Narrative Film Structure Parallels

The Dark Crystal & Labyrinth

1. Equilibrium- The Dark Crystal
In the Land of Thora there was peace and Harmony with the creatures who over looked the world taking care of the Crystal of Balance. Gelfling were able to live free lives along with the Podlings and other inhabitants of the world.

1. Equilibrium – Labyrinth
Sarah is free to play make believe in her spare time. She reads plays and re-enacts them for her pet dog.

2. Disturbances- The Dark Crystal
The Crystal is cracked and the omnipresent beings are split into two new races, The Uru (Mystics) and the Skeksis. The Skeksis evil ugly creatures capture and kill the entire Gelfling race as there is a prophecy that Gelfling will destroy Skeksis and end their rule.

2. Disturbances-Labyrinth
Sarah returns home and is demanded she looks after her baby brother by her step mother. Sarah is sick of being responsible for her crying brother and she playfully recites a line from one of her plays asking the goblin king to take her brother away from her... Jareth the Goblin King hears her plea and takes the baby.

3. Protagonist- The Dark Crystal
Jen the last of his kind is a Gelfling. He has been raised his entire life by the peaceful Uru (Mystics). Serving his Master the Leader of the Mystics. He is strong willied and intelligent.

3. Protagonist- Labyrith
Sarah, after sending her baby brother away to the goblin king by accident, sarah leaves on a search to retrieve and save her brother. She is strong willed and intelligent.

4. Plan- The Dark Crystal
Jen's Master is dying and he tells Jen the Talk of the Dark Crystal, he tells Jen that he must reach a wise woman called Ulgrah she will assist in explaining everything. Jen must fulfil the prophecy and heal the dark crystal. Then the Leader of the Uru Dies.

4. Plan- Labyrinth

Jareth comes to Sarah and tells her that if she so desperately wants her brother back she must reach the goblin kingdom in a certain amount of time. All she has to do is make her way through the Labyrinth, and the Goblin Kingdom is on the other side.

5. Obstacles- The Dark Crystal
Jen reaches the home of Algrah, she has shards one of which she knows will heal the dark crystal. Jen must figure out which is the correct shard.

5. Obstacles- Labyrinth
Sarah goes through the Labyrinth but walls move, the arrows she draws on the ground get turned around and she keeps ending up back where she started.

6. Complications- The Dark Crystal
Garthem the Skeksis henchmen come to the home of Algrah in search of the last Gelfling. They destroy her home and capture her, Jen Remarkably escapes, but now he has no idea where to go or what to do with the crystal shard he has obtained.

6. Complications- Labyrinth
Sarah meets one of Jareth's Henchmen Hoggle. She is naive to this and befriends him, he leads her through the labyrinth towards traps and the wrong way.

7. Timeout/Relax- The Dark Crystal
Jen meets Kira another Gelfling. She also thought she was the last one and has been raised by the Podlings. Jen and Kira have a bond and she brings him to her family and they all have a huge party.

7. Timeout/Relax- Labyrinth
Hoggle feels bad leading Sarah astray and begins to actually help her get through the Labyrinth, Sarah makes meets another friend Ludo.

8. Crisis- The Dark Crystal
Garthem Attack the podlings and capture them, Jen and Kira escape and find ruins of their people the Gelfling. As Jen is intelligent he is able to read the writing and symbols and they discover that the pair of them must place the crystal shard back inside the crystal healing it and saving their world. A Skeksi finds them and tries to trick them into coming with him.

8. Crisis- Labyrinth
Jareth places enchantments and spells on sarah leading her astray to a world that isn't real, a ballroom and her bedroom. Sarah realises its fake and breaks the spell, She then enters the Goblin city and is faced with evil goblins.

9. Climax- The Dark Crystal

Jen and Kira reach the castle of the Skeksis, and Kira is captured. Jen becomes stuck under a roof collapse. He searches for Kira but cannot find her, he then makes his way towards the Crystal room. Garthem are upon him and Jen is backed against a wall. Kira flies to his rescue and saves him from the Garthem. A Skeksi captures Kira and tells Jen to give him the shard or else. Kira yells to Jen that he must heal the dark crystal at any cost. The Skeksi stabbs Kira in her heart and she dies. Jen then jumps upon the Dark Crystal and inserts the shard sobbing, he returns to His love Kira and cradels her lifeless body.



9. Climax- Labyrinth
Sarah reaches Jareth's throne room, she battles with him for her brother. Jareth Keeps using illusions against her.

10. Resolution- The Dark Crystal
The Skeksis and the Uru (Mystics) reunite and become one now that the crystal is repaired. The dark castle shatters and is left as a clean glass castle of light. One of the New Beings comes to Jen and thanks him for saving this world. He then ressurects Kira and tells Jen to Keep her close to him as they are part of each other. The New creatures leave the world of Thora to the Gelfling to enjoy.

10. Resolution- Labyrinth
Sarah remembers the line from her play and tells Jareth that he has no power over her. The world shatters and she awakes in her bed at home, with her brother safe in his cot.