The bible we aren’t allowed to see. I’m not religious in any sense, agnostic at most. For a small cult film, it packs a punch. The owl symbolism in this, flying at dusk . It’s a warning. The cute little worm, bible stuff too. Hoggle (Jared said “hogwart?” ) Hoggle (heggle) was a famous philosopher and “that’s not your property” is wild when you look more into that dude. Great film, the best in my opinion. Just don’t take it for face value, because it wasn’t intended for that.
Narcissists like to make you think it's your fault. When this doesn't work they try other tactics... never realized this until after my OWN experience.
Okay, so everyone has a great point but I'm just saying, Sarah, if she was two years older realistically might have jumped at the opportunity. At sixteen she was probably thinking the goblin king was creepy, but 18 and she'd possibly been thinking what many of us think over the legal age. If the goblin king came to me looking like that and singing, I'm gone. Like, I know if I didn't, my mother would be throwing herself at the opportunity. XD. Might even dispatch of me just to get to him. (She introduced me to this movie when I was a little kid, maybe 5 or 6. His music I listened to way before.) Just saying...might be the fact it's David Bowie playing the goblin king. I might just be biased here cause of the talent which was David Bowie.
As a child this was one of my all time favourite movies.. In highschool we did a film study on labyrinth, it was very hard to grasp the concept of the movie as i just wanted to watch it without analysing it.. Fast forward 25+ years later and i finally grasp the concepts behind this movie.. 1) Its a movie based on pure fantasy.. Jareth, the labyrinth and its creatures only purely exists in Sarah's mind and imagination.. 2) Jareth was strong at the beginning because Sarah (through her imagination) gave him energy and strength that he was able to manipulate and overpower her. 3) She was a teenager that still hasn't grown up, nor take on adult responsibilities such as babysitting her little brother. Hence why her stepmother scorned her for not being responsible and being late in coming home (because they had a date planned and she was in charge of babysitting brother). Her step mother even hinted she start growing up by having/going on dates. In the movie Jareth says to Sarah: "Sarah go back to your room, play with your toys and forget about the baby".. he's trying to manipulate her into not growing up and keeping the illusion/imagination of him and the labyrinth strong.. Without this imagination being strong, he cannot exist. 4) The ending is a little confusing and quite concerning for me on the part that: • She pretty much confronted Jareth by telling him "you have no power over me". I thought that was the transition for sarah from childlike mentality to adulthood. However, all her friends pop up in the mirror to say goodbye to her and Hoggle asks: "should you need us?" To which she replies that she needs them in her life every now and then, and then suddenly they show up in her bedroom as party guests. I found this confusing and concerning because it tells me that she hasn't really grown up. It also leaves the doorway opened for Jareth's return. Should Jareth return, she may may find herself at a crossroads of reality and imagination. Because she knows that everything is in her imagination. If she lets go of her imagination, all her best friends: hoggle, ludo, sir diddymus & ambroscious all die with that imagination. If she wants to be close to them - her imagination has to still be active, which means Jareth is still active. • She's holding onto these characters because their the only ones that can relate to her! The movie doesn't show or mention any teenage friends she may have. So this must mean shes an isolated, introverted teenage girl with limited social skills, and who finds solace and friendship plus escapism from the real world in her imagination. Im sorry to say but she hasn't really "matured or grown up" fully just yet..Shes just hit the tip of the iceberg. There needs to be a part 2 showing her social life at school or in a typical day. At least then i can understand what kind of person she really is..
He was part of her imagination. Hence he was only doing his job and also had no power over her. She was in control the entire time. She just had to realise it.
I always saw this as metaphorical. Jerrith is a dream; he's the personification of Sarah hiding n her dreams. The problem isn't that Sarah loves fantasy and dreams and pretend; it's that she hides in them and gets lost in them (we see it at the beginning when she loses time so caught up in her fantasy scene that she doesn't realize it's 7 o'clock). This kind of hiding in dreams is causing strain on her life. Jerrith is her dream life controlling her. When she realizes that SHE has power over her imagination, she understands that she can have fantasies and dreams but must balance them with her life. Her dreams can't master her; they must be partners. She grows up in that now she shares her dreams rather than horde them alone. She still needs her fantasy (shown when she tells Hoggle and the others in the mirror that she still needs them), but she also shares her dreams and imagined magics that she loves (This is shown when she gives Toby her teddy to love as his own now). She now understands that her dreams and life must be balanced for her to be whole. I see this as how Jim Henson saw the world- A grown man who still loved stories and magic and found balance in sharing them with others. Sarah becomes this as well at the end.
