By Robin E. Simmons
David Lynch’s much-berated edition of “Dune” (1984) was a critical and commercial flop. Lynch himself has disavowed the film. Further, he says he has no interest in the current version in theaters and streaming on HBO Max. Denis Villeneuve version of Frank Herbert’s massive and hugely relevant film has already met with widespread commercial and critical success.
In looking again at Lynch’s version, there are a number of things that deserve our admiration. First of all the production design is jaw-dropping and the fact that Lynch’s movie covers the gist of Herbert’s daunting book on screen in two hours!
Another thing, what’s the significance of the pugs (dogs)? And why does Duncan Idaho only get only two minutes of screen time before he dies?
The ending if Lynch’s version was /is) disappointing to fans of Herbert’s bestseller. A voice-over tells us Prince Paul Atreides the messianic hero becomes the powerful dictator he feared he would beco0me, even though he’s issued an era of peace – and then he makes it rain! Not a good ending.
This great looking –baffling and beautiful — 4K editions from Arrow Studios was mentioned on these pages before. The two-disc limited edition includes a treasure trove of bonus material that’s alone is woorth the price of the set. It’s fun to take a look back, especially after experiencing Denis Villeneuve’s breathtaking adaptation.
The real difference between the two films – s one local film buff put it — is that one was made by a madman (Lynch) who admitted he had no or little interest in the material and the other was made by a mega fan (Villeneuve) of Herbert’s meaningful tale.
What did you think? Drop me a line, I want to hear from readers.
