Dune - Three Visions

Remarkable works of art and literature can be reinterpreted over time, allowing the public from different eras and generations to see themselves reflected in their waters. Successful reinterpretations instill new life into works which would otherwise whither and fade over time, thus becoming timeless classics. 

But as tempting as it is to embed the current vision on an earlier work to make it more approachable for the audience, the original essence of the work should be left intact, so as not to tamper with its very nature.    

Initially inspired by an ecological research - a topic that remains strongly present in the finished novel-, Frank Herbert    developed the “Dune” story by threading a careful political plot, borrowing from Middle Eastern cultures, and adding religious and mystical undertones.        

First published as a serial in 1965 during the height of the Cold War, Frank Herbert rewrote it and republished it in a single volume. “Dune” became an almost instant cult phenomenon, and remained an elusive goal for film makers for decades. 

Deemed “unfilmable”, it was passed by famed directors the world over. No one seemed willing to accept the challenge to bring its monumental vision of interplanetary conflict, revolution, and messianic warfare onto the screen.

Until David Lynch took the baton in 1980.
 

When released in 1984, Lynch’s cinematic version was perfect for a decade that reveled on eccentricity, pop culture, extravagance, and excess. 

From the announcement of its filming, the heavily edited script that attempted to merge several books into one single film, and the tortuous production that bankrupted the De Laurentiis studio, the David Lynch epic confronted waves of adversity and criticism that did not end with its release. 

However, as vilified as this film was in its time, in terms of dramatic atmosphere it remains probably the most faithful vision to Herbert’s book. 

It should also be noted that, unlike contemporary CGI and digital technologies, all visual effects for this film were created manually, frame by frame, manipulating thousands of feet of celluloid, all of which required enormous skill and specialization. 

The use of voice overs - a resource deemed ‘cheap’ by many film critics- works surprisingly well in this particular film, adding important insight into the characters in certain pivotal scenes, such as in the gom jabbar test. 

Famous for his use of strange creatures and an intense palette of colors - after all, he trained as a painter- Lynch’s vision fills every corner of the screen, leaving no detail to imagination. 

From the throne of the Padishah Emperor to the Fremen drums, every item big or small populating this film reminds us we are on a different planet, in a distant universe.

One of the strengths of Lynch’s version is the distinct atmosphere he creates for each of the planets in the book. 

Caladan is organic, permanently shrouded in rain, and the Atreides house has a futuristic Victorian look that is a veritable precursor of Steampunk. Geidi Prime is as hostile, steely, and bleak as the Harkonen house. As a counterpart of Caladan, Arrakis is also organic, but arid, wild, and dangerous. 

Detractors of Lynch’s film claim that too few scenes depict the desert planet, with most scenes shot in the studio. While part of this was intentional - only Fremen would brave the open desert, and Duke Leto and his court would remain shielded from the deadly sun and heat during daytime-, there was a more practical reason for this. 

With a heavily restricted budget, Lynch had to shoot the desert scenes on a reclaimed landfill in the outskirts of Mexico City. Although the location was filled with tons of sand and deemed safe, cast and crew fell continuously ill, until the shooting had to be cancelled. 

Lynch used in the film almost all the available footage he managed to shoot, but even he regretted the lack of actual dunes in his film.

However, even the film’s detractors praised its costume and set designs. Bob Ringwood’s design of the stillsuits was one of the greatest expectations prior to the release of the film, and was so successful that few changes were made for the 2021 version. 

Likewise, the giant worms created by Carlo Rambaldi perfectly embody one of the main characters in the story, and remain the paragon to which all other versions compare to up to this day.

Making his film debut at nineteen, Kyle MacLachlan embodied the idea of Paul Atreides for the MTV generation, and Jürgen Prochnow broke an indelible figure as Duke Leto. But perhaps the character that most people remember is that of Baron Harkonnen, played by Kenneth McMillan. A hysterical psychopath, deformed, and disgusting, he defined what the character should be for a whole generation of moviegoers.  

Contemporary audiences watching Lynch’s film may find the acting stiff and over-wordy, and may deem the special effects cartoonish, but the pace of the story and the clear dramatic turns - punctuated by an atmospheric music score- manage to keep the audience engaged and brings Herbert’s epic story to life with accurate realism.  

“Frank Herbert’s Dune” (2000) was an ambitious attempt to present the most complete and definitive version of Frank Herbert’s cult novel in its most complete form to date.

Instead of restricting itself to a single feature film, this version was presented as a mini-series, intending to cover several books in the saga. 

An international production that included the United States, Canada, and Germany, shot in Italian studios, and with British, American, and Eastern European actors in the main roles, this version retains a distinctive European flavor that contributes to its aesthetic and its undefinable character.
 
Although not a direct translation of the book onto the screen, this loose adaptation manages to preserve some of its main dramatic points and tells the story - although the results vary depending on whom you ask.

Aware of the gargantuan task of depicting a messianic revolution in the making, the script’s main focus is the more manageable subject of political intrigues among houses. Thus, "Frank Herbert's Dune" feels more like a Sci-Fi thriller than the epic Space drama proposed by David Lynch.

Despite the smaller format, the production took no shortcuts when it came to endow this version with state-of-the-art special effects, as well as lavish costume and set designs.

However, few scenes are shot in the open, and even the computer-generated landscapes fail to alleviate the general feeling of claustrophobia.

One of the main strengths of this production lies in its originality. Departing from Lynch’s vision, "Frank Herbert's Dune" makes a conscious effort to fill the screen with fantastical environments full of whimsy and bright colors. 

And while some sets look like a cross between Star Trek and Star Wars, others manage to depict environments more related to high Fantasy than regular Space operas.

Perhaps one of this production's most interesting turns from expectations is the characterization of Baron Harkonnen. 

Instead of the manic and deformed Baron pictured in David Lynch’s version, "Frank Herbert's Dune" presents us with an elegant, sybaritic, smooth-talking Baron who speaks in rhymes.  

In line with this vision, this version also detaches from the Bene Gesserit sisterhood and instead incorporates Princess Irulan early on in the story, exploring her character more attentively than any other version before or after.

William Hurt is billed as the major star and provides an adequate performance as Duke Leto, but Saskia Reeves as Lady Jessica fails to deliver any warmth or personality to her character. Yet, probably the most unexplainable casting choice was that of Alec Newman as Paul Atreides. 

Looking older than his actual age of 25, he was unable to accurately portray his character’s teenage angst, greatly lessening the impact of his progression from boy to man, essential to the story. 

Edited as a TV series, the flow of scenes is rapid, leaving no room to deepen into the events and actions portrayed. In the end, even the rich visuals fail to seduce the audience, and the production remains elusive, incapable of conveying the emotional twists and multilayered dimension of the story. 

Hated by some and defended by others as the best Dune adaptation ever made, “Frank Herbert’s Dune” is nonetheless a worthy effort that provided an alternative vision to the world imagined by Frank Herbert.

Having garnered kudos with “Blade Runner 2049", Denis Villeneuve’s "Dune" project gathered considerable expectation among fans of the book and of David Lynch’s film. 

However, despite the lavish production, the stellar cast, gorgeous cinematography, and the modern technological resources available, this 2021 version feels insipid and fails to deliver the emotional complexity and visual impact of Herbert’s space opera. 

Part of this may stem from Villeneuve’s declared admiration for the book. But instead of fueling his directorial imagination, Villeneuve seems daunted by the task of adapting a cult piece of Science Fiction literature into film. 

Instead of providing us with distinctive, fantastical worlds, Villeneuve remains firmly anchored to Earth’s landscapes and references. 

Bullfighting, palm trees, Scottish bagpipes, a request for coffee, and a musical score that evokes African and Middle Eastern tribal sounds - little of this film makes us feel that we are truly on another planet. And when it does, it’s perhaps on Tatooine. 

In fact, the comparison to the Star Wars franchise is almost inevitable, from its costume and set designs down to a wink to the binary sunset scene, and the casting choice of Oscar Isaac as Duke Leto.

The film’s intention to incorporate more women and racial diversity into the story - Dr. Kynes, played in other versions only by white actors, is now played by black actress Sharon Duncan-Brewster, and given much more relevance in the story - is noteworthy. 

Even the role of Lady Jessica is beefed up, portraying her as a strong leader instead of the submissive female figure of previous versions. However, this often makes her figure more imposing than Paul’s, overshadowing him in what should be ‘his’ story. 

Aside from being a politically correct statement, these casting choices add little to the final product, but are surely appreciated by the generation towards whom this film is aimed at.

The incorporation of different languages is another element of diversity that adds an additional layer of interest to the narrative, but unfortunately it’s use is not broad or consistent enough to account for more than a mere exotic detail.

Timothée Chalamet is physically perfect as Paul Atreides. But either due to the script or the direction, his subtle acting is diluted, and he rarely goes beyond the sullen teen mold. None of the dramatic changes rocking his world seem to stir him, change him, or leave any imprint on him. We don’t see his progression from pampered prince to rogue leader of a revolution.

Another important change is the portrayal of Baron Harkonnen. Instead of the vociferous Baron of Lynch’s version or the Sybaritic bon vivant of "Frank Herbert's Dune", Villeneuve gives us a sinister, mumbling bald figure, probably hoping to capitalize on our fear to the unseen, just as Marlon Brando did in “The Godfather”. However, his threatening level is so subdued that he fails to leave an impression. 

Villeneuve’s “Dune” is divided into three films, with the intention to remain as faithful as possible to the book. At two and a half hours, it should be enough time to tell a fully detailed story; but the film’s pace - edited like a mini-series, with few dramatic points to direct the audience through the dramatic arc - drags as slowly as a worm on sand. 

Moreover, the constant inclusion of Paul’s visions (in slow motion) only contributes to stall even further the flow of the story. 

The color palette chosen by Villeneuve is limited, reduced to gold, gray, and sandy hues for the scenes in Arrakis, and gray, black, and white for the rest. This intentional sobriety is both stylish and dull, and it’s a concept that encompasses the entire film, from the characters’ lines to the music score, lulling the audience into an intentional trance - or a drowse.   

In Villeneuve’s universe there’s no room shortage. Regardless of the planet they’re in, all characters are dwarfed and swallowed by gargantuan, mostly bare scenery. This sparseness, the reduced color gamut, and the lack of vivid emotions, create an atmosphere of remoteness. 

But the emotional distance that was appropriate for “Blade Runner 2049"and “Arrival” works against the emotional undertones of the story, burying them instead of making them accessible to the audience. 

In its second installment, "Dune Part Two" (2024) Villeneuve presents us with a more balanced story in his progressive vision, more focused on Paul’s rise as the reluctant messiah of the prophecies. The exploration of the conspiracy networks in the plot is much more evident than in its first part, and even more than in previous versions, giving it a depth close to the original material. 

However, despite its length (2 hours and 45 min.) and its galloping progression, the film omits important details within the story and reduces the climax of pivotal scenes, all of which shows that Frank Herbert’s novel still needs to be read to be understood in its entirety. 

In spite of this, "Dune Part Two" captivates by its careful production, its music, its photography, and its stellar performances, and is an accomplished second act awaiting for its final conclusion. 

Every generation must have its own icons and its own interpretations, and it’s important that stories with content may be retold and adapted to each era, in order to keep them alive and capture new audiences for them. 

The fact that Lynch’s Dune version became a cult hit with the X generation, and that Villeneuve’s version resonates strongly with the current generation, only prove that successful reinterpretations follow the vision and zeitgeist of each age. 

And as long as the adaptation is respectful of the source material and faithful in expressing its main ideas, there’s no right or wrong way of approaching it.

To Learn more...

Are you a film fan? Then you will probably have fun with these 15 Little Known Facts about the Making of “Dune” (1984)
https://inktank.fi/15-little-known-facts-about-the-making-of-dune/

To learn more about the Dune Book Saga, visit the Dune official page
https://dunenovels.com/

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