Dune 1984
In 1984 David Lynch took up the mantle of re-creating the classic science fiction story; Dune for the big screen. It was met by largely negative critical reviews for its clumsy plot. Confusing and unexplainable digressions from the novel and the omission of several key characters who are important to the plot.
While these comments are all true, not much was said about what Lynch did right, and this is where I come in with this article. Yes, some of the actors were badly cast and looked nothing like they are described in the book (Duncan Idaho springs to mind here) and the special effects were generally something to forget (the hilarious personal energy shields) but Lynch and his creative team did get a lot right.
With the talk of a new Dune movie coming out in the next couple of years, and with the high budget it will supposedly have along with the advancement in special effects since the 1984 version, there is a chance to take what David Lynch tried to do and use it as a guide of sorts that can show the new director both what not to do, but also, what should be done.
For example, some of the characters were very well cast. Max Von Sydow as Liet Kynes was inspired, as was the casting of Kyle MacLachlan who did a very good job as Paul Atreides. Jurgen Prochnow as Duke Leto Atreides was also a good decision as was hiring Francesca Annis to play Jessica. They all played their parts well in a confusing movie with a relatively poor script.
The look of the movie was also great. The whole appearance captured the Dune universe so well and Lynch should be applauded for that more than anything else. Everything, from the sets to the costumes were fantastic. They had a worn appearance to them and everything looked gritty and has elements of realism to them.
Here’s hoping the next Dune movie can take what was good about Lynch’s vision and apply it alongside better storytelling.
By the way, for all you geeks out there I found an amazing new Enigin Geek blog for you all to check out. It has some great writing and I have officially become a follower!