Jim Henson found himself at a creative crossroads after completing 1982’s The Dark Crystal. The experimental, all-puppet dark fantasy—now viewed as a monumental achievement in worldbuilding and technical filmmaking—had failed to capture public imagination the way Henson had hoped. Eager to prove that he could still innovate and entertain without leaning on his classic Muppet characters, Henson began working with Dark Crystal conceptual designer Brian Froud on another foray into the realm of fantasy. The resulting production, 1986’s Labyrinth, would be a more lighthearted, accessible adventure, yet one that required a new type of soundtrack and the perfect musical villain.
The Casting of the Goblin King
Henson had been courting rock icon David Bowie to play the antagonist role of Jareth the Goblin King since the early days of the project. Once he dismissed the idea of Jareth being a puppet, Henson latched on to the idea of casting a rock star in the role. Names like Mick Jagger, Prince, and Sting were suggested, but Henson’s own kids convinced him that Bowie would be the best option to rock a shag mullet and codpiece. Bowie, like Henson, was going through a difficult creative patch at the time, feeling alienated from his audience and dissatisfied with recent studio output. The chance to once again create a dynamic, complex character while also writing and performing original songs proved a tempting proposition. After flirting with the role through several script overhauls and conceptual changes, Bowie eventually agreed to play Jareth.
A Psychological Wonderland
On the surface, Labyrinth follows the textbook hero’s journey of teenager Sarah Williams (Jennifer Connelly) as she races against time to rescue her baby brother, Toby, from Jareth’s clutches. However, when we reframe Sarah’s journey, and the labyrinth itself, as an internal struggle rather than merely a fantasy adventure in a far-off land, the film’s soundtrack takes on an entirely new magic. Henson himself described Labyrinth’s story as taking place where the “elements of Sarah’s real life” meet “the grid of her imagination.” It’s a very personal fantasy curated to her own taste, a psychological wonderland where the greatest foe she’ll face is her own childish hang-ups as she negotiates her first confusing steps toward adulthood.
The Musical Architecture of Trevor Jones
Composer Trevor Jones came aboard the Labyrinth team after having scored The Dark Crystal. For Labyrinth, Jones’ work—an unnerving mix of eighties synth and timeless orchestral instruments—focuses on Sarah’s emotional state. Jones was also the voice who nudged Henson toward the idea that rock music could work alongside an orchestral score. That might well be why Jones’ pieces complement Bowie’s pop songs so well, never once sounding like they originated in different musical realms. Often, their work feeds into one another’s, creating a cohesive sonic landscape that mirrors Sarah’s transition from childhood to maturity.
