Dune (1984)

One of the best things about science fiction is when the author creates a universe of such incredible depth that you can get lost in the details. Frank Herbert’s Dune was such a novel. It was too thick to fit nicely in the back pocket of a pair a jeans; it required a set of maps and a lexicon for the reader to understand the story and most importantly, Dune provided a complete alternate universal populated by some of the best characters in sci-fi. In 1984 this monumental work was first brought to the screen by the strange and creative mind of David Lynch. The story takes place some 30,000 years in the future. Mankind has spread out to the stars inhabiting many different worlds. The government has returned to a feudal system where each planet is a fiefdom controlled by one of the great houses of the Landsraad. At the head is the Padishah Emperor Shaddam IV (José Ferrer) of the imperial house of Corrino. The Emperor is fearful of the growing respect and popularity of another great house headed by Duke Leto Atreides (Jürgen Prochnow), called by many Leto the Just. Shaddam enlists the aid of Baron Vladimir Harkonnen (Kenneth McMillan) who has a familiar feud with the House Atreides. To this end the emperor takes the planet Arrakis, better known as Dune, from the Harkonnens and turn control over to Leto. All space travel is dependent on a special spice called Mélange which allows the powerful Space guild to travel between worlds. The spice can be found in only one place in the universe, Dune. Caught in the middle of this power struggle is the Duke’s royal concubine the Lady Jessica (Francesca Annis), a member of the religious faction and secret sisterhood the Bene Gesserit. She has gone against the plan of the order and given the Duke a son, Paul (Kyle MacLachlan). Once on Dune the house Atreides comes under a devastating attack by the Harkonnen resulting in Paul and Jessica fleeing to the deep desert. Once there they become involved with the native population, the freemen and the fight for control of Dune escalates.

Creating a film version of a novel as complex as Dune is a daunting task. To take hundreds of pages of required exposition, work it into the film and still have time for action is something that is extremely difficult. In David Lynch’s version of this story some changes had to be made and a lot of the back story has to be absorbed almost by osmosis. There are so many themes that are vital to telling the story that many find themselves lost in the tale. Most important is the theme of the messianic figure, the Kwisatz Haderach, a man who can be everywhere at once and represents the culmination of hundred of generations of blood line manipulation by the Bene Gesserit. When Paul achieves this status he threatens the economic, political and religious status quo. In the universe of Dune the unique nature of the spice means that one substance basically controls everything. It is the most coveted thing in the universe. Many will immediately realize that much of this sub plot is a direct examination of our world’s need for oil. There is also a thread of people fearing technology after abdicating too much responsibility to thinking machines. Lynch in his best films is almost incomprehensible but here unless you know the story you might become lost in the first half hour. Still, if you have a little patience you will get a glimpse at one of the great space epics ever written. A good deal of the exposition is presented by allowing the audience to hear the thoughts of the characters. This running commentary does give a film noir feel to the piece but many find it quickly becomes difficult to follow.

What really shines here is the cast. It contains some of the best actors around. Jürgen Prochnow gives humanity to the Duke that carries the role. You can readily believe that this is a man who cares about those under his command. In one scene when a giant sand worm attacks a spice harvester it is noted that the Duke is more concerned for the safety of his men instead of the precious spice. In stack contrast to the Duke is Kenneth McMillan’s portrayal of the dastardly Barron Harkonnen. He is riddle with weeping sores and boils, the epitome of evil. He has absolutely no concern for anyone other than himself. For the Barron torture is just something to help pass the boring hours. It takes a talented actor like McMillian to play such an over the top role, especially one where the character has no redeeming qualities and have the audience riveted to the screen.

This special edition DVD presents two versions of the film, the theatrical cut and the television variation. David Lynch is credited with the writing and direction of the theatrical cut but in a now infamous break with the studio has disavowed the television version. In fact Lynch had his name removed from that version substituting the fake director name Alan Smithee, a non de voyage used when a director hates the final film. He also replaced his name with Judas Booth as the screenwriter, a combination of the betrayer of Jesus Christ and John Wilkes Booth, the murderer of Lincoln. This apparently was to indicate that Lynch felt betrayed by the television version and that they studio murdered his work. Since both versions have their fans and detractors Universal made a bold move here presenting both versions in one DVD release.

The presentation that Universal provides is as good as I have ever seen or heard this film. The anamorphic video is typically clear and defect free. There are several scenes in the television cut that are lacking clarity and are often reversed. The audio is in a robust Dolby 5.1. There is good channel separation in the front speakers but the rear set is used mostly for ambience. The sub woofer does roar through the room especially in the climatic battle sequences. There are also plenty of extras on this two sided disc. We start off with some deleted scenes and move on to a featurette on how the production design decisions where made to get the futuristic look of the film. Other features detail the many special effects shots including the creation of the all important worms. Another featurette goes into the production of over 4,000 costumes needed for the film. This is the type of movie that you either love or hate. For the fans this is obviously the definitive set to have. You can now watch both variations and decide for yourself. Now, if only Blade Runner can get the same treatment a lot of people will be very happy.

Posted 2/2/06