And if you'd like to see more, here's the song version of what he just said, which comes immediately before the above clip in the movie, some really cool videography, and ooooo, David Bowie's singing, showing his pain: "I can live within you", which offers her a choice, and the many mixed emotions on both sides that go with attraction.

Like wow, nobody finds this interesting?

I don't come to Popular Culture much to post, but I do read. I have posted because I don't want to have you feeling that you are being ignored by me.

Aww thanks Crazyheart. I thought this was really interesting and thought maybe we could talk about how girls become women .Oh well, not every idea is a hit. I bought the movie for my step niece's 14th year as a sort of right of passage thing, as I think the movie says, and teaches, girls a lot.  I've also had quite a head start on thinking about this passage in this film, so maybe others don't follow me.

I like the fae in this movie -- they are quite beyond 'good and evil', they are natural forces and they follow their nature.

So here we have this bored? girl, who has to take care of a baby...and then a bad boy comes in, stealing away that which she has been charged to protect...she is thinking of herself when she goes after Bowie?

She ends up a woman, protecting the baby, thinking of someone else asides from herself.

The fay 'helped' her.  I see this a lot in fae tales where the fae are concerned.

Also, it's the androgenous David Bowie, and I'm sure that symbolizes something :3

Maybe there's another symbolism (but it is probably stretching too much):  socialism is womanly and free market capitalism is manly?

I remember when I was a youngin I was all 'no children and no marriage', thinking of not wanting to be a slave to my biology :3

Then I got older...started having pregnancy dreams and daydreams.  Noticing grrrls and bois.  The rest is 'story.

Ahh well, The girl is not so much bored as put out, put upon, and feeling disrespected to have to babysit again as if she has no life of her own, and so she calls the goblin king to take the baby away in a moment of frustration. She doesn't realize she is attracted to him. To her he is the villain. SHe's going after the baby, not Bowie. Then comes the fairy ball, and he puts her in a fairy tale gown and seduces her, and she realizes it then, but also feels too young for all this and she runs away, scared.

But yes, she does end up thinking of someone else other than herself (the baby, and her parents), having matured. But also when she realizes that she has as much power as he does. "My kingdom is as great", she says. She realizes she does not have to kowtow to him, she finds her strength, and she breaks his heart, rather than him breaking her spirit. She wins.

I don't get the political symbolism... But I think the big hair of Bowie is merely the rocker rebel fashion of the times, and his well padded tights makes no doubt about his gender : 0 ! He always seemed very masculine to me.

I found him scarey when I was 14, not attractive at all, but like girlie, I don't think that was entirely the case, as I see now that I am older. : )

Good point about the fae. She has her fairytale friends who she has to say goodbye to in order to grow up. "But we'll always be here, if ever you should need us."

It's a masterpiece of a film, and I'm amazed how well a male script writter/director can know a young woman's heart and soul.