Frank Herbert's novel "Dune" was published in 1965, and in 1966 it won the Hugo Award and the Nebula Award. It is considered to be one of the greatest science fiction novels of all time, and is the best-selling sci-fi novel in history.
DUNE was directed by David Lynch at a cost of over $47 million, but was a critical and box office failure in the USA. However, it was a success in Europe and Japan, and Frank Herbert was pleased with it.
In the year 10,191 A.G. (after guild) armies from several planets go to Arrakis, a desert planet, which has a drug spice "Melange" guarded by monster sandworms. The spice is used for space travel. Two rival families, The Atreides and The Harkonnens fight for control of the spice mining operations on Arrakis.
Princess Irulan (Virginia Madsen) explains: "A beginning is a very delicate time. Know then, that this is the year 10191. The known universe is ruled by the Padishah Emperor Shaddam the Fourth, my father. In this time, the most precious substance in the universe is the spice Melange. The spice extends life. The spice expands consciousness. The spice is vital to space travel. The Spacing Guild and its navigators, who the spice has mutated over 4000 years, use the orange spice gas, which gives them the ability to fold space. That is, travel to any part of the universe without moving. Oh, yes. I forgot to tell you. The spice exists on only one planet in the entire universe. A desolate, dry planet with vast deserts. Hidden away within the rocks of these deserts are a people known as the Fremen, who have long held a prophecy that a man would come, a messiah, who would lead them to true freedom. The planet is Arrakis, also known as Dune."
Three other planets are concerns of the Spacing Guild: Caladan, home of House of Atreides; Giedi Prime, home of House of Harkonnen; and Kaitan, home of the Emperor Shaddam IV. The very complicated narrative is difficult to follow, so let's just skip it and focus on Arrakis.
Paul: "What do you call the mouse shadow on the second moon?"
Stilgar: "We call that one Muad'hib."
Paul: "Could I be known as Paul Muad'hib?"
Stilgar: "You are now Paul Muad'hib."
When Paul Atreides (Kyle MacLachlan) emerges as Muad'hib, he leads the Fremen in a revolt against the evil Baron Harkonnen and the corrupt Emperor Padishah Shaddam Corrino IV. He says, "Some thoughts have a certain sound, that being the equivalent to a form. Through sound and motion, you will be able to paralyze nerves, shatter bones, set fires, suffocate an enemy or burst his organs. We will kill until no Harkonnen breathes Arakeen air." Paul has special powers and can see into the future because of the effect of the spice. He becomes the savior, the "Kwisatz Haderich" of Arrakis.
DUNE is visually magnificent, with wonderful ornate set designs. Yet the screenplay is incomprehensible, unstructured and confusing. Voice-over narration is required to help fill in the plot gaps. However, I welcome the muddled plot, because it makes repeated viewings possible and indeed necessary.
The film has a good cast: Francesca Annis (Lady Jessica), Leonardo Cimino (the Baron's doctor), Brad Dourif (Piter De Vries), Jose Ferrer (Padishah Shaddam IV), Linda Hunt (Shadout Mapes), Freddie Jones (Shadout Mapes), Richard Jordan (Duncan Idaho), Silvan Mangano (Reverend Mother Ramallo), Everett McGill (Stilgar), Kenneth McMillan (Baron Vladimir Harkonnen), Jack Nance (Captain Iakin Nefud), Sian Phillips (Reverend Mother Gaius Helen Mohiam), Angelica Aragon (Bene Gesserit Sister), Jurgen Prochnow (Duke Leto Atreides), Paul L. Smith (The Beast Rabban), Patrick Stewart (Gurney Hallek), Sting (Feyd-Rautha), Dean Stockwell (Dr. Wellington Yueh), Max von Sydow (Dr. Kynes), Alicia Witt (Alia), and Sean Young (Chani). The soundtrack is by the band Toto. DUNE was filmed at the Churubusco Studios in Mexico City.
DUNE was released with a runnning time of 140 minutes. In 1988 a 190 minute edition was prepared for TV broadcast. David Lynch did not authorize nor participate, and the director is credited to "Allan Smithee"--the name used by directors when they wish to show their disapproval of the production. Five versions of DUNE are known: The Theatrical cut (1984, 137 minutes); The Allan Smithee Version (1988, 189 minutes); The Channel 2 Version (1992, 180 minutes); The Extended Edition (2006, 177 minutes); and The Workprint version (about 4 hours).
In 2000 a three part miniseries of DUNE was made for TV. The runtime is 265 minutes in the USA, but can be 292 minutes elsewhere. This version is more coherent with more narration, but the production values are not as good.
