Having never read the original novel or seen the mini-series of Dune, I think I can give a fresh take on the film itself without mulling over its adaptation from novel to film. Dune, to me, is another fresh and interesting sci-fi film from the early 80's (most of the sci-fi… More
Having never read the original novel or seen the mini-series of Dune, I think I can give a fresh take on the film itself without mulling over its adaptation from novel to film. Dune, to me, is another fresh and interesting sci-fi film from the early 80's (most of the sci-fi greats came out around this period). It's not exactly a perfect film, but it can't be written off entirely. I believe David Lynch (who I was shocked to learn directed this movie) did the best job he possibly could at the time. First of all there is an all-star cast that is just phenomenal. Kyle Maclachlan is, to me, just ok in this part. I can't really see him as a leading man. He does his job well, but I just don't see him in this part, but maybe that's just me. The rest of the cast is great. Max Von Sydow, Linda Hunt, Brad Dourif, Sean Young, Patrick Stewart, Sting, Dean Stockwell and Virginia Madsen round out the rest of the main cast and seem to be enjoying their work because it seems so effortless for them. The look and style of Dune is very much what you'd expect from David Lynch: a lot of dream imagery, unexpected violence and a lot of dark. I'm watching the 1996 DVD release and I'm seeing a considerable amount of grain on the film. Some shots are more grainy than others, particularly the special effects shots. Speaking of which, the special effects in the movie are...well, they're decent...to be fair. It bothers me a bit because you look at the original Blade Runner, which came out only two years before, and you can see how low-tech Dune looks in contrast. Mattes are pretty obvious, effect shots are grainy and the early computer imagery is very much dated. However, I don't judge films based on the quality of their effects. They are well executed, but not to a degree other big budget films were achieving at the time. The score of the film by the band Toto was a very welcome surprise. I thought they did a tremendous job with it and it matches the picture perfectly. It isn't in a sense a traditional sci-fi symphonic score, but it works well with the images and storyline, which to me is all the more important. My main problem with the movie in general is the storyline itself. It reminds me a bit of A Clockwork Orange where a new language is introduced into a story and the audience is expected to follow along. Whereas A Clockwork Orange relied on visual imagery to tell its story which helped its narrative and its language, this film doesn't, so for the better part of the movie I spend my time trying to decipher what people are saying and trying to follow the story. I eventually got it, but it took some time, particularly with the quieter scenes where the dialogue is spoken internally and almost at a whisper. That aspect of it was a letdown, as was the ending, which was rather abrupt and unfulfilling. The filmmakers were signed on to make two more Dune films, but due to the lack of success at the box office, this never came to be, so we're left with an ending that never really wraps up this large scale story properly. Flaws aside, the film's execution and delivery is refreshing in a genre of mostly mediocre films. Had this film been made today, I think it would benefit from a modern and relevant storyline. As a sidenote (since I mentioned Blade Runner before), I guess I should mention that Ridley Scott was originally developing this project with the intention of directing it, but unfortunately before he could get it into production, his brother passed away suddenly, leaving him in remorse. So the project was given over to Dino De Laurentis who went on to develop it with David Lynch. As a consequence, Ridley made Blade Runner instead. It would have been interesting to see what Ridley would have done with this story, but then again, we wouldn't have Blade Runner, so everything happens for a reason.