Dunes (1984)

Directed by: David Lynch | 137 minutes | action adventure | Actors: Kyle MachLachlan, Francesca Annis, Patrick Stewart, Linda Hunt, José Ferrer, Leonardo Cimino, Freddie Jones, Brad Dourif, Richard Jordan, Virginia Madsen, Silvana Mangano, Everett McGill, Sting, Kenneth McMillan, Jack Nance, Siân Phillips, Jürgen Prochnow, Paul L. Smith, Dean Stockwell, Max Von Sydow, Alicia Witt, Sean Young, Danny Corkill, Honorato Magaloni, Judd Omen, Molly Wryn

Adapting one of the most famous science fiction books of all time is no easy task. Director David Lynch got to try it. The result was far from what he had hoped for. Not only was his “Dune” a box-office flop, but he was so dissatisfied with it that he doesn’t even recognize the film as his own work anymore. The pressure from the film studios was so great that he wasn’t even allowed to release the version he had in mind (according to Lynch himself). There’s even a longer version of “Dune” under the name of Alan Smithee, a pseudonym directors use when they don’t want to be associated with a released version. There are just few reasons to want to see more of this film.

‘Dune’ takes place on the desert planet Arrakis, where the important resource ‘spice’ is extracted. This drug is used for space travel and has mind-altering powers. The entire universe is captivated by this product; “Hey who controls the spice, controls the universe”. Rumor has it that the Bene Gesserit, a sister order, has been engaged in a secret breeding process for decades to create the Kwisatz Haderach. The Kwisatz Haderach is a type of superhuman who possesses all kinds of powers, including that he can see into the future and become the ultimate leader of the universe. Paul Atreides (Kyle MacLachlan) shows symptoms of a Kwisatz Haderach at a young age, much to the dismay of many powerful families who want to seize power.

Especially because of the inner monologues of the many characters ‘Dune’ is a difficult and tough book. David Lynch chose to use these monologues in the film as well, by superimposing voice-overs that the characters themselves record over scenes. The result is an amateurish way to give the characters more depth. The film lasts more than two hours, but that is not nearly enough to tell the whole story well. The assembly is therefore very messy; many terms are used that are not explained and the story goes by very quickly. Clearly little attention has been paid to carefully reviewing scenes and the acting suffers as well. Kyle MacLachlan is a great actor, but his character Paul Atreides is faded. A missed opportunity, because Paul is a complex character who is not a standard chosen savior, but also has to make difficult decisions that he may regret.

The effects are very dated. Many scenes clearly use a green screen, which means that the film cannot be taken seriously. The indigenous people on the planet Arrakis must have Arabic influences, only every character looks almost the same and the architecture these Fremen are known for never returns. Because the story is told so quickly, you don’t get to know the main characters. For example, Paul’s mother Jessica (Francesca Annis) is very important for his development. She should be a powerful character, but nothing is left of that. Instead, she’s a whiny type who has no value whatsoever. One of the few positives is Toto’s soundtrack, which cleverly adds some mystery to the film.

“Dune” is a failure and it’s no wonder David Lynch doesn’t want to talk about the movie either. Too bad, because the story has the potential to be a great movie spectacle. Instead, Lynch made a disjointed film that looks downright bad and completely misses the point of what makes the book so good. Lynch’s films are known for their dreamy elements, but ‘Dune’ is more of a nightmare.