The Dark Crystal
The Dark Crystal is a 1982 British-American fantasy film directed by Jim Henson and Frank Oz. Although marketed as a family film, it was notably darker than previous material created by them. The animatronics used in the film were considered groundbreaking. The primary concept artist was the fantasy illustrator Brian Froud, famous for his distinctive faerie and dwarf designs. Froud also collaborated with Henson and Oz for their next project, the 1986 film Labyrinth, which was notably more light-hearted than The Dark Crystal. The film stars the voices of Stephen Garlick, Lisa Maxwell and Billie Whitelaw.
The Dark Crystal was produced by Gary Kurtz, whose list of credits includes American Graffiti, Star Wars, The Empire Strikes Back, Return to Oz, and Slipstream. The screenplay was written by David Odell, who had previously worked with Henson as a staff writer on The Muppet Show. Trevor Jones provided the film's atmospheric music. The film makes an attempt to study the nature of good and evil in terms of conscience, destiny, and the triune nature of harmony. The film was produced by ITC Entertainment, the British production company responsible for producing The Muppet Show.
Plot
Jen, the last of the elf-like race called the Gelflings, lives in the biodiverse planet of Thra. Jen is summoned by his dying master, who reveals that Jen's destiny is to "heal" a Dark Crystal – formerly called the Crystal of Truth before it was shattered 1,000 years ago by the UrSkeks; this caused the race to be split into urRu, hunchback beings also known as Mystics, and Skeksis, vulture-like tyrants – by finding the shard. skekSo, the Skeksis' emperor, dies along with Jen's master, leading to a confrontation between skekSil the Chamberlain and skekUng the General, master of the Garthim, who both desire to succeed him. skekUng becomes emperor and skekSil is exiled. The Skeksis eventually learns of Jen's existence.
Jen reaches Aughra, a scholar of an unknown race, and is taken to her observatory. There he discovers the crystal shard, which is hidden among others resembling it, by playing music on his flute to which it resonates. Jen also learns of the upcoming Great Conjunction, but learns little of its connection to the shard before the Garthim destroys the observatory. Jen flees, but Aughra is captured and taken to the Castle of the Crystal. Meanwhile, the Mystics hear the calls of the Crystal and leave their valley to travel to the Castle.
Jen eventually meets Kira, a Gelfling; and Fizzgig, a dog-like pet. They stay for a night with the Podlings who raised Kira after the death of her parents. Their respite is short-lived, as a Garthim raiding party attacks the village. Kira, Jen, and Fizzgig flee when skekSil prevents one of the Garthim from attacking them. Many Podlings are captured and enslaved. Blaming himself for the Garthim raid, Jen tries to throw away the crystal shard, but Kira reassures him that it was not his fault and recovers the crystal shard.
The trio eventually discover a ruined Gelfling city, and Kira retrieves the shard. Jen and Kira eventually find a relief where Jen reads the prophecy of the Crystal. They learn that the shard is part of the Dark Crystal and must be reinserted to restore its integrity. SkekSil unsuccessfully attempts to convince Jen and Kira that he wishes to help. Riding on Landstriders, the Gelflings arrive at the Castle of the Crystal, where they see the Garthim that attacked Kira's village. Kira and Jen unsuccessfully attempt to free the captured Podlings, and discover that Garthim have slain the Landstriders. Kira, Jen and Fizzgig jump off the cliff and infiltrate the lower parts of the Castle. skekSil confronts them again and tries to convince them to make peace; however, Kira is captured and Jen strikes skekSil on his hand using the crystal shard. urZah, one of the Mystics, suffers a spontaneous wound in the corresponding location. Enraged, skekSil seemingly kills Jen and takes Kira to the Castle. For his capture, skekUng restores skekSil to his former position. On the suggestion of the Skeksis scientist, skekTek, the General decides to regain his youth by draining Kira's life essence,[1] recalling that its potency allows a Skeksis emperor to maintain his youth for longer periods than that of the Podlings on whom they have been forced to rely since the Gelfling genocide. Kira maintains a telepathic connection with Jen, and calls out to the animals imprisoned in the laboratory. They break free from their cages and send skekTek to his death. Kira, Jen, and Aughra flee, but they are separated from Fizzgig during a confrontation with the Garthim.
Thra's three suns begin to align as the two Gelflings reconvene in the Crystal chamber. The Skeksis arrive to prepare for the immortality that they will gain from the Conjunction if the Crystal is not restored. In the chaos, the High Priest skekZok kills Kira. Jen eventually inserts the shard in its appropriate place, unifying the Crystal just as the Mystics enter the chamber. The Mystics and Skeksis eventually merge back into the UrSkeks, the mystical amalgam of both races. The leader speaks to Jen of their history – and revives Kira – before departing, while Thra rejuvenates itself.
Cast
Production
The film was shot at Elstree Studios, and exterior scenes were shot in the Scottish Highlands; Gordale Scar, North Yorkshire, England; and Twycross, Leicestershire, England.
All characters in the movie are elaborate puppets, and none are based on humans or any other specific Earth creature. At the time of the movie's release, it was billed as the first live-action film without any human beings on screen, and "a showcase for cutting-edge animatronics".[2]
Originally, Jim Henson wanted the Skeksis to speak their own constructed language with the dialogue subtitled in English. This idea was dropped after test screening audiences found the captions too distracting, but the original effect can be observed in selected scenes on the various DVD releases.
The hands and facial features of the groundbreaking animatronic puppets in the film were controlled with relatively primitive rods and cables, although radio control later took over many of the subtler movements.[3] Human performers inside the puppets supplied basic movement for the larger creatures, which in some cases was dangerous or exhausting; for example, the Garthim costumes were so heavy that the performers had to be hung up on a rack every few minutes to rest while still inside the costumes.[4]
Release
Box office
The Dark Crystal made $40,577,001 in theaters,[5] with an estimated budget of $15 million. Its limited appeal at the time was partly due to parental concerns about its dark nature, and partly because it was overshadowed by E.T. the Extra-Terrestrial, which was released the same year.[6]
Critical reception
The film was more of a success among critics, winning a Saturn Award for Best Fantasy Film and earning the grand prize at the Avoriaz Fantastic Film Festival. The film was also nominated for the Hugo Award for Best Dramatic Presentation and a BAFTA Award for Best Special Visual Effects.[7] Some critics, however, panned the film as "watered down J.R.R. Tolkien... without charm as well as interest."[8] In both France and Japan, The Dark Crystal was the highest-grossing box office release for the year (1983) and outgrossed E.T. the Extra-Terrestrial as the most successful foreign film in Japan until Titanic took over the spot 14 years later. The film has gained a cult following over the years since its release.
In general, reviews were positive, with the film holding a 71% rating at Rotten Tomatoes.[9]
Home media release
The Dark Crystal was first released on DVD on October 5, 1999, and has had multiple re-releases since including a Collector's Edition on November 25, 2003, and a 25th Anniversary Edition on August 14, 2007. It was released on Blu-ray on September 29, 2009.
In other media
- A tie-in novelization of the film was written by A. C. H. Smith.
- A popular book titled The World of The Dark Crystal, written by concept artist, fantasy illustrator and chief creature designer for the film, Brian Froud, also released at the same time as the film. This book expanded greatly on the world of Thra, its conditions and history, and gives some of the story background.
- An illustrated children's storybook version The Tale of the Dark Crystal, written by Donna Bass and illustrated by Bruce McNally.
- In 1983, a video game based on the movie was released for the Apple II and Atari 8-bit in the format of a text adventure.
- A read-along book-and-tape set adaptation was released in late 1982 by Buena Vista Records as part of it's Read-Along Adventures series of book-and-record/tape sets.
- A board game called "The Dark Crystal Game" was also released in 1982 (see "List of Milton Bradley Company products").
- A couple months after the film's release, in 1983, Marvel Comics printed a comic book adaptation.
- Legends of the Dark Crystal, an original English-language manga written by Barbara Kesel with art by Heidi Arnhold, Jessica Feinberg, and Max Kim, was published by TokyoPop. The first volume of the series came out November 2007, followed some time later by the second in August 2010. Its story is set hundreds of years before the events of The Dark Crystal, after the Great Conjunction which saw the splitting of the UrSkeks into the Mystics and the Skeksis, but before the Great Extermination of the Gelflings. A final installment was originally planned but has since been cancelled.
- Another comic book prequel, The Dark Crystal: Creation Myths, is due from Archaia Entertainment as a series of three graphic novels, the first of which will be released December 2011 or January 2012.[10] A brief preview was made available on Free Comic Book Day in May 2011.
- Archaia has also announced plans for a role-playing game based on The Dark Crystal, intending to publish it by August 2012 in time for the Gen Con gaming convention.[11] Like its Origins Award-winning Mouse Guard game, The Dark Crystal will be designed by Luke Crane and utilize mechanics similar to that of The Burning Wheel.[12]
Sequel
During the development phase of The Dark Crystal, director Jim Henson and writer David Odell discussed ideas for a possible sequel. Almost 25 years later, Odell and his wife Annette Duffy pieced together what Odell could recall from these discussions to draft a script for The Power of the Dark Crystal.[13] Genndy Tartakovsky was initially hired in January 2006 to direct and produce the film through The Orphanage animation studios in California.[14] However, faced with considerable delays, The Jim Henson Company announced a number of significant changes in a May 2010 press release: It was going to partner with Australia-based Omnilab Media to produce the sequel, screenwriter Craig Pearce had reworked Odell and Duffy's script, and directing team Michael and Peter Spierig were replacing Tartakovsky. In addition, the film would be released in stereoscopic 3D.[15] During a panel held at the Museum of the Moving Image on September 18, 2011 to commemorate the legacy of Jim Henson, his daughter Cheryl revealed that the project is yet again on hold.[16]
Notes
References
- Books
- Bacon, M. (October 16, 1997). No Strings Attached: The Inside Story of Jim Henson's Creature Shop. New York City, NY: Macmillan. ISBN 0-02-862008-9.
- Bass, D. (October 1, 1982). The Tale of The Dark Crystal. B. McNally, illus. New York City, NY: Henry Holt & Co. ISBN 0-03-062414-2.
- Conley, T. & Cain, S. (June 30, 2006). "The Dark Crystal". Encyclopedia of Fictional and Fantastic Languages. Westport, CT: Greenwood Press. pp. 37–38. ISBN 0-313-33188-X. http://books.google.com/books?id=cQhke8K9G60C&pg=PA37.
- Dobrin, S. I. (April 30, 2004). "'It's Not Easy Being Green': Jim Henson, the Muppets, and Ecological Literacy". In Dobrin, S. I.; Kidd, K. B. Wild Things: Children's Culture and Ecocriticism. Detroit, MI: Wayne State University Press. pp. 244–247. ISBN 0-8143-3028-2. http://books.google.com/books?id=zWO3VdPs8wIC&pg=PA244.
- Finch, C. (July 28, 1983). The Making of The Dark Crystal: Creating a Unique Film. B. Froud, illus. New York City, NY: Holt, Rinehart and Winston. ISBN 0-03-063332-X.
- Finch, C. (October 12, 1993). Jim Henson: The Works—The Art, the Magic, the Imagination. New York City, NY: Random House. ISBN 0-679-41203-4.
- Grant, J. (March 15, 1999). "The Dark Crystal". In Clute, J.; Grant, J. The Encyclopedia of Fantasy (Rev. ed.). New York City, NY: St. Martin's Griffin. p. 249. ISBN 0-31219869-8. http://books.google.com/books?id=mfjAjibERF0C&pg=PA249.
- Llewellyn, J. J. (October 20, 1982). Brown, R. ed. The World of The Dark Crystal. B. Froud, illus. New York City, NY: Alfred A. Knopf / Henson Associates. ISBN 0-394-71280-3.
- Parish, J. R. (April 1, 2006). Jim Henson: Puppeteer and Filmmaker. New York City, NY: Ferguson Publishing. pp. 74–76. ISBN 0-8160-5834-2. http://books.google.com/books?id=N4j3WpWY6PgC&pg=PA74.
- Rickitt, R. (October 1, 2000). Special Effects: The History and Technique. New York City, NY: Billboard Books. ISBN 0-8230-7733-0.
- Smith, A. C. H. & Odell, D. (October 1, 1982). The Dark Crystal: A Spellbinding Novel of Fantasy and Adventure. New York City, NY: Henry Holt & Co. ISBN 0-03-062436-3.
- Von Gunden, K. (January 7, 1989). "The Dark Crystal: Other Worlds, Other Times". Flights of Fancy: The Great Fantasy Films. Jefferson, NC: McFarland & Company. pp. 30–44. ISBN 0-7864-1214-3. http://books.google.com/books?id=E5oTurPZbdUC&pg=PA30.
- Willis, D. C. (September 12, 1984). Horror and Science Fiction Films III. Metuchen, NJ: Scarecrow Press. pp. 57–59. ISBN 0-8108-1723-3. http://books.google.com/books?id=HqzC5HaCupYC&pg=PA57.
- Comics
- Kesel, B. R. (w), H. Arnhold, M. Kim (a), Beedle, T. (ed). Legends of the Dark Crystal, Volume 1: The Garthim Wars (November 13, 2007), Los Angeles, CA: Tokyopop, ISBN 1598167014
- Kesel, B. R. (w), H. Arnhold, J. Feinberg (a), Beedle, T. (ed). Legends of the Dark Crystal, Volume 2: Trial by Fire (August 3, 2010), Los Angeles, CA: Tokyopop, ISBN 1598167022
- Kraft, D. A. (w), Blevins, B. (p), Colletta, V. (i), Oliff, S. (col), Chiang, J. (let), Jones, L. (ed). "The Dark Crystal: The official comics adaptation of the Jim Henson epic fantasy adventure film" Marvel Super Special 24 (February 1983), New York City, NY: Marvel Comics.
- Film
- Gillis, M. (dir. & prod.) (August 9, 2007). Reflections of "The Dark Crystal" (DVD documentary). Culver City, CA: Sony Pictures Home Entertainment. http://www.imdb.com/title/tt1089749/.
- Goldsmith, A. (prod.); Solomon, A. (ed.) (January 9, 1983). The World of "The Dark Crystal" (Television documentary). New York City, NY: PBS / Jim Henson Television. http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0355032/.
- Henson, J. & Oz, F. (dir.); Henson, J., Kurtz, G., & Lazer, D. (prod.); Henson, J. & Odell, D. (writ.) (December 17, 1982). The Dark Crystal (Motion picture). New York City, NY: Jim Henson Productions. http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0083791/.
- Internet
- "The Dark Crystal". Henson Productions: Fantasy & Sci Fi. Hollywood, CA: The Jim Henson Company. http://www.henson.com/fantasy_scifi.php.
- "Genndy Tartakovsky to direct Power of the Dark Crystal" (PDF). Henson Media Relations: Press Releases. Hollywood, CA: The Jim Henson Company. February 1, 2006. http://www.henson.com/press_releases/2006-02-01.pdf.
- "Omnilab Media and The Jim Henson Company join forces to launch the Australian feature production of the highly anticipated Power of the Dark Crystal" (PDF). Henson Media Relations: Press Releases. Hollywood, CA: The Jim Henson Company. May 4, 2010. http://henson.com/press_releases/2010-05-04.pdf.
- "Jim Henson's The Dark Crystal". Archaia Titles. Hollywood, CA: Archaia Entertainment. http://www.archaia.com/archaia-titles/jim-hensons-the-dark-crystal-creation-myths/.
- Carroll, L. (October 4, 2006). "Dark Crystal Sequel Gives Jim Henson's Puppet Epic a Second Chance". MTV Movie News. New York City, NY: MTV Networks. http://www.mtv.com/news/articles/1542247/puppet-epic-dark-crystal-gets-second-chance.jhtml.
- Hill, J. (October 12, 2011). "Jim Henson's Family and Fans Aim to Honor and Extend His Creative Legacy – Part 2". HuffPost Entertainment. New York City, NY: The Huffington Post. http://www.huffingtonpost.com/jim-hill/the-lost-amazings_b_1006072.html.
- "Dark Crystal RPG from Archaia Entertainment". Madison, WI: ICv2. August 24, 2011. http://www.icv2.com/articles/news/20905.html.
- User: J. Richardson (August 5, 2011, 12:23pm EDT). "Thread: The Dark Crystal RPG". RPGnet tabletop roleplaying forum. Berkeley, CA: Skotos Tech. http://forum.rpg.net/showthread.php?586998.
- Rosenberg, A. (August 5, 2009). "Fraggle Rock and Dark Crystal Sequel Updates from Brian Henson". MTV Movies Blog. New York City, NY: MTV Networks. http://moviesblog.mtv.com/2009/08/05/fraggle-rock-and-dark-crystal-sequel-updates-from-brian-henson/.
- Schieb, R. (May 2010). "Review: The Dark Crystal". Moria: The Science Fiction, Horror and Fantasy Film Review. Christchurch, NZ. http://moria.co.nz/fantasy/dark-crystal-1982.htm.
- Warmoth, B. (March 1, 2010). "Jim Henson Company Confirms Dark Crystal and Labyrinth Comics Following Fraggle Rock". MTV Splash Page. New York City, NY: MTV Networks. http://splashpage.mtv.com/2010/03/01/jim-henson-company-confirms-dark-crystal-and-labyrinth-comics-following-fraggle-rock/.
- Periodicals
- Canby, V. (December 17, 1982). Rosenthal, A. M. ed. "Review: Henson's Crystal". The New York Times (New York City, NY: Arthur Ochs Sulzberger): C10. ISSN 0362-4331. http://movies.nytimes.com/movie/review?res=9F02E6D71038F934A25751C1A964948260.
- Conway, L. (April–May 1983). Clarke, F. S. ed. "The confessions of a creature craftsman: Puppetmaker Lyle Conway provides an inside view of the fun, hard work and magic of filming The Dark Crystal". Cinefantastique (Oak Park, IL) 13:4 (47): 42–44. ISSN 0145-6032.
- Harris, J. P. (April–May 1983). Clarke, F. S. ed. "Of precocious pigs, singing cabbages, and a little green frog named Kermit: The story of Jim Henson & The Muppets". Cinefantastique (Oak Park, IL) 13:4 (47): 24–31. ISSN 0145-6032. http://users.bestweb.net/~foosie/henson.htm.
- Hutchison, D. (January 1983). Zimmerman, H. ed. "Producing the World of The Dark Crystal: A new direction for the man behind Star Wars and Empire". Starlog (New York City, NY: O'Quinn Studios) (66): 16–20. ISSN 0191-4626.
- Jones, A.; Van Hise, J. (April–May 1983). Clarke, F. S. ed. "The Dark Crystal: The behind-the-scenes-story of one of the most complex and imaginative fantasy films of all time". Cinefantastique (Oak Park, IL) 13:4 (47): 32–41, 45–55. ISSN 0145-6032.
- Malnquist, A. (April–May 1983). Clarke, F. S. ed. "Reviews: Henson gave life to a world, but gave its inhabitants no life". Cinefantastique (Oak Park, IL) 13:4 (47): 59. ISSN 0145-6032.
- Morris, O. (December 1982). Patterson, R. ed. "Photographing The Dark Crystal". American Cinematographer (Hollywood, CA: American Society of Cinematographers) 64 (12): 1290–1291, 1312–1316. ISSN 0002-7928.
- Samuelson, D. W.; Tasker, A. (December 1982). Patterson, R. ed. "Creating a World for The Dark Crystal". American Cinematographer (Hollywood, CA: American Society of Cinematographers) 64 (12): 1283–1289, 1316–1324. ISSN 0002-7928.
- Wright, A. (November 2005). Conrich, I.; Hammerton, J. eds. "Selling the Fantastic: The marketing and merchandising of the British fairytale film in the 1980s". Journal of British Cinema and Television (Edinburgh, Scotland, UK: Edinburgh University Press) 2 (2): 256–274. doi:10.3366/JBCTV.2005.2.2.256. ISSN 1743-4521.
- Zimmerman, H. (January 1983). Zimmerman, H. ed. "Creating the World of The Dark Crystal: An interview with British fantasy artist and film designer Brian Froud". Starlog (New York City, NY: O'Quinn Studios) (66): 34–37, 64–65. ISSN 0191-4626.
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