'What of her'?

[rachael89]

This is just a thread where people can give their thoughts on a strange little moment in the film - just at the start of the goblin battle, we get this exchange:

GOBLIN: YOUR HIGHNESS! YOUR HIGHNESS! THE GIRL! THE GIRL WHO ATE THE PEACH AND FORGOT EVERYTHING!
JARETH: WHAT OF HER?
GOBLIN: SHE, THE MONSTER, SIR DIDYMUS, AND THE DWARF ARE ON THE WAY TO THE CASTLE!
JARETH: STOP HER! CALL OUT THE GUARDS. HIDE THE BABY.
GOBLINS: GUARDS!
JARETH: SHE MUST BE STOPPED! DO SOMETHING! COME ON, MOVE! MOVE!

Now, the last time we saw Jareth before this he was with Sarah in the ballroom, watching in despair as she broke away. There are a number of potential explanation for why Jareth flips out, when the ballroom scene suggests he should be fully aware she's no longer in the dream:

1. Jareth thought Sarah had been successfully trapped in the junkyard, not the ballroom (probably the most plausible explanation). In this scenario, we can only presume Jareth isn't keeping the goblins updated on Sarah's situation.
2. Jareth hadn't been consciously present in the ballroom, and the Jareth we see in the ballroom is only a projection for Sarah's sake. Therefore, he has no idea Sarah has left (it seems unlikely Jareth would have just taken this for granted).
3. Unintentional inconsistency/filmmaker error (I find this unlikely).

I have a feeling I've just answered my own question, but am curious to see what others think.

[alegriavida]

I've always loved the idea that Jareth was in the ballroom with Sarah. I think it was a physical place and not a dream, because when Sarah 'wakes up' she's in a different place than where she fell asleep. I agree with your first explanation. It just makes the most sense to me.

[rachael89]

Jan 13, 2014 22:26:40 GMT alegriavida said:

I've always loved the idea that Jareth was in the ballroom with Sarah. I think it was a physical place and not a dream, because when Sarah 'wakes up' she's in a different place than where she fell asleep. I agree with your first explanation. It just makes the most sense to me.

That's a 'missing scene' I'd like to see - how Sarah actually physically moved from the forest to the ballroom. I imagine watching Sarah get into that ballgown in real-time would take hours!

[TempestFae]

Rachael89: I'm going with Magical Girl Transformation Sequence. With goblins!

I think Jareth's "What of her?" is his dismissal of her. It's so close to the deadline, and he's so sure he's got her firmly beaten (whichever of his tricks he may think defeated her, I'm going with his knowledge of the peach induced amnesia, which is just creepy when you think about it) that he's not concerned with her any more. He's having more fun playing with his new toy, Toby.

[Bezzo]

That's my thought, too, TempestFae. I think he underestimated her. I think he was arrogant enough to believe that the ballroom hallucination and his dance with Sarah was enough to overwhelm and confuse her. 

[alorindanya]

I personally think the 2nd scenario is closer to the actual happenings. As much as it pains me to believe so, the ballroom scene never happened with Jareth actually there. Did he send it to her and therefore knew the spell/scene within, sure. Did he put a piece of his own consciousness in the 'dream', sure. But did he ever leave his castle and join Sarah in the ballroom, we are given no clues that he did so. I think he sent out the crystal hoping to entrap Sarah within. He was so surprised the goblin guard came to say she was so near because he never expected for her to escape the spell.