Dune (1984)

Poster Description: “A world beyond your experience, beyond your imagination,” precedes a long passage of writing that isn’t clear enough to read but is likely to introduce the plot from the novel. Spaceships fly through a black sky towards a pink sunrise past two blue planets. An army stands behind Paul Atreides and Chani upon shadowy, sandy dunes, and there’s the film’s title at Paul’s feet with the names of cast and crew.

Last year, I planned to watch Dune before the new adaptation came out at the cinema. Based on the novels by Frank Herbert (which I have yet to read), I would go in blissfully ignorant beyond the trailers I’d seen of the new film. My first viewing of the original movie was over biscuits and cheese. Furthermore, I shall forever associate Dune with the pungent smell/taste of camembert. In hindsight, this was oddly prophetic; David Lynch (both Dune’s screenplay-writer and director) refuses to talk about his film, even now. The 2003 Special Edition DVD includes a small booklet chronicling its impressively arduous development.

Surrealist OG Salvador Dali was cast to play the Emperor for $100,000 an hour in one attempt to make Dune. Needless to say, this was a short-lived project. I was also surprised to learn that Ridley Scott tried and failed to make it. HR Giger (creator of the iconic xenomorph from Alien) was also hired as part of the art department in a previous effort.

By order of a scheming Emperor, House Atreides travels to Arrakis. The Duke’s son, Paul Atreides (Kyle MacLachlan, Blue Velvet), suffers from strange dreams about this very place and a beautiful, blue-eyed woman. Arrakis is a harsh, inhospitable planet, overrun with desert worms. Still, it is the only place to find the valuable melange, or “spice.” Not only does the substance extend human life, but it grants navigators the ability to bend space. Frightened by the prospect of losing power, the Emperor plans to pitch House Atreides against their old enemies, the bloodthirsty House Harkonnen.

We’re immediately told all this by the Emperor’s daughter, Irulan. Unfortunately, she doesn’t add much beyond sporadic narration when the film needs a kick up the arse. Interestingly, on top of the four attempts to get this film made by other directors (and countless scrapped screenplays), Lynch made three versions of Dune under different pseudonyms. There is a chance Irulan had more to do elsewhere without studio interference, but that’s for the new film to fix. Its predecessor was my first foray into Dune, and parts of it feel rushed or utterly missing from the film. The Harkonnens and the Atreides family hate each other. Baron Harkonnen (played with repugnant zeal by Kenneth Macmillan) is obsessed with obtaining the Duke’s signet ring. Yet he fails to give a reason, despite his primary motive for waging war. He flies around like a sweaty blimp, making it difficult to gauge whether we take this villain seriously. The same goes for his nephew, Feyd. He smirks and laughs, played by Sting of all people, but not much else. It’s all very odd.

Despite being the hero, Paul Atreides feels like a blank slate character in keeping with one hell of a nondescript name. What kind of personality does he have beyond caring for his family? One rejected screenplay even went as far as to include an incestuous scene between Paul and his mother, resulting in the birth of a sister/daughter. Suddenly I understand why so many authors hate fanfiction.

As a side note, Frank Herbert wrote a rejected 175-page screenplay. So fact that this film was made starts to look like some kind of miracle.

Characters occasionally offer inner monologues, but Paul’s are bizarrely monotone. When he samples spice – the main crux of the plot! – he has nothing to say beyond “…Spice.” Yes, Paul. That’s immensely helpful. What does it taste like? The sequence where his mind is “awakened” is as trippy as you’d expect from a David Lynch film, but I feel like I’m missing something important here.

Paul’s mother, Lady Jessica (Francesca Annis, Krull), is far more fascinating. As both concubine of Duke Atreides and a member of a group of magical women with considerable influence, she deserves more focus here. Sadly, David Lynch rarely knows what to do with females in his work, either rendering them down to sexual objects and/or killing them off to motivate male characters. As it is, it’s Irulan who explains away her one moment of agency. Instead of having a girl, as instructed by the Bene Gesserit, she had baby Paul instead. I did enjoy the slow-burn reveal of Paul’s destiny because it’s purely character-driven with internal speculations from other people. At the same time, our “hero” just accepts being the saviour of the Arrakis people, the Fremen.

“Fear is the mind-killer,” Paul thinks during a tortuous mental test from the group’s superior; it’s the one intrinsic thought he has. Jessica has taught him to achieve mind over matter, although we’re only told this; we never see it for ourselves, nor why it’s so important to undertake said test.

Given its age, Dune relies on mostly practical effects instead of CGI, which is best because those boxy battle shields are terrible. The sandworms look stunning, watching Paul’s hand sizzle is shocking, but it is nowhere near as alarming as that telepathic creature in its tank. What is that thing supposed to be?

Image Description: In a golden chamber with pale blue flooring, a crowd of black-cowled men surround a vast dark tank where a pale creature floats. Its forehead is bulbous, its limbs thin and pathetic, and its face is a mess of flesh where the mouth and nose should be. In a way, it looks like a naked rabbit with bulging blue eyes. The Emperor stands before it, his back to the camera. He’s balding in a black uniform with a golden belt and leather sash.

Meanwhile, the film’s score is the guitar-drenched epitome of the Eighties, courtesy of Toto and Brian Eno. Unfortunately, it doesn’t fit the epic tone the film is trying to achieve and sounds incredibly cheesy by today’s scores.

Some of the dialogue comes across as similarly silly. Paul’s Fremen love-interest, Chani, expresses she will “love him forever” despite the audience only seeing them together in a handful of scenes. The novel was published in the ‘60s, so I’m sure that sounded oh-so sincere and romantic then. The Duke’s desperate, triumphant cry of “the tooth!” when trying to trick the Baron made me laugh oh-so-hard and was a pathetic gesture in the end. I was pretty lost and bewildered by the film’s final minutes, as everything fell into an all-out war. It was the main reason I had to rewatch it so soon after my initial viewing because the battle is lit so poorly.

As something of a baptism of fire into Herbert’s universe, I can’t, and don’t, hate this version of Dune. Yes, Paul Atreides is the most boring hero I’ve ever encountered, and the film glosses over a bigger story that not even two hours can cover. Still, after so many attempts for it to get made, 1984’s Dune is nothing short of remarkable, so I respect it. Own it, Mr. Lynch – you achieved the impossible three times over!

My Verdict: 2 STARS OUT OF 5

My Sources:

Dune poster - https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/en/5/51/Dune_1984_Poster.jpg

What awards did Dune win? - https://www.imdb.com/title/tt0087182/awards/?ref_=tt_awd

What David Lynch thinks about Dune - https://www.imdb.com/title/tt0087182/trivia/?ref_=tt_trv_trv

Dune: The Filming of a Masterpiece by Paul M. Sammon (Dune 2003 Special Edition DVD)

Dune plot - https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Dune_(novel)#Plot

Dune cast - https://www.imdb.com/title/tt0087182/fullcredits?ref_=tt_cl_sm

What other roles did Kenneth McMillan play? - https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Kenneth_McMillan_(actor)

Francesca Annis roles - https://www.imdb.com/name/nm0000768/?ref_=tt_cl_t_3

Lady Jessica’s description - https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Lady_Jessica#Description

Image: Navigator Tank - https://dune.fandom.com/wiki/Navigator_Tank