2/28/2008
What do I hear in the distance?
A dark sacred cave, my ear, there echos of a great run can be heard. On the walls painted, in ground earth, the image born eons ago. All of God's creatures fleeing the horizon, a stampede of terror, from the great behemoth born from the frozen wasteland of the north, MASTODON!
2/27/2008
Labyrinth: Feminine Teen Fantasy or Aging Male Lament
Last week I was home bound for at least a week with the flu. As soon as the worst of it was over, I downloaded Jim Henson's Labyrinth staring then teenager Jennifer Connelly and David Bowie. I cannot tell you why I sought this film out or what inspired searching for the torrent. But it occurred to me to go look for it and with such ready access to media, I obtained it with little difficulty.
After many repeated viewings I began to understand why this film surfaced in my thoughts. It was not nostalgia, because though I am sure I saw it in the 80's, I am equally sure that it did not leave a strong impression on me then. If anything, I remember it as one of the many failed attempts; Legend, Willow, Dragonslayer, to create a successful fantasy genre film. And I distinctly remember being disappointed by the impact the film had on my perception of David Bowie's image. His cool, soulful alienation that defined his iconography was exploited for a target audience other than me at the time. The film did not speak to me.
But now in my state of recovery I found the character of the film speaking to me in a very clear voice. First you must agree with me that a film actually has a character. The character that is not comprised of just the visual comprised of all the elements of film making executed by those individuals contributing.
It has presence, memory, and expectation. The traces of those beliefs are left embbeded in the experiece of viewing, more so as it is comprised of all other artforms. In this way, great spectacles become more than their sum, a collection of lies that tell some truth as guided by those beliefs of those all making the film.
If you agree with me then agree further that a film's depth of character cannot be fully understood as a singularity but obviously on many levels with many messages. Then there is the final contributor that closes loop, the viewer, who brings their own beliefs and sense of self to the experience of watching the film, where the film's characteristics are identified and resonate with the individual, some are augmented and others are suppressed as the viewer recognizes their own beliefs projected for consumption.
Simply put to me at a cocktail party, the subtext of the film.
And here is where I inject my fever vision of the character of Labyrinth. It is not the story of a young girl's realization that she is no longer a child and must change accordingly, but more so the lament for the aging male character Jareth, who can no longer play the role of suppressed sex object to the girl. In fact the strongest, more resonant vision of the film is the latter and can be supported by the structural elements that comprise the film.
Here is a brief outline that I will further develop.
o The labyrinth is "childishly" a metaphor for Sarah's repressed sexual awareness yet her character does not transform, only supperficially does she address the woe of adulthood. Sarah's sexual identity actually remains the same throughout story.
o Sarah's journey is one of moral growth not sexual growth, and her realisation is not self sexual realization, but of political realization, when she states to Jareth "You have no Power over me!" Sexual or otherwise.
o All of the creative leads were men in midlife crisis, and clearly confused the target of the film. That it did poorly at the box office only suports this view, the blink analysis is "Who wants to see Bowie in a codpiece"
o The lead creative forces were:
o Jim Henson
o Terry Jones
o David Bowie
o George Lucas
o The George Lucas factor applies here where all female sexuality is repressed and if possible eliminated where only the surface flesh and shape of the actor can denote any sexuality - and here is where Jennifer Connelly is distinctly non-sexual but acttractive none the less.
o The codpiece is the elephant in the room.
o The music is sung from Jareth's point of view. Written by David Bowie for the movie, each is loaded with ambiguity around desiring a connection with Sarah, and Within You is clearly what Jareth wants to be, but is refutted.
o Dance Magic
o Within You
o Underground
o The bog of eternal stench clearly represents decrepitude and incontinence, where hemrodial gasgets fart and emit the smells of age.
o The only true transformation that happens in the film is Jareth's, he the powerful Goblin king is returned to an intert state of the barn owl. This decline is clearly marked by periods of interaction with Sarah, at each one he is rebuffed, ignored and belittled.
o Snatching Toby - "Take this child away from me," Sarah prays to Jareth - metaphorically shedding the responsibilities of Motherhood but it is Jareth whose threats and posing fail to thwart Sarah visually fades away.
o Sarah and Jareth in the Dance, all wear masks, but Sarah, and when Jareth reveals hers she runs away.
o Final scene Jareth transforms to small barn owl.
After many repeated viewings I began to understand why this film surfaced in my thoughts. It was not nostalgia, because though I am sure I saw it in the 80's, I am equally sure that it did not leave a strong impression on me then. If anything, I remember it as one of the many failed attempts; Legend, Willow, Dragonslayer, to create a successful fantasy genre film. And I distinctly remember being disappointed by the impact the film had on my perception of David Bowie's image. His cool, soulful alienation that defined his iconography was exploited for a target audience other than me at the time. The film did not speak to me.
But now in my state of recovery I found the character of the film speaking to me in a very clear voice. First you must agree with me that a film actually has a character. The character that is not comprised of just the visual comprised of all the elements of film making executed by those individuals contributing.
It has presence, memory, and expectation. The traces of those beliefs are left embbeded in the experiece of viewing, more so as it is comprised of all other artforms. In this way, great spectacles become more than their sum, a collection of lies that tell some truth as guided by those beliefs of those all making the film.
If you agree with me then agree further that a film's depth of character cannot be fully understood as a singularity but obviously on many levels with many messages. Then there is the final contributor that closes loop, the viewer, who brings their own beliefs and sense of self to the experience of watching the film, where the film's characteristics are identified and resonate with the individual, some are augmented and others are suppressed as the viewer recognizes their own beliefs projected for consumption.
Simply put to me at a cocktail party, the subtext of the film.
And here is where I inject my fever vision of the character of Labyrinth. It is not the story of a young girl's realization that she is no longer a child and must change accordingly, but more so the lament for the aging male character Jareth, who can no longer play the role of suppressed sex object to the girl. In fact the strongest, more resonant vision of the film is the latter and can be supported by the structural elements that comprise the film.
Here is a brief outline that I will further develop.
o The labyrinth is "childishly" a metaphor for Sarah's repressed sexual awareness yet her character does not transform, only supperficially does she address the woe of adulthood. Sarah's sexual identity actually remains the same throughout story.
o Sarah's journey is one of moral growth not sexual growth, and her realisation is not self sexual realization, but of political realization, when she states to Jareth "You have no Power over me!" Sexual or otherwise.
o All of the creative leads were men in midlife crisis, and clearly confused the target of the film. That it did poorly at the box office only suports this view, the blink analysis is "Who wants to see Bowie in a codpiece"
o The lead creative forces were:
o Jim Henson
o Terry Jones
o David Bowie
o George Lucas
o The George Lucas factor applies here where all female sexuality is repressed and if possible eliminated where only the surface flesh and shape of the actor can denote any sexuality - and here is where Jennifer Connelly is distinctly non-sexual but acttractive none the less.
o The codpiece is the elephant in the room.
o The music is sung from Jareth's point of view. Written by David Bowie for the movie, each is loaded with ambiguity around desiring a connection with Sarah, and Within You is clearly what Jareth wants to be, but is refutted.
o Dance Magic
o Within You
o Underground
o The bog of eternal stench clearly represents decrepitude and incontinence, where hemrodial gasgets fart and emit the smells of age.
o The only true transformation that happens in the film is Jareth's, he the powerful Goblin king is returned to an intert state of the barn owl. This decline is clearly marked by periods of interaction with Sarah, at each one he is rebuffed, ignored and belittled.
o Snatching Toby - "Take this child away from me," Sarah prays to Jareth - metaphorically shedding the responsibilities of Motherhood but it is Jareth whose threats and posing fail to thwart Sarah visually fades away.
o Sarah and Jareth in the Dance, all wear masks, but Sarah, and when Jareth reveals hers she runs away.
o Final scene Jareth transforms to small barn owl.
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)