Jareth's Labyrinth is a totalitarian state. Here's why.
A totalitarian government is a government in which a single party (or person) is in control of everything from the military to the economy to all means of communication. A totalitarian leader controls their people through the use of terror.
And if you squint, it’s what’s happening in the labyrinth.
Let’s first look at what we observe from how the labyrinth’s denizens act.
They’re terrified of their king and the many creative ways he can punish them. They seem to be used to being ordered about, hit, kicked, or tossed, or having threats lobbed at them several times an hour. While the goblins seem to take it in stride, they are also relatively quick to obey orders. The “well, laugh?” scene comes to mind.
Hoggle, especially, is terrified of his King, outright stating so a few times within the film and cowering whenever he appears. Disobeying Jareth’s orders has (almost) disastrous effects for Hoggle and it’s shown that Jareth’s threats towards him aren’t empty.
And Jareth himself seems comfortable giving orders. In fact, it’s all he does all through the film! He barks demands at his goblins, commands his army, and even tries to get Sarah to cede to his will in the twelfth hour. There’s no doubt that he is very comfortable with his crown, and Sarah seems to be the first person to tell him no.
That was not good for his image.
And speaking of his image: it’s everywhere! It’s a pretty well known “secret” at this point that the film crew his Bowie’s face on a lot of the sets. Why did they do this? The Doylist perspective is that, well, it’s David Bowie and this is an 80s film. Of course his face is going to be plastered everywhere someone can get away with it.
The intradiegetic or Watsonian reading of all these faces is a little…darker.
Totalitarian heads of state are known (aside from violence) for also sticking their face wherever they can put it. It’s propaganda, and one of the oldest examples.
Jareth’s ever-present visage is a reminder to his citizens that he is watching, and he is aware of what they’re doing. Always.
On the other hand, the faces might not be there all the time. They might only show up when Sarah is being spied on, as a subtle visual reminder that Sarah is meant to also be completely within Jareth’s view and control at all times.
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