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Dune is a 1984 science fiction film directed by David Lynch and based on the 1965 Frank Herbert novel of the same name and containing elements from the later parts. The central plot concerned a young man foretold in prophecy as the Kwisatz Haderach who will protect a desert planet from the evil House Harkonnen and save the universe from evil. The film starred Kyle MacLachlan as the main character, Paul Atreides, and included an ensemble of well-known American, Latin American, and European actors in the supporting roles, including Sting, Jose Ferrer, Virginia Madsen, Linda Hunt, Patrick Stewart, Max von Sydow, and Jürgen Prochnow, among others. It was filmed at the Churubusco Studios in Mexico and included a soundtrack by the band Toto.
After the success of the novel, Dune's filming projects began as early as 1971, a lengthy process of development hell followed throughout the 70s, in which famous directors such as David Lean, Alejandro Jodorowsky, and Ridley Scott were attached, until 1981, when David Lynch was placed in control of it by producer Dino De Laurentiis.
The film initially disappointed film critics, and performed poorly in North American theaters. Upon its release, director David Lynch distanced himself from the project, stating that pressure from both producers and financiers restrained creative freedom and he was denied final cut.
Fans of the novels are polarized by the movie; while some praise the film for its epic scope, as well for its interpretation of Frank Herbert's universe, others are critical of the creative liberties taken as well for its confusing plot. Over the years, and partly because of its controversial nature, the film became a cult favorite of which at least 3 different versions have been released worldwide.
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Synopsis
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Note: The following synopsis refers to the "Theatrical cut" version of the film, which features several departures from the novel.
Far in the future, in the year 10,191, the known universe, a sprawling feudal intergalactic empire, is ruled by the Padishah Emperor Shaddam IV. In this time the most precious substance in the universe is the spice melange, a substance found in only one planet in the universe, the spice extends life, expands consciousness and its vital to space travel. The powerful spacing Guild and its Navigators use the orange spice gas to travel to any part of the universe without moving.
Four planets draw the attention of the Spacing Guild: Planet Arrakis, a desert planet and only source in the universe of the Spice; Planet Caladan, home of House Atreides; Planet Giedi Prime, Home of House Harkonnen; and Planet Kaitain, Home of the Emperor Shaddam IV. A third stage navigator is sent to Planet Kaitain demanding explanations from the Emperor, who confidentially lets the Guild know of his plans to destroy House Atreides, as Duke Leto Atreides popularity grows within the Landsraad and is suspected to be creating a secret army with a technique involving sound. The Emperor's plan is to give the Atreides control of Arrakis, replacing the Harkonnens, who at an appointed time would launch a sneak attack on the Atreides. Upon being informed of the plot, the navigator commands the Emperor to kill the Duke's son, Paul Atreides, a young man who dreams prophetic visions of his purpose. The cryptic assassination order draws the attention of the Bene Gesserit sisterhood, as Paul Atreides is part of a centuries long breeding program in the search of the Kwisatz Haderach.
Before departure, Paul is tested by Reverend Mother Gaius Helen Mohiam with the Box with a Gom jabbar at his throat, a painful test no man ever passed before. Meanwhile in the industrial world of Giedi Prime, the sadistic Baron Vladimir Harkonnen tells his nephews Glossu Rabban and Feyd-Rautha about his plan to eliminate House Atreides by manipulating someone very close to the Duke into betraying him.
The Atreides leave Caladan to Arrakis, a mysterious world of vast deserts, filled with gigantic sandworms and populated by the Fremen, mysterious men who have long held a prophecy that a messiah would come to lead them to true freedom. Upon arrival to Arrakis, Duke Leto is informed by one of his right-hand men, Duncan Idaho, that the Fremen have been largely underestimated, as they exist in vast numbers in Arrakis and could prove to be powerful allies. Duke Leto gains the trust of the people of Arrakis, proving to be a charismatic and just leader. But before the Duke can establish an alliance with the Fremen, the Harkonnen launch their attack more quickly than the Atreides expect.
While the Atreides anticipated a trap, they are unable to withstand a devastating Harkonnen sneak attack, supported by the Emperor's elite troops, the Sardaukar, and aided by a traitor within House Atreides itself, Doctor Wellington Yueh. Captured, Duke Leto dies in an failed attempt to assassinate the Baron Vladimir Harkonnen using a poison gas capsule planted in his tooth by Dr. Yueh, but his son Paul and his concubine Jessica escape into the deep desert. With Jessica's Bene Gesserit abilities and Paul's developing skills, they manage to join a band of native Fremen. Paul emerges as Muad'Dib, the religious and political leader the Fremen have been waiting for. Paul teaches the Fremen to use the weirding modules and begins targeting mining production of spice. The Emperor is warned by the Spacing Guild of the situation on Arrakis, as the Guild fears that Paul would eventually take the Water of Life, the fears of the Spacing Guild are revealed to Paul in a prophetic dream. Aware his purpose, Paul drinks the Water of Life and enters a coma that disturbs all Bene Gesserits in the universe, the water of life prompts several visions to Paul, upon awaking Paul is transformed and gains control of the sandworms of Arrakis.
Upon the Emperor's arrival to Arrakis, Paul launches a final attack against both the Harkonnen and the Emperor. His Fremen warriors, armed with weirding modules and riding sandworms, defeat the Emperor's legions of Sardaukars while Paul's sister Alia kills the Baron Harkonnen, who floats through a wall breach to be eaten by a sandworm. Paul faces the defeated Emperor, and avenges his family in a duel to the death with Feyd-Rautha Harkonnen. After making Feyd's organs burst by screaming at him without a weirding module, Paul commands rain to fall on Arrakis, revealing to everyone that he is the Kwisatz Haderach.
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Cast
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With the exception of Kyle MacLachlan, Dune featured a large international cast of well-known actors, including 2 academy award winners in secondary roles. Almost every major character from the book is present in the movie.
(in credited order)
Brad Dourif as Piter De Vries. Dourif is notable for portraying deranged and unstable characters in most of his movies, doing so again in Dune.
José Ferrer as Padishah Emperor Shaddam IV. The Puerto Rican actor had starred before as the Turkish Bey in the 1962 classic Lawrence of Arabia, a character that like the Padishah Emperor Shaddam IV also represents the old Imperial order. The story of T.E. Lawrence shares similarities with the plot of Dune and has even been cited as one of the influences of the novel.
Linda Hunt as the Shadout Mapes. Hunt was in fact the second cast member to have won an Academy Award prior to working in Dune (the first one being José Ferrer). A deleted scene featuring Mapes proving her loyalty to Lady Jessica is featured in the Allan Smithee cut.
Freddie Jones as Thufir Hawat. Jones, having previously work with David Lynch in The Elephant Man, would continue his acting tradition of being a character actor with his portrayal of Thufir Hawat. While in the book Hawat chooses to sacrifice himself instead of betraying his Duke, in no version of the movie such scene is found, although it is featured as a deleted scene in the Extended Edition DVD; Thufir removes his heart plug and dies in Paul's arms.
Richard Jordan as Duncan Idaho. Jordan was known for his career both in Broadway as well for a number of secondary roles in movies.
Jack Nance as Captain Iakin Nefud. Nance starred in almost every project by David Lynch until his tragic death in 1996. Nefud disappears from the movie in its climax, and can be only glimpsed at the end with scars in his temples, suggesting he was victim of a lobotomy.
Jürgen Prochnow as Duke Leto Atreides. Before Dune, the German actor was already known for his portrayal as the submarine captain in Das Boot as well as his role in the 1983 Michael Mann feature The Keep, in which he co-stars with Ian MacMillan.
Paul L. Smith as The Beast Rabban (credited as Paul Smith). Smith was almost universally panned by critics and fans alike for his portrayal of The Beast Rabban, a character with basically no lines of dialogue in the movie.
Patrick Stewart as Gurney Halleck. At the time, the soon-to-be Captain Jean-Luc Picard was a relatively unknown actor, known mostly for his part in the 1981 film Excalibur. Much of his part in Dune was left in the editing room, such as his scene of Gurney playing the baliset, which was later restored by the Allan Smithee cut.
Sting as Feyd-Rautha. The rockstar Sting would star as the Machiavellian Feyd-Rautha, a character that was almost completely remade for the movie, being portrayed here as an Aryan cyber-punk.
Alicia Witt as Alia (credited as Alicia Roanne Witt). Dune would be Alicia Witt's debut on the big screen, being only 9 years old at the time.
Sean Young as Chani. Young previous movie had been the sci-fi classic Blade Runner and stars in Dune as the daughter of Liet-Kynes and the love of Paul Atreides.
Honorato Magaloni as Otheym (credited as Honorato Magalone)
Judd Omen as Jamis. In the novel, Jamis challenges Paul to a fight to the death. The Jamis fight was not included in the theatrical cut, although it is included in the Alan Smithee version.
Molly Wryn as Harah. Jamis's wife, also not included in the theatrical cut.
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Production
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Shot almost entirely in Mexico, the movie is an adaptation of the first part of a series of novels (see Dune, by Frank Herbert) and containing elements from the later parts.
The pre-production process was slow and problematic, and the project was handed from director to director. In 1971 the production company Apjac International (APJ) (headed by Arthur P. Jacobs) optioned the rights to film Dune. As Jacobs was busy with other projects (such as the sequel of Planet of the Apes) the project was delayed for another year. Originally, it was to be directed by David Lean (with Robert Bolt writing the screenplay) and scheduled to begin shooting in 1974. In 1973, Arthur P. Jacobs passed away.
In December 1974, a French consortium led by Jean-Paul Gibon purchased the rights to the movie from APJ. The director this time would be Chilean born writer/director/mime/composer/psychotherapist/comic book writer Alejandro Jodorowsky.
In 1975, Alejandro Jodorowsky tried to film the story as a ten hour feature, in collaboration with Orson Welles, Dan O'Bannon, Salvador Dalí, Gloria Swanson and others (nicknamed by him as "his 7 samurais"). The music would have been done by Pink Floyd. Jodorowsky set up a pre-production unit in Paris that consisted of Chris Foss, a British artist who designed covers for science fiction periodicals, Jean Giraud, a French illustrator who created and also wrote and drew for Metal Hurlant magazine, and H. R. Giger. Moebius began designing creatures and characters for the film, while Foss was brought in to design the film's space ships and hardware. Giger started designing the Harkonnen Castle based on Moebius' storyboards and Dali was to play the role of the Emperor for a reported $100,000 an hour. Jodorowsky also hired Dan O'Bannon to head the special effects department. Dali and Jodorowsky began quarreling over money and just as the storyboards, designs, and the script were finished, the financial backing dried up. Frank Herbert travelled to Europe in 1976 to find that two million dollars were already spent in pre-production and that the Jodorowsky's script would result in a 14-hour movie ("It was the size of a phonebook" would recall Herbert). Although Jodorowsky took several creative liberties with his novel, Herbert stated that he and Jodorowsky had an amicable relationship.
The rights for filming were yet again sold, this time to Dino de Laurentiis. Although embittered, Jodorowsky states that the Dune project changed his life. Dan O'Bannon entered a psychiatric hospital after the failure of the production and worked on 13 scripts afterwards; his 13th script was Alien.
De Laurentiis commissioned Herbert to write the screenplay in 1978. However, considering that an average script is 110 pages long, Herbert's 175-page script was rejected.
With De Laurentiis holding the rights for filming, he hired director Ridley Scott in 1979 (with Rudolph Wurlitzer writing the screenplay and H.R. Giger back from the Jodorowsky production). Scott worked on three scripts using The Battle of Algiers as a point of reference and intended to split the book into two movies before moving on to direct Blade Runner. As he recalls, the pre-production process was slow and to get the project done would have taken more time:
"But after seven months I dropped out of Dune, by then Rudy Wurlitzer had come up with a first-draft script which I felt was a decent distillation of Frank Herbert's. But I also realised Dune was going to take a lot more work - at least two and a half years' worth. And I didn't have the heart to attack that because my older brother Frank unexpectedly died of cancer while I was prepping the De Laurentiis picture. Frankly, that freaked me out. So I went to Dino and told him the Dune script was his." (taken from "Ridley Scott - The Making of his Movies" - by Paul M. Sammon)
By 1981, the nine year deal was expiring, De Laurentiis re-negotiated the rights again, and settled the rights for Dune sequels (written and unwritten). Raffaella De Laurentiis, after seeing The Elephant Man decided that David Lynch should direct the movie, around that time Lynch was receiving several other offers, including , and agreed to direct and write Dune.
David Lynch worked on the script for six months with Eric Bergen and Christopher De Vore, eventually adapting the movie into two scripts. The team split up after this first attempt because of creative differences. Lynch would continue to work on five more different scripts. Shooting of Dune finally started with the 135-page 6th draft of the script on March 30, 1983. With a budget of over 40 million dollars, Dune required 80 sets built upon 16 sound stages and a total crew of 1700. The rough cut of Dune under completion was over four hours in duration without post production effects , but Lynch's intended cut of the movie as reflected in the seventh and last draft of the script was three hours long.
However Universal Pictures and the film financiers expected a more profitable 2 hours cut of the film to be shown more frequently on a day to day basis (thus returning the investment quickly), prompting producers Dino De Laurentiis, Raffaella De Laurentiis and director David Lynch to make Dune into a shorter film; thus for the sake of reducing its length numerous scenes were removed, new scenes that comprised simplified or concentrated elements of the plot were filmed and voice over narrations including a new introduction by Virginia Madsen were added into the final cut. Contrary to popular rumors, Lynch made no other version of the movie outside the Theatrical Cut, no longer 3-6 hour version ever existed in its complete form.
Frank Herbert stated he was satisfied with the end result of the movie, and expressed disappointment that some of the scenes he saw on the rough cuts of Dune were not included in the Theatrical Cut.
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Box office and reception
Dunes premiere was on December 3, 1984 at The Kennedy Center in Washington, D.C. and was released worldwide on December 14. Dune's hype was huge before release, as it was not only based on the best selling book but also because David Lynch was directing it after the success of Eraserhead and The Elephant Man. Several magazines had been following the production for some time, with articles already praising the movie even before its release, all part of the advertising and merchandising of Dune, which also included a documentary for television as well as items placed in toy stores.
The movie wasn't the blockbuster science fiction film the filmmakers had hoped, grossing only $6,025,091 dollars in its opening weekend and being pulled from theaters shortly after only five weeks of screening, grossing a total of $27.4 million in its domestic run off an estimated $42 million budget, despite a decent grossing in both Japan and Europe, the movie was considered a financial failure. In his review, critic Roger Ebert wrote "This movie is a real mess, an incomprehensible, ugly, unstructured, pointless excursion into the murkier realms of one of the most confusing screenplays of all time." Ebert also called it "The worst movie of the year." Other negative reviews focused on the same issues as well as on the length of the movie.
While most critics were negative towards Dune, critic and sci-fi writer Harlan Ellison was of a different opinion at the time, and considered that the $42 million production failed because critics were denied screenings at the last minute after several re-schedules, a decision by Universal that, according to Ellison, made the film community feel nervous and negative towards Dune before its release. Ellison later became one of the film's few positive reviewers at the time.
Kinder criticism praises Lynch's noir-baroque approach to the movie. Others compare it to other Lynch movies, such as Eraserhead and say that in order to watch it, the viewer must first be aware of the Dune universe. As over the years Dune has become a cult favorite, it has gained substantial praise among online reviewers and online critics in general
As a result of the box-office and critical failure, Dunes sequels were canceled, it was reported that David Lynch was working on the script of Dune Messiah
and was signed for directing a second and a third movie about Dune.
In retrospect, Lynch regrets directing Dune , and doesn't like to talk about Dune in interviews either. Universal has approached David Lynch for a possible Director's Cut of the cult favorite, yet Lynch has turned all the offers down.
"I started selling out on Dune. Looking back, it's no one's fault but my own. I probably shouldn't have done that picture, but I saw tons and tons of possibilities for things I loved, and this was the structure to do them in. there was so much room to create a world. But I got strong indications from Raffaella and Dino De Laurentiis of what kind of film they expected, and I knew I didn't have final cut." (David Lynch on Dune)
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Departures from the novel
The film makes departures from the novel, including the following:
Several characters were erased when adapted to the big screen, such as Count Hasimir Fenring and other characters of small importance.
Paul and Feyd-Rautha are older in the film than in the novel, and Feyd is portrayed as an Aryan cyber-punk. In the film there is no mention of the motives behind their mutual hatred, which are explained in the first novel in their climactic duel. In the film, the duel is reduced in both importance and length.
In the novel, the "Weirding Way," properly termed "prana-bindu training," is a super-martial art form that allows an adept like Paul Atreides to move with lightning speed. The Lynch movie replaces this with "Weirding Modules," sonic weapons that amplify the user's voice into a destructive force and destroy obelisks, and look like little video cameras. Reportedly the original technique was left out because it was felt that a pitched combat of Fremen fighting Sardaukar while using the Weirding Way would look like a campy kung-fu movie. In addition, the Weirding Module provided the opportunity for the use of special effects. This change literalizes a moment in the novel in which Paul says his name has become a death-prayer because the Fremen shout "Muad'dib!" before killing an opponent. In the film, the Fremen actually destroy their enemies by destroying them while shouting his name, leading Paul to make the remark "my own name is a killing word."
The film focuses on mind reading abilities of the Bene Gesserit, while the book focuses on their keen awareness.
In the film, one of the Baron's aides plays a musical instrument which makes horrible squeaking noises, they drink the juices of crushed insects, have heart-plugs, and Rabban eats a chunk of a cow.
In the film, the 'thopters (ornithopters) are depicted as wingless, jet or rocket-propelled aircraft.
In the film, some of the Spacing Guild members are responsible for mopping up after the Guild Navigator, and they cannot speak normally, but instead channel their thoughts through a vintage radio microphone.
In the film, the color of the Arrakeen sky is changed from silver to orange, and the Feyd-Rautha character is blond rather than dark-haired.
In the film, one of the Emperor's generals has a metal nose, and the Bene Gesserit witch has metal teeth.
The film ends with rain falling on Arrakis, apparently at Paul's command. In the novel, this is accomplished through years of terraforming, and it does not rain for decades after Paul ascends the throne.
In the film, the mentats have inexplicably enormous eyebrows.
In the novel, the final line, spoken by Jessica to Chani, is "Those of us who bear the name of concubine, history will remember as wives" (in reference to Paul's marriage to and refusal of Irulan). In the movie, the final lines (spoken by Alia) are "And how can this be? For he is the Kwisatz Haderach!"
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Versions
Despite initial failure, the movie has achieved a respectable cult status of which at least three other versions outside the original theatrical cut have been released. In grand total, 5 versions of Dune are known:
The Theatrical Cut (1984): (137 minutes).
The Allan Smithee Version (1988): (189 minutes). Prepared for television showings without either participation or authorization by David Lynch. This version was only released in Laserdisc in Japan , though VHS copies of the original television airing are found in the bootleg market.
The Channel 2 Version (1992): (180 minutes). Made for television broadcast in the San Francisco area, it featured the new scenes from the Allan Smithee Cut as well as scenes from the Theatrical Cut.
The Extended Edition (2006): (177 minutes): Its a better edited version of the Allan Smithee Cut.
The Workprint vesion: (around 4+ hours in duration). An ensemble of all footage after principal photography was complete. Contrary to popular fan rumours, it was by no means the Director's Cut of the film.
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Theatrical Cut
Released in 1984 worldwide, it was edited by 37 seconds in the UK to pass PG rating. Though this 137 minute version was not David Lynch's intended cut, it is the only director-aproved version and the only version he ever made of the film. It is widely found on videocassette and DVD, and in 2006 it was remastered for a special DVD release.
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The Alan Smithee Version
The less-seen 189 minutes "Alan Smithee" version is a cult favorite on its own. Prepared originally for syndicated television (and later seen on basic cable networks) for a two nights airing. The missing footage includes a painted montage at the prologue, and some scenes added back into the mix, including the "little-maker" essence-of-spice scene. The TV version was edited almost haphazardly (for example, certain shots were repeated throughout the film to give the impression that footage had been added). Lynch objected to these edits and had his name removed from the credits, of the TV print (which were replaced by Alan Smithee and Judas Booth).
Although originally only found in Laserdisc format in Japan and as a poorly recorded VHS in the bootleg market, it is now available worldwide on DVD. An Extended Edition was released by Universal Home Entertainment in the U.S. on DVD on January 31, 2006. The DVD contained both Lynch's 137-minute theatrical cut and a 177-minute edit of the Alan Smithee TV version (the latter being presented for the first time in its original anamorphic widescreen aspect ratio). It also featured a documentary on the design and special effects, and a separate supplementary section of outtakes and scenes not included in any previous version of the film, including an alternate ending.
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The Channel 2 Version
KTVU, a San Francisco, CA Fox affiliate, pieced together a hybrid edit of the two previous versions for broadcast in the San Francisco Bay Area. It is essentially the TV version with all the violence of the theatrical version reincorporated into the film proper.
A DVD Extended Edition version was released in Europe in November, 2005. It includes, amongst other extras, an extended version of the film, credited to Alan Smithee, which is 177 minutes long. The booklet explains this version was created for an American TV channel, and is probably the aforementioned Channel 2 Version. Neither the video nor the audio was remastered, exhibiting a poor TV-like quality. Despite the fact that the cover states that it is a mono soundtrack, it is, in fact, in stereo.
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Influence
The song "Weapon of Choice" references the movie Dune numerous times, referencing the Bene Gesserit voice ("Don't be shy by the tone of my voice. Check out my new weapon of choice") and the worms ("Walk without rhythm, and it won't attract the worm"). While "Travelling without moving" is the name of a Jamiroquai album.
The techno-music DJ group Dynamix II released an album called Machine Language; the song Get Out of My Mind samples an Alia scene from Dune: "Get out of my mind!" "Not until you tell them both who I really am."
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See also
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