Dune

It may be a hot mess of ideas, imagery and endless exposition, but I’m still glad I live in a world where David Lynch’s version of Dune exists.  Adapted from Frank Herbert’s novel (still the best example of world-building in literary science-fiction), trying to condense the story into a feature-length film was probably the first mistake producer Dino DeLaurentiis made.  And selling it as a Star Wars-style adventure was certainly the kiss of death.

Let’s face it, Dune was never going to be an easy sell.  Heck, even the novel needs an appended dictionary just to keep track of all the characters and invented cultural slang.  But moments of pure Lynchian weirdness break through all the political sabotage and messianic madness.  And it’s those moments that make this tragically flawed 1984 adaptation so memorably unique.

 

Garbage bag clad guild members mopping the floor like elephant keepers after the passage of their mutated navigator.

 

Baron Harkonnen’s blood soaked dalliance with an underage boy while floating under a waterfall of oily run-off.

 

It’s clear only a few minutes in that this isn’t going to be a George Lucas space opera.  But Lynch’s skewed take on the material only carries it so far.  He stumbles with the scale of the material, particularly the final siege against the Harkonnens made up of endless cross cuts of explosions and “pew-pew” exchange of fire.  But his cast - eccentric performers like Brad Dourif, Freddie Jones and Dean Stockwell blended with stoic icons like Max von Sydow and Jurgen Procknow – draw you in like the crowded poster of a ‘70s disaster film.  And cinematographer Freddie Francis makes the real stars of the picture – the sandworms – appear suitably epic in scale and size.

 

A remake usually signals a special edition of the original, and that’s the case with Arrow’s new 2-disc limited edition 4K/Blu-ray combo.  The transfer here is just gorgeous, restored from the original camera negative.  And that’s probably enough for most collectors to add this one to the shelf.  But the extras, including two new commentary tracks and interviews, along with a laundry list of archival features, make it a handsome package all-around, particularly with the 60-page book, poster and lobby cards.

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