The Dark Crystal

As I indicated, there was SO much more I wanted to say about the pair of movies, Dark Crystal and Labyrinth. As such, there is only one way to do it. By going through them beginning to end! I begin with the Dark Crystal as it was both the first released and the first I saw. So, since we have an hour and a half to get through, with endless comments, rambles and certainly criticisms to come, it is best we get started!

Pre-Ramble

Released in 1982, Dark Crystal was the born of the brilliant imagination of Jim Henson, whom I spoke of in my previous ramble. But as no movie is made by one man, there is a little more credit to be spread around. The first I'll mention is David Odell, who seems to have had a long working relationship with Henson on things such as the Muppet Show. While I am not sure of the extent he was involved in the script (Both Henson and Odell receive the credit for the film) I would hazard a guess that much of the film's dark tone can be credited to him. I can say this decent faith as his later credits include such anthology series as Monsters and Tales from the Darkside, but more importantly the Masters of the Universe movie. Though it was a HORRIBLE MOTU movie, the tone of the story bares some similarity to to that of the Dark Crystal's. From a cursory glance, I could then estimate it to be Henson himself who worked in the higher concepts as they made a return in Labyrinth, but the darker tone and Odell did not.

Also giving a MAJOR contribution to the film's legacy was that of Brian Froud. Froud is the concept artist who designed the bulk of the movie's looks, from the creatures and characters, to the world they inhabit. And, according to one tidbit I found, added the element of the crystal itself when mishearing the word "Chrysalis". Henson enjoying the look of the Crystal he designed so much, he added it to the movie. When dealing with a film that has such FANTASTIC things inhabiting it, the role of this man cannot be understated. The bulk of Froud's work is as an illustrator of faries and goblins. However, he also has a handful of concept artist credits, one being this movie, another being a movie I'm sure your will have MAJOR trouble guessing... and a third I found of note, Little Nemo: Adventures in Slumberland. This, much like Dark Crystal, was a movie I grew up watching and to this day remember the excellent character designs, if not much else detail wise from the movie.

But, enough of that, much more to say, so let us get this journey under way!

The Dark Crystal

Right from the very beginning of the movie, the Universal Logo freshly forming in the aether of space, the music is already setting the tone of this movie. Such a thing is not really recognized much, but it really is responsible for 50% of a movie's tone. I myself am only now coming to realize this thanks in part to one of my favorite movies, The Thing. A movie I love dearly for the creepy, cold and paranoia laden atmosphere. Upon acquiring the soundtrack in the past year, I discovered that all of these traits are present in the film's score itself. The tracks work brilliantly, setting the tone of the memorable scenes in a way only music can do. The concept is the same here. The score, composed by Trevor Jones, is already describing the situation and world before even a single frame of the movie itself has arrived. The very sound of it preparing us to see the fantastic world of Thra that we are about to be introduced to. Ominous and foreboding, yet still there lies an undercurrent of hope. Let this be a lesson, if you want your movie to be seen as a DARK movie, as this one is, you don't need to wash the sets in shadow, you need a top rate composer as Jones proves himself to be here. (Of note: His first work as a composer was in the movie Excalibur, which is not so surprising. He has worked on several other big name movies, but the only other one I'm going to call out at the moment is Dark City.)

When we finally DO see the world, we are introduced to it in the form of a desolate landscape. A sinister looking castle looms in the background. A storm roils overhead. A strange earthbound lightshow transpires. Again, all this adding to the overall tone of the movie. First impressions count.

One thing I do have to criticize is the voice over by Joseph O'Conner. Not because he does a BAD job, mind. But because the very nature of the narration is pointless. This is all stuff that can be gleaned from shutting up and watching the movie itself. It's redundant. (Which I suppose is a step above the Blade Runner one that acts to actively RUIN the movie, rather than just get in the way) Near as I can figure, this oppening narration was one of the elements added after a test screening for the movie went poorly. It does not exist in the Third revision script, which was as far back as I could find in a quick search. (Several other elements I am MOST interesting to see what the original idea was, such as in its pre Crystal form.) But I do hold the opinion that this narration should be cut. Let the movie show us! It's all there! So, once again, the dim bulb test audiences work HARD to fuck up our movies. Good work people!

Now inside the castle, what's the first thing we see? A Garthim. More on these fellas later. But it is nifty that you cannot tell what it is unless you have seen the movie and are REALLY paying attention as it is in shadow and from behind. But the carapace in unmistakable.

Directly following, we get our first glimpse of the crystal itself and the villains of our piece, the Skekses. On the subject of this name by the way, the script differentiates it as Skekses for plural and Skeksis for singular, which is a variation you can BARELY make out in the movie. (And one I'm gonna go with here, just because) I also want to call out the idea right here that the designs of each individual Skeksis has a basis in one of the Seven Deadly Sins. The most obvious one being the gluttonous and fat Gourmand.

Right away, we are introduced to the core drive of our antagonists. The Skekses have a lust for immortality. They have this terrible, overriding fear of death. The extent of which we'll get into later, but suffice it to say, it is not hard to picture the blighted land being a direct result of this lust. Having spent all of the nearby life, they turn to the sun as in this introduction for their life taking sustenance.

Since the movie takes the time to introduce our villains, I shall as well! I'm STILL not sure I can keep all of them straight, but I sure am gonna try! Oddly, though all of them have names, the Skekses are credited by their positions only. In order of their introduction as they stand around the crystal: The first we see from the front in the foreground is the Scientist aka skekTek. (The Slave-Master is in the background) Next we have the Ornamentalist aka skekEkt. (The Scroll-Keeper aka skekOk is in the background.) The Slave-Master aka skekNa takes the foreground now. The Gourmand aka skekAyuk comes after him. Then the second most notable Skeksis in the General aka the Garthim-Master aka skekUng. Our main Skeksis to get the most screen time comes after him, the Chamberlain aka skekSil. Then the High-Priest aka Ritual-Master aka skekZok. Not shown individually is the Treasurer aka skekShod and of course absent is the Emperor aka skekSo.

Next up, the movie introduces us to the Mystics. Though not said by name for the bulk of the movie, the race is known as the urRu. First shown is the Ritual Guardian aka urZah. Interestingly, the sand painting he is working on came slightly later in the script. It shows the great conjunction and, in the script at least, is what tells the Mystics it is time to head to the castle. As urZah begins his call, we are shown the rest in this order: urTih the Alchemist. Then urUtt the Weaver. (Who can be seen in the background from the beginning of the scene.) Followed by urYod the Numerologist. urAmaj the Cook. urNol the Herbalist. urAc the Scribe. urIm the Healer. And what finally must be urSol the Chanter, though he looks a LOT like one of the others, his top knot appearing off camera if it is him. Not shown is obviously urSo the Master. Overall, the Mystics are FAR harder to tell apart than the Skekses due to lack of comparative screen time. Something that was perhaps lost in one of the revisions. For the most part we only see them through the eyes of Jen.

Speaking of Jen... there he is... sitting on a rock... playing his flute... buck naked... Which I have seen some warnings of nudity for the movie. Try as I might though, I see no Muppet genitalia, but I suppose if you come across a warning of nudity for this movie, this is one of only two possible locations for it.

I find it interesting that all of the mystics stare hopefully at Jen as he runs through the village to see urSo. Taken on it's own, before realizing the nature of the Mystics and Skekses, one would think them simply staring in hope at the "last" hope for the prophecy. Which is of course the end of the Skekses. But considering what it REALLY means, they are staring at him in hope of being rejoined with their counter parts. I find it interesting as on the face of it, the Mystics DO seem to have come off better in the separation than the Skekses. It's not simply that they are hoping for an end to the reign of terror the Skekses have caused, but the actually see their nature as somewhat lesser without their other halves. They see the mistake they made and wish to see it reversed, where as the Skekses see it as an end. ALL SORTS of parallels can be drawn from this. The Skekses seemingly seeing it as a loss of self or death, that which they fear most. The Mystics see it as it is, becoming whole once more. The big question being, if you are only one half of a whole, does that individual existence become more important than said whole? The Skekses seem to think so. And in some ways they are correct, they are individual beings with their own drives and goals. But still, they are fractured none the less. The Skeksis lust for more and more and are never sated. The Mystics do not seem to share this lust, but clearly they have no more peace in their souls than the Skekses. Again, I wish we would have seen a bit more of them to see what the toll on them has been. As the movie stands, they simply appear to be "wise" and know it is for "the best". I like to think of characters as a little more three dimensional than that.

Which, now that I think about it, doesn't really portray the Mystics in such a positive light. The Master mentions to Jen in the following scene about him being the one who is to save their world. But think about it. The problem is the Skekses right? They have ravaged the land for 1000 YEARS. If all things were about was saving the world, it would be ending the Skekses, something easily done. But no, Jen is sent on his quest to SAVE the Mystics AND stop the Skekses. In a way the Mystics are as selfish about their existence as the Skekses, only they want to be what they were before. Sure there is all the talk of reuniting the crystal, but really, could that not be done at any other time? The Great Conjunction is what unites the Mystics and Skekses, not what makes the crystal one again. (But then that would be a short, depressing movie as the Mystics walked over a cliff one by one)

As we return to the exterior shot of the castle, it occurs to me that the light show witnessed previously is the lightning of the storm striking the ground and being drawn to the castle. Another visual cue of the Skekses bleeding everything of the world dry in an effort to sustain themselves.

Inside the castle we again see the Garthim-Master. An interesting little note is the sound he makes as he walks. A sorta clicking/jingle sound. The character notes describe him as wearing spurs. A nice touch, though it brings up the odd visual of him riding around on a Garthim like a horse...

The Chamberlain's distinctive whimper is NOT mentioned in the script. But even more than that, the script has very little dialogue written for any Skeksis. Why? Well, it seems the original idea, and one that was even filmed, has the Skekses speaking their own unique alien tongue. Several of these words appear in the script such as "Haakskeekah" (Trial by Stone) and "Kellffinnkh" (Gelfling), but most of it appears to have been devised later when shooting. In fact, the original scenes of the Skekses feature nothing BUT this invented language. It was that disaterous test screening that made Henson re-loop the scenes in English. The footage was not changed one iota, and with this in mind, you can kinda tell at points this is the way it was supposed to be originally. One can only imagine how much more laced with nightmare fuel the Skekses would have been for children if their entire onscreen presence was nothing but their sibilant language.

Speaking of nightmare fuel... nothing like a terrifying bird lizard dying and then DISINTEGRATING. It's a great effect though. Supposedly achieved by mixing together waxes with different melting points. Also interesting to point out is the reason this occurs according to the notes. The Skekses exist without souls, and are basically nothing but their flesh in the here and now. Thus, when their bodies die, there is little holding it together and it falls apart quickly. In a way this shows the Skekses to be being of pure will. The only reason they can last as long as they do is their drive to LIVE. They're almost sympathetic in this regard. But then you take into account that a part of this is their draining life from other beings to extend their own, putting their existence above others, they then kinda lose that sympathy. The original scripting of the scene describes it simply as him fading into blackness, furthering the "Light and Dark =Good and Evil" theme.

The other side of the coin is then shown with the Master fading away with sparkles of light. The implication being of course that the Mystics retain the duo's soul. So, to keep score here: Skeksis=Will without soul. Mystic=Soul without Will. Getting us deep into the balance issue I mentioned previously. The pairing of the two forces together is what allows them to work. Without soul, your achievements are meaningless, even downright sinister. Without will, you can make no achievements, you cannot grow. The two parts need each other.

We briefly see the Mystic funerary ritual where they send their fallen comrade's belongings to him. What's interesting is that in the script, urZah gets FAR more lines. He sends Jen off on his journey here. More interestingly is Jen asking him about the prophecy and the future the Mystics have seen. urZah replies by telling him that they see ALL possible futures. Personally, I find this concept fascinating. The idea being that while you may be able to see the future, you can effectively do nothing about it because you can see ALL of them. But then again, the Mystics could not do anything anyway as they are beings without will. (Which, yes, I now realize it makes it unfair of me to basically have called them assholes a few paragraphs back though) A far more interesting rite they cut from the movie is the Skekses side as they perform their own distinctive ritual for the Emperor. It consisted of the General, the High-Priest and the Chamberlain carrying the Emperors remains in a casket into the council chamber. There they would pay their last respects individually before the lot of them incinerated the remains. And in a way, it's kinda sad to lose as it shows that no mater how conniving and backstabbing they can be, they realize they are just beings of flesh and still mourn when one of their own passes. (Or that the Emperor was such a badass that he scare them shitless from even beyond the grave. Either/or.) It was likely lost due to it being around the ten minute mark, and people were probably all itchy for the big grand quest to begin! Rather than, ya know, pointless little things like getting acquainted with the world and characters.

I should also point out that I dislike the Jen voiceovers for the same reason I dislike the narrator. This is all stuff being shown. The Muppets do a MARVELOUS job conveying the emotions of the characters. Jen is just starting out on his quest, taking his first steps beyond the valley. He looks out over the land and hesitates. He looks down slightly before continuing forward. All of this perfectly conveys what he is feeling at the moment. But instead there is this added voice over with him talking about how he feels alone, but summons up the courage to move on. The voiceover is redundant, pay attention and it's all there. (Obviously, I like needing to make a MINIMUM investment in a movie)

While the bulk of the movie was filmed at Elstree Studios in Hertfordshire, England (The same studio where many famous genre movies were filmed over the decade, not the least of which being the Star Wars Trilogy as well as Indiana Jones) the was quite a bit of location filming done. Places such as the Scottish Highlands for the wide vistas and Gordale Scar in North Yorkshire, a limestome ravine which you can see in shots such as the beginning of Jen's journey here.

Back to the politics of giant dinobirds! Splintering into three factions due to skekSo's death, one can imagine these deals going back over the thousand years and switching places time and again. Skipped over in their introduction for the most part, skekShod gets a rare line of dialogue here when he suggests skekZok is deserving of being the new Emperor. To break it down, Treasurer and Gourmand support the High-Priest, Ornamentalist and Scroll-Keeper support the Chamberlain, with Slave-Master and Scientist supporting the Garthim-Master. (Aren't ya glad I didn't do that by names?) And then the Trio start the argument! It's interesting that while skekZok is the first to challenge skekSil's claim to the throne, he ultimately takes a backseat to the rivalry between skekSil and skekUng. Even MORE interesting to note from this: the performer for skekZok, the High-Priest? Jim Henson.

As the duo agrees upon "Trial by Stone" (aka "Haakskeekah" if you remember), another of the rare speaking parts for another Skeksis comes from skekNa, the Slave-Master. He's the first one to repeat "Trial by Stone!" And, If you are having any more trouble picking him out of the crowds, like me, he's the one with the hook/claw left hand and an eyepatch over his right eye. The notes indicate that though lacking in imagination and nobility, he seems to think he has an ear for music oddly enough.

Trial by Stone seems like such an odd ritual when you are just watching the movie. Two Skekses pick up scimitars, then take turns whacking at a big rock. One apparently wins when he knocks the top off the stone. The script cleared the idea up a bit. The missing piece of the puzzle comes from them leaving out a small detail in the final movie: Each thwack is supposed to be producing a chip from the rock. It's a competition to see who can take the largest chunk from the stone. Maybe I'm just not observant enough, but that finally makes a bit of sense to me. I'm just curious as to what their limit is, or if they just get to keep on whacking at it. Unless the idea is to keep whacking at it as long as you can produce a larger chunk than the previous guy. What also occurs to me is that, by judging the look of the stone in the flim, you can see that previously the Skekses had challenged the rule of skekSo. And this alone makes an interesting dichotomy to that frail creature we saw just before his death as skekSo was noted to be the strongest of their number. (As he would have to be to lead them.) Coming back to the ritual itself, I am curious if it evolved as a ritual in reference to the the original cracking of the crystal, which could very well have been skekSo's doing himself. But this, I am as yet unsure of.

With their bodies withering and decaying in their unnaturally prolonged life, robes and garments of all types take on special significance to the Skekses. The very fact that one of their number is a designated "Ornamentalist" first speaks to this, but FAR less than the disrobing scene of skekSil. Deemed unworthy by his failure, one would expect such vicious looking creatures to rend the outcast limb from limb (other than the fact of this technically being a children's movie of course) but instead they tear into skekSil by ripping the clothing from his body. He is stripped of power by being rendered naked. This again speaks to not only their apparent unwillingness to kill one of their own but it ALSO gives us a bit of their mindset that drives them to take whatever essences they can to restore their own. The Skekses find themselves as ugly as we do. They are horrified by the degradation their bodies have suffered over the long centuries. They drape themselves in cloth and ornamentation in an effort to hide this hideous knowledge from themselves. This knowledge eating away at them has created a race willing to do ANYTHING to restore what they once were. And none of them willing to accept that it is not their past Skeksis self they need to return to in order to find peace.

With skeSil's disrobing, we can now see a commonality in anatomy between the Skekses and the Mystics, a second set of arms. Withered over time as the rest of their bodies seem to have done, one wonders if an original Skeksis looked closer to an urRu in the beginning...

As they are summoned to the crystal chamber, we at last see the reason Jen is the "last" Gelfling, the Skekses are terrified of them. Their prophecy saying that a Gelfling will destroy them, which in a way is true as previously discussed. But as with all Legends, we find the villains for SOME strange reason think that simply wiping out an entire people will undo it. Hell, this very theme of the prophecy CREATING the problem it predicts goes back to AT LEAST greek mythology. The titan Cronus was told that his children would bring about his death. so, what does Cronus do? Swallows them. yup, all his kids, downs 'em whole. AH... but there is one exception to this... Zeus. His mother Rhea substituted a stone for her child so when Cronus came around, he did not get the tasty baby snack he desired, but rather a rock. (The Omphalos Stone for you name sticklers out there) Zeus of course grows up and returns to slay his father and free his siblings. So, thanks to the prophecy, Cronus brought about his own demise. This is of course, called, duh, a self-fulfilling prophecy. However, here it oddly doesn't seem to matter had the Skekses done nothing or what they ended up doing in the whole genocide thing. Even the mystics, going by the one line in the script, thought it entirely possible for the Skekses to triumph. (And in so doing, screw themselves over)

The Gelfling revealed, the Garthim-Master does what Garthim-Masters do best. Summons up Garthim! These crabby horrors put even the nightmare that is the Skekses to shame. Created by skekTek, and animated by the powers of the Dark Crystal, the Garthim were made in the image of sea creatures distantly remembered from the homeworld of the Mystics and Skekses. So horrible are these creatures that the performers themselves would suffer major exhaustion from having to carry those things around on their backs. To combat this, they would regularly hang them up on racks to give them some rest. (Yes, IN the costumes) One thing I am unsure of though in the design is the question of: are we meant to ignore the feet and assume they walk upon their legs/tentacles or is the design indeed meant to have the stumpy, flat footed legs? In any case, there's not much to say on them, just LOOK at them! Evocative of undersea crustaceans, beetles and even a bit of bloated tick thrown in for good measure! It's quite a creature they've made here!

As Jen climbs the rocks to Aughra's home, we get a fairly decent look at the Crystal Bat playing the eyes for the Skekses. Part insect, part reptile, part bat. These things are just creepy in a different way than the Grathim. Imagine entering a room and spotting a Crystal Bat hanging from the ceiling, staring at you while it makes that buzzing/clicking noise. Sure a Garthim standing there would fill your pants quite quickly, but one of these sons of bitches would just be EGH! It's nice how all of the designs related to the Skekses seem to flow together, even though when you break it down they are all totally dissimilar from one another, save a single detail, they is OOGLY.

I love those rolling land anemones. Got a squishy toy just like 'em! Really nothing more to say than that.

You know what? Let's discuss the wildlife for a second here. All the things in these rocks appear to be adapted from sea life. the rolling anemones and the little rock crabs, even the look of the rocks on his way up reminds one of colonies of tube worms. It's interesting to consider that at some point in time this cliff side was seemingly underwater. Were the Skekses involved in the receding of the waters somehow? In the ending there is suddenly a new river next to the castle, so it seems a distinct possibility! but then one must ask, is a scant 1000 years enough time for the sea life to adapt to living out of the water? Or am I over thinking things here?

And at last we are introduced to Aughra! Her eye removal ability both compelling and repellent at the same time. She has been around forever and remembers a time before the Mystics and Skekses. While the movie presents her as simply a wise yet cantankerous old witch, the notes portray her to be SO much more. Apparently, Aughra is nothing less than the essence of the planet Thra itself, given form. She was intended to be its eyes upon the world, formed from the rocks and flora. This explains her ability seen here to command the roots holding Jen. Also of note to my original thesis that the overall meaning of the legend here is that of balance, Aughra is male AND female. (though I wouldn't pass this up as reference to Frank Oz voicing the character prior to the casting of Billie Whitelaw) Though she is male and female, it is noted that it is her male half that has withered over the years, leaving mostly the female to remain. She herself witnessed the previous Great Conjuction that resulted in the birth of the Mystics and Skekses. This event burned her severely and took one of her eyes from her. Her role in the story is that of the obvious archetype oracle/wise woman/benevolent witch. (aka the Crone) Due to the concept of prophecy being central to the story, one could even tie her to the Weird Sisters of Macbeth and their antecedents. The notion of a connection between loss of an eye and gaining knowledge brings to mind Odin or norse mythology first of all. However, I think Aughra has a more obvious mythological connection... Atum. Atum was heavily involved in one particular creation myth of Egyptian mythology. In it, Atum was said to have been born from the primordial waters of chaos. Creating himself and then a mound to set upon, Atum realized he was alone and wished to create more gods. However, being one of a kind, he simply mated with himself. (or his shadow depending on the version of the story) In effect he was a bisexual god, sometimes being referred to as the "The Great He-She". (sound familiar yet?) Atum birthed his son Shu, god of air and his daughter Tefnut, goddess of moisture. As these two set out to establish the order of the world, they became lost in the sea of chaos, so what did Atum do? Atum sent his single, removable eye in search of his children. (This another possible version of the Udjat, or later Eye of Horus myth) When the eye returned with the children, Atum wept with joy at the sight of them safe. Where the tears fell, man was born. Interestingly, one may also find reference in the Graeae of greek mythology. Sisters of the Gorgons who were said to have long, gnarled grey hair and amongst them they shared only a single tooth and eye. Since we could clearly go on for hours on the origins of Aughra alone, it is probably time to move on. Oh, except for one more detail: her design was originally more masculine with crab pincers and her name was Habidabad. (bringing to mind Baba Yaga... but I said I would stop)

The exchange between Aughra and Jen concerning the Master has a slightly interesting detail. "Where is he? Is he here?" Aughra asks Jen as she looks around. "He's dead." Jen replies. Then, without missing a beat, Aughra replies "Could be anywhere, then." It's a great exchange on it's own, but ALSO makes one question how their afterlife works exactly. Previously, the Master made reference to perhaps seeing Jen in another world, but not this one. So too did his fellow Mystics make it a point to "send" him his belongings. So, I cannot help but wonder if this is the concept of an afterlife? Where various souls go after death. The concept of resurrection? Where a soul is recycled back into existence as another form. Or even a whole "Force" thing? Where the soul becomes energy to join with the universe itself. But then, perhaps this is why Aughra's quote is so great. Though born of the very planet Thra itself, Aughra herself doesn't even really know the answer to that.

Aughra's Orrery is such a fantastic contraption. (Even the word Orrery itself is fantastic) Though it seems dangerous in the movie, the script makes it sound downright deadly. So, why on earth would you build a giant machine in your living room that could kill you very very dead? Then again, who am I to argue with a Muppet Crone?

"The Great Conjunction is THE END OF THE WORLD! ...or the beginning." Is there really anything else to say other than that?

Okay, yes there is. Great Conjunctions are real astronomical events. However, not nearly as spectacular as presented here. The term is used when Jupiter and Saturn are perfectly aligned on the right ascension, an event that transpires every 18 to 20 years. In reference to mythological significances however... there are some theories that a Great Conjunction (or rather GREATEST Conjunction) in 7 BC inspired the tale of the "Star of Bethlehem".

If you listen to Aughra's dialogue here, it would appear she is a neutral force in the world. It's not until the Skekses cross her that she actively picks one side over the other. Which is somewhat odd considering her status as an Avatar for Thra. Is the planet really that unconcerned with the Skekses habit of sucking the essence out of anything and everything? Certainly, Thra is not a mothering world as one would think of the Gaia concept.

Thematically, the singing tone of the Mystics works better than as it was written in the script. The original notion was that the stone's image that the Master shows to Jen in the beginning would make the distinctive two note tone that he would later remember at this point. Tying it back into the Mystic song brings a nice connection that was not there before. And no, it was not a purple glow in the script either.

That poor Garthim. Was strong enough to break through a wall, but couldn't smash a table. Must be a runt. That or Aughra is a goddamn MASTER carpenter.

Once more, after fleeing Aughra's home, the wildlife surrounding Jen has a very distinct aquatic vibe going on. From walking seaweed stalks, to the weird stonefish/venus flytrap thing, to the land shrimp. If I was more of a biologist, it would be fascinating to figure out what potential type creatures the Gelflings or Podlings came from...

The footprint is a nice little subtle detail. First it confirms that there WAS someone there. Secondly, the added effect of the water slowly seeming in show it was JUST made moments before. (I just mention it because it's not really one of those things that clicks as a child.)

On the subject of Fizzgig... I hate the bastard. He freaks me the fuck out. He reminds me of a goddamn Critter and THAT is never good. Sure he's fluffy and what not, but NO fluffy thing should have a goddamn mouth like that!

And at LAST we are introduced to the second Gelfling, Kira. In my previous posting, I touched upon the second notion of balance in this movie. The very concept of yin and yang cannot be discussed without expanding upon the male and female aspect. First of all, the movie would be MUCH more dour with Jen indeed being the last Gelfling. But so too does Kira give absolutely vital qualities to Jen's quest. The character perfectly parallel one another. Jen is educated while Kira is world smart. Jen is in tune with musical harmonies while Kira is in tune with the animals. Kira is outgoing while Jen is more reserved. Kira has suffered while Jen has been sheltered. It is their ability to work together, the balance they bring to one another that helps them succeed. It is by the differences of the sexes that they find equality. I could go on and get into the philosophical aspects of love itself, or the platonic creation myth that says that humans are two halves of a whole rent in twain by Zeus. But, I shall not. Suffice it to say, the idea is clear, man and woman overcome adversity when they work together. Balance.

Here is a question, is Gelfling language inherently understood amongst members? Kira begins by speaking to Jen in the Podling language. Jen replies in "English" to her. She is shocked by him and then begins speaking "English" back to him. The Podlings taught her to speak with the animals, did they then also teach her to speak the Gelfling language? But if this is true, why do none of the Podlings later speak so Jen can understand them? Though on the other hand, Kira distinctively remembers her real mother, I suppose it is then possible she was old enough for her Gelfling mother to have taught it to her. Still, food for thought.

The Gelfling ability of Dreamfasting is introduced here. Film wise, it's a slick and quick way to get all their backstory out of the way and get our two Gelflings bonded. But beyond that it is still a fascinating one. With shared thoughts, you are instantly bonded with the other. This notion plays well into the theme of balance I have been repeating. The original word in the script is Mindspeech, which has a lesser flair to it than Dreamfasting. And again, one wonders the extent of how Dreamfasting works. It is likely an ability inherent in all Gelflings. (Which Kira ALSO knows, clearly) but does it work between ALL Gelflings? Does it work automatically, or is it controllable? Is it male/female oriented? The script describes the first contact like a spark, so could it be in a way related to Gelfling mating rituals? Further, one must wonder if they could extend this form of Psychometry BEYOND the touch of another Gelfling. Many, many questions that I am clearly overthinking. But it is interesting that thee is a moment cut from the script that has Kira give her brief description of Mindspeech, then and Jen reaches for her hand again, Fizzgig cries out to stop him. Clearly, Fizzgig is slightly jealous of the two's new found feelings. The entire scene plays out as a sorta love at first sight/inadvertent first kiss sorta thing, thus why it makes me think it may be a part of the aforementioned Gelfling mating ritual.

Now we come to the Skekses feast scene. Intended to repulse us with their poor manners and bizarre foods. However, as a child, it just caused me to want some of this apparently tasty food they were scarfing! The scene itself is a nice one, but utterly fails to convey their intention beyond just "Skekses have poor etiquette". Due to the Skeksis spiritual disjointment, as it is put, the Skekses consume and consume and consume like this every meal, yet walk away from those meals just as hungry as when they began. The feasts themselves are prepared by a team of slaves, and masterminded by the Gourmand skekAyuk. He boasts that every meal he has a fresh menu of the finest foods he can conceive, with the roast Nebrie being a favored dish. Since he's featured screeching somewhat prominently here, (As prominently as the mostly ignored four Skekses can be) I would also like to call out skekEkt, the Ornamentalist. Often seen screaming and acting effeminately, lots of people, myself included, confuse skekEkt with a female Skeksis. He's not, strictly speaking. Henson commented that they never really chose a sex for any of the Skekses, instead preferring to think of them as some middle ground between. So there ya go, skekEkt is the Birdo/Flea/Poison of the movie.

I'm only quickly going to mention the scene of Jen and Kira floating down the river in their boat. (The script calls it a giant beetle shell, yikes.) It's a nice little character moment that goes by without a bit of dialogue. Kira singing her song as she guides their craft through the water. Then, inspired, Jen joins in on his flute trying to match her tone. Had the scene come before him trying to pick out the crystal shard, it would have been foreshadowing of his ability to remember and repeat specific musical tones. Instead, this vital ability of his in this quest now became a small character moment between Kira and him. It's a nice touch.

The Podlings. What is there really to say about them? They are the closest thing in the movie to the classic definition of a Muppet prior to this. They almost look to be made of felt in a way. Production notes indicate that they originally going for the look of "Potato" when they designed the Podlings. More interestingly, the original idea extended to them having eyes all over their head. These eyes even migrating across the head as they aged. This sounds wonderfully deranged, and I'm kinda sad they didn't go with that as to me, they are the least visually interesting thing in the movie from a design standpoint.

There's a funny little moment in the script during the Podling celebration scene that seems to have been lost in the movie. Right after Kira teaches Jen how to say thank you (Fala vam), the Podlings keep coming up to the two of them and speaking, offering them food and the like. One of them greets Kira, then turns to Jen and in Podling says "Kira's a beauty, isn't she?" to which Jen replies: "Fala vam." In fact, there's several little character moments that seem to have been lost here. Another occurs a bit later in the scene when Jen asks Kira how long they can stay, to which she replies as long as they want. Jen then say he doesn't want to leave, ever. It's a shame that this was lost as it shows Jen's attachment to Kira as well as his struggling with the burden of this quest he's on. That he's seriously considering abandoning it so he can stay with her and the Podlings. It would have lead marvelously into the following scene.

After the Garthim raid the Podling village, Jen and Kira flee with the aid of skekSil. Jen, feeling the burden of leading the Garthim to the village, as well as Aughra house, angrily flings the crystal shard away. Once more Kira provides vital support here, reminding Jen that the Garthim have always come. Without Kira, Jen CERTAINLY would not make it all the way to the castle for a variety of reasons.

Finding a long abandoned ruin, Jen and Kira discover it to be a Gelfling village. Firstly, to note from the previous scene, it is Kira who picks up the crystal shard. Secondly, that it is noteably Kira who sits in the throne within the structure. Thirdly, the inkling of more Psychometry comes up as Jen "feels" something about this place. Also, I wanted to point out the predominant motif of triangles around the village, and even the entire movie. All of it plays in relation to the three suns of the planet Thra: The Great Sun, The Rose Sun and The Dying Sun. Each triangle you see contains a reference to the three suns in the form of three circles within. Triangles themselves a VERY significant constructs and have multiple meanings across the cultures. Mythologically speaking, grouping of three are supposed to hold special significance. Just about EVERY mythology and religion has some for of the concept. Here in the states, obviously the "Holy Trinity" is the most well known of these with the father, the son and the holy spirit. Greek and Roman mythology has a very similar concept, however introducing the importance of woman in the equation. The three examples being Zeus/Jupiter, a woman either his wife Hera/Juno or Leto, and then one of their offspring, sometimes Apollo, sometimes Artemis/Minerva. However, given the names of the suns, I'm gonna have to go with the reference point being Hinduism. Specifically, the Trimurti. The Trimurti is known as the cosmic forces personified in three individual deities. Specifically, the force of Creation in Brahma, the force of maintenance in Vishnu and the force of destruction in Shiva. Each of them embodying a difference concept and opposed to one another, but not of them being right either. Balance. Carrying it further, one can even apply the concept to the three foremost races in the tale. urRu being the force of creation, Gelflings being the force of maintenance and Skekses being the force of destruction. OR one could apply it to the urRu and Skekses alone, with their original incarnation being one of the forces. OR one could count the original dominant species on Thra if they are willing to count the cut underground mining tribe. And lookie there, three possibilities for the three representations even. One could even go as far to say the movie represents Trinities and Dualities efforts to become one and achieve balance.

Checkout the Gelfling hieroglyphs. Obviously it gives a quick peek at the urRu and Skekses original forms. Then next to it shows the Skekses. Seperated from them by an ornamentation is the urRu. And unless I am mistaken, the top right seems to show a winged Gelfling... Hmm... I also discussed the prophecy, revealed here in its whole up above. But I feel it should be pointed out that the Gelflings are the ones who came up with this. This prophecy was meant to inspire them to heal the crystal and stop the Skekses. Which is extra interesting since the word "Gelfling" according to the notes, is derived from "Ghel-Iflainngk" which roughly means "those who live without knowledge of the future"

skekSil makes his reappearance here doing his damnedest to try and convince Jen and Kira that he is on their side. skekSil is actually a very interesting character. He was skekSo's second in command and was the favored to follow next in line. Obviously, skekUng fucked it up. In the movie he is not portrayed any better than his fellow Skekses. All of his pleading in this scene obviously amounts to nothing more that lies and trickery in hopes of regaining his lost status. However, his presentation in the script makes him a slightly more sympathetic character. It seemed he GENUINELY wanted peace with the Gelflings, his repeated failures to convince them depressing him greatly. It is not until he is attacked later that he is pushed back into the full on villain mindset of simply turning the Gelflings over to regain his position. BIG difference there, and makes for a much more interesting character. The sneering, lurking movie version though is clearly a flat out manipulative bastard from the get go. The big key to telling the difference? There a tiny moment, just after they run off here and skekSil calls after them. In the script the final action he takes in the scene is hanging his head dejectedly. That's not the anger of an evil mind who's trick has failed, that's the depression of a desperate mind who has run out of options.

Landstriders are the kinda thing you get when you have a paralyzing fear of rabbits. Lookit those things! Sure they're friendly and all, but would you want to ride on the back of a giant rabbit/giraffe/mosquito hybrid? If you were curious, there's four of them. Three adults and a baby. Also of note in the scene is Fizzgigs epic tantrum. It is honestly more memorable than the script version which had him simply bouncing up and down the Kira's height on the landstrider till she agreed to take him.

Finally getting some time with a Skekses OTHER than the main three, we join skekTek in his lab. skekTek has a keenly curious mind, but of course without soul to guide him, he does some nasty nasty stuff. Hell, even his own bdy is not above experimentation! He has removed one of his arms and legs, replacing them with mechanical ones. His eye he replaced with a telescoping eyepiece. And all the tubing on him? He uses it to monitor his own circulation. Yeah. More interesting is a detail somewhat glazed over in the movie. He has a unique relationship with Aughra. Before the urRu and Skekses split, skekTek's former self is the one who taught Aughra of astronomy and even aided her in building her Orrery. In return Aughra taught him of the rocks and land. He is also the one who originally figure out how to split the urRu and Skekses in twain. But of course, the one most horrific thing we see is his mechanism for draining essence from living beings. This is one of those scenes that has given people nightmares and it's easy to understand why. The most "muppet like" creatures in the movie being sucked dry and turned into zombies? Hell yeah that's disturbing! What I especially like about it is the detail of the podling's breathing. As he's being drained he pants heavily and his lip quivers slightly. It's a nice effect! Speaking of, here at last, more than halfway through the movie, we are introduced to the Skekses biggest concern, their vitality. One obviously cannot get away with talking about "draining life essence" without, at least briefly, discussing the vampire. Strictly speaking, the Skekses would not be the normal interpretation of a vampire as this "life essence" does not appear to be blood. (Unless Podlings have yellowish blood...) Still, the comparision must be noted. Specifically though, I would think them closer to Succubi or Incubi rather than a vampire. But still, the comparison is not quite right as both of those are mostly concerned with sexual encounters. (If you're lucky, you haven't now pictured skekTek mounting the Podling in an effort to drain its essence... oops.) I am absolutely sure there is a closer comparison to be made in relation to mythological creatures, but which one escapes me at the moment. But it is an idea that goes back centuries that one could gain something extra by contact or consumption of a living creature's fluids. Hell, Elizabeth Bathory, the most prolific female serial killer in history, believed that bathing in human blood would allow her to keep her youth. And many tales of cannibalism include the notion that consuming a person's heart will grant you their strength. Feel free to keep comparing them to vampires though, meanwhile, I'm moving on.

As the Landstrider/Garthim battle gets underway, the Landstriders appear to have gained a sort of proboscis or tongue which allows them to either spit some sort of corrosive, or shocks on contact. I really have no clue what the deal is here. But they sure do squeal horribly when they fall over cliffs or are ripped apart by Garthim. Weren't children's movies in the 80s just so bad ass? Really, what happened there? Quite a few of these classic movies show death and suffering. We all turned out fine for the most part. So, what? The youth of today just cannot handle such things? Do they REALLY need sheltered from it? Death is a natural outcome of life. Everybody dies. You should obsess over it, but to ignore it is just as great a folly. And, to quickly switch tracks here, how bout them wings? It's a great little reveal played of with an even GREATER line. "Wings! I don't have wings!" "Of course not. You're a boy." The line in the script just has her explaining that ALL Gelflings used to have wings. but that really doesn't have the same panache does it? Also, once more, Kira provides a valuable aid to overcoming a challenge! By the way, it's not that I have anything against Jen, it's just that he serves a very specific purpose in the story. He's the retard. Seriously! He is the one who is experiencing many of these sights along with us for the first time. The movie would be TOTALLY baffling if we did not have that one character who needs everything spelled out for our benefit. Jen fills that role often, though Kira also takes her turns in the role such as in the Gelfling Ruins. You can also note him as being the slightly braver of the two though, as Kira is frequently seen hesitating prior to entering a strange location.

By this point, sans the voice overs and narrations, AND my outright saying it, one would only start to be getting the idea that Skekses and urRu were once a single race. When skekSil is stabbed by Jen, you can see the instant wound on urSol the Chanter's hand. Now, had the movie not TOLD us this was the case more or less, it would be making an excellent puzzle begin to form. Due to people naturally assuming you must DEFEAT your enemies, rather than SAVE them, it would work wonderfully. I REALLY hate that opening narration.

Since skekZok is loudly proclaiming they are sworn to kill all Gelflings, I figure now is a good time to stop and talk about him for a second. He's an interesting religious comment in the movie when you find out his back story. Essentially, he rose to his position by inventing false prophecies for the other Skekses to follow. As he had the Emperor's ear, no one would get anywhere without going through him first. But of course, this was simply for the Emperor's amusement as he only raised a Skeksis up to a high position, just so he could watch the resulting fall. Later, after the Emperor's death, skekZok found out that the other Skekses were ignoring him and practicing their own divinations. skekZok has nothing left other than his title of Ritual-Master. His ritual dagger makes an appearance here and is used later too... well, you know. I'm also going to call out skekOk, the Scroll-Keeper. He is not heard speaking in the movie outside crowds for the most part, and this scene where he screams "Essence! Drain her Essence!" Physically, he is the shortest Skeksis, with a long thin beak and a pair of spectacles propped up on top. He is responsible for keeping track of Skekses history, a fact which he uses to his advantage as he continuously writes and rewrites the scrolls to suit his current agenda. Seen taking notes in several scenes, it's interesting that while not at all used, he has a set personality. A dual one in fact. When his neck is extended from his colar, his is intended to take on a pedantic tone, when retracted he would take on a more lazy and child like personality. As the lowest ranked Skekses due to his height, it might have been interesting to have seen more of him.

Gelflings apparently have Purple Essence/Blood. Also, I find it interesting that the Dreamfasting has seemingly PERMANENTLY bonded Jen and Kira as Jen is able to call out to her from a distance and snap her out of the crystal's rays.

Amusingly, audiences were said to have CHEERED when skekTek falls into the great shaft. Then they were silenced instantly when urTih ALSO burned up. Bet that was awkward for them. But it does present another nice hint at their bonded existence.

The scene where Jen falls into the Garthim lair is a GREAT little scene. He drops down a hole. He gets up and looks at his pitch black surroundings. Suddenly... he hears them. Garthim are close by. The sound (and music) grows. Suddenly purple points of light pop up in the darkness. Jen is surrounded by the very monsters he's been fleeing the entire movie! He is manhandle by the beasts. Only when one bust a hole through the wall to the great shaft is Jen able to escape, and just barely. And since we're on the subject, I am most curious as to how this shaft may play into the sequel, since it deals with a pair of new characters journeying to the center of Thra to reignite the dying sun there in the core.

The Mystics' song sooths the savage Garthim beast? A line written by William Congreve, often misquoted thusly, when in actuality the direct quote it "Music has charms to sooth a savage breast." This Congreve fellow, I LIKE the way he thinks... though this really has nothing to do with anything here.

With everything coming to a head and Kira surrounded by Skekses, I just wanna quickly point out the last of their number I didn't get to mention previously, skekShod the Treasurer. He is seen hissing at Kira in a closeup. He is the one with the large, curved beak and wearing the red babushka on his head. He speaks very rarely in the movie, and in fact it is noted he has a very limited vocabulary at that. Basically, if the other Skekses wanted to communicate with him and gain his assistance for what have you, they would speak with bribes. Anyhoo, back to the conclusion.

I think it's interesting to note that in the script there is a line where Jen realizes the Skekses are TERRIFIED of Kira, and tells her this. It is after this exchange that Kira decides to toss the shard up to Jen. Then of course Jim Hensons kills her. WHY JIM, WHY?! There's also a quick shot mentioned in the script where the crystal knits itself back together, but i can understand why they didn't try to do this effect in the movie.

As the decay crumbles from the castle walls and the Mystics enter, do you catch what skekOk screams? urRu, the ONLY mention of their actual species name in the final movie.

The quick shot where Aughra saves Fizzgig is not in the script, but he DOES reappear later with her all the same.

There's this great little shot of Jen holding Kira's body. He looks up, tears in his eyes. Though the castle is crumbling, the crystal is healed and the mystics and Skekses are having a confrontation, Jen is clearly more concerned with the loss of Kira. Remember how is said Muppets tend to be fully realized characters? There ya go.

The urRu surround the Crystal, almost mirroring the Skekses as we see them in the beginning of the film. This time instead of draining energy from the crystal, the urRu project beams outward, freezing the Skekses cold. Slowly pulling them back in. And, at last, the urRu rejoin with their other halves. For those wanting to keep track: skekAyuk merges with urAmaj to become AyukAmaj. skekEkt mergers with urUtt to become EktUtt. skekNa merges with urNol to become NaNol. skekOk merges with urAc to become OkAc. skekShod merges with urYod to become ShodYod. skekSil merges with urSol to become SilSol. skekUng merges with urIm to become UngIm. skekZok merges with urZah to become ZokZah. (akekSo and urSu would have merged to become SoSu. and skekTek and urTih would have become TekTih as well had they not died) And thus are reborn the race known as the UrSkeks! Alien beings who traveled to Thra centuries ago through another Great Conjunction. UngIm is the only one who speaks by the way. And now that we are finally to them... I gotta say... I don't like their look. You would think they would have SOME visual reference to BOTH the urRu and Skekses. but they don't even seem to have four arms. But notably is they DO seem to heal Kira with a song, referencing the urRu, which is kinda interesting. Still, with how big a role the union played into this, you would think that the UrSkeks would share SOME sort of something with the two halves. but, I really don't know... However, the entire concept of the UrSkeks folly being that they did not fully comprehend the need for a balance in life, int the soul, to find peace. A, by every rights superior alien race, is save by a mere Gelfling. The juxtaposition of great and small ALONE is enough to make your head explode. But don't do that. I refuse to be responsible for that. Instead, take the lesson of balance and embrace both your inner urRu and Skeksis. Don't make a Gelfling help ya. That's just being lazy.

Post-Ramble

It's kinda odd these days to find this to be a relatively unknown movie by mainstream standards. Still, the movie was a modest success, but not as much as it should have been. The dark nature of the film turned off many and then going up against a little known movie called E.T. pretty much gave it a limited market. With a 70% rating on Rotten Tomatoes, it was slightly more of a critical success. Probably due to us weird kids enjoying this kinda stuff, the movie has gained a cult following since. Interestingly though, this was a FAR more popular movie in Japan, becoming the highest grossing foreign movie there for years until its unseating by Titanic. One cannot help but wonder though what the cinematic landscape would have looked like had this been a bigger success. Henson never again went quite as dark as this movie was, and over the years family movies continued a steady stream of slowly being watered down. But for one moment, somebody took a chance on something as marvelous as this flick. Perhaps had he lived longer, Henson may have returned to a fantastic concept like this. Though technically the story is not quite over... As indicated, the is a sequel that has been in production for quite a few years. Brian Froud again returns as the designer, though little else other than a basic plot outline seems to exist in the public. Should be interesting to see if they can recapture a bit of the magic this first one had as the Legend of the Dark Crystal goes on.

And there ya have it! As I wrap this up, I find, that for once, I believe I have said EVERYTHING I wanted to say. How rare is that? Still, it took long enough, and hopefully you, dear reader got something from this too. Be on the look out for the Labyrinth one to follow!