Labyrinth

Director Jim Henson chose David Bowie for the role of Jareth the Goblin King in his fantasy family film. As king of the goblins, Bowie lives in a castle in a labyrinth reminiscent of the works of Escher. There he awaits the arrival of Sarah, the fifteen-year old girl that would rather not babysit her little brother. When she cries out she wishes the goblins would come and take him, she gets what she wants. There is nothing left for her to do but to fetch him back from Jareth”s magical subterranean realm.

Bowie gave a convincing performance as the sensual goblin king who manages to entice an adolescent girl on the brink of adulthood. Yet the film – based on a script by former Monty Python member Terry Jones – did not turn out to be the box office hit the producers hoped it would be. After Labyrinth, the legendary singer never again played a leading role in a feature film.

Bowie's memorable performances as a being from outer space (Nicolas Roeg's The Man Who Fell to Earth, 1976), as a ladies' man preying on rich and lonely widows in Weimar Berlin (David Hemmings' Just a Gigolo, 1978) and – above all – as the upright British prisoner of war Major Jack “Strafer” Celliers who brings out the suppressed homo-eroticism of a cruel Japanese camp commander (Nagisa Ôshima's Merry Christmas Mr. Lawrence, 1982) will forever be etched in the minds of all Bowie fans.

David Bowie and film

To accompany the reissue of The Man Who Fell to Earth – which had its première fifty years ago – Eye on Sound is organising an homage to David Bowie, who passed away ten years ago.

On Saturday, 14 March, you will be able to watch films that illuminate various aspects of Bowie’s relationship to film; whether as a composer/musician on the soundtrack or on screen as an actor. The programme consists of The Man Who Fell to Earth (1976), Cat People (1982), Merry Christmas, Mr. Lawrence (1983), The Hunger (1983) and Labyrinth (1986).

Bowie appeared in more than thirty films, usually in a cameo or small supporting part. His many albums, memorable tours, interviews and ever-changing personas mean that we have somewhat lost sight of Bowie the actor.

Several directors – including David Lynch, Christopher Nolan and Nicholas Roeg – have highlighted Bowie’s qualities: he was a singer-performer who could convincingly fill a wide range of character parts. Striking examples including the hyperintelligent, enigmatic alien in The Man Who Fell to Earth and the unflappable British officer Jack ‘Strafer’ Celliers (Merry Christmas Mr. Lawrence).