Movie Review - Dune

Dune, a movie based on a series of science fiction books by Frank Herbert which are about a feudal power struggle which spans galaxies. This struggle revolves around production of a spice called Melange which can only be found on one planet in the known Universe, the planet Arrakis which is also known as Dune due to it being a desert planet where it never rains. The spice allows its users to see the future and fold space allowing faster than light interstellar travel.

Visuals in the movie come from the mind of production designer Mobius (second only to H.R. Geiger in his ability to make warped creations) so you have him to thank for the designs of all the planets and aliens based on Herberts original book ideas. Most of the film was shot in Mexico (doubling for the planet Arrakis) and the film had quite a broad cast including Sting (better known as a singer and muscian), Max Von Sydow and Patrick Stewart who really does look like a Borg in his Fremen stillsuit.

The film itself mainly exists in 4 different versions:-

Version 1 - The Theatrical cut, its probably the version most people are familiar with as its the version that is also shown on television. Director David Lynch was not 100% happy with this version so his name does not feature in the credits.

Version 2 - The David Lynch cut - This is a longer version of the movie with some newly added concept art & narration used to explain more of the background of the story of Dune. Lynch says this is the movie as he wanted it to be released & this version does carry his name in the credits, the movie has a much longer introduction similar to the original but it expands on the Universe of Dune and is voiced by a different actor than the Theatrical Cut.

Version 3 - The Extended Edition, also known as The Extended Alan Smithee Cut. Again this is a version that Lynch was unhappy about and features the name Alan Smithee in place of Lynch, Alan Smithee is a fake name used in the movie industry when someone is unhappy with the film and does not wish to take credit for it. This also has another different introduction using different concept art from the Lynch cut and restores many missing scenes to the movie making the story of Dune much easier to follow and understand. Certain effects scenes are recycled and used more than once to fill new scenes out, the film itself is just short of 3 hours long and is the longest commercially available version of Dune. The print itself is very dirty as it is widescreen and shows previously unprocessed parts of the film that had never previously been seen in other versions of the movie. This film is also sometimes referred to as the Judas Booth cut, Judas as Lynch felt betrayed and Booth (John Wilkes Booth) as Lynch felt his credibility had been assassinated.

Version 4 - The Workprint version, this is a now legendary version of Dune which is over 4 hours long and is the full uncut movie as it was shot. This was only ever screened once before the films running time was cut as they felt no-one would pay to watch a 4 hour long science fiction movie. It is unknown if any versions of this cut survive.

The Planet Arrakis is being controlled by the House Harkonen until the Galactic Emporer (Jose Ferrer) decides to pass control to the House Atreides ruled by Duke Leto (Jurgen Prochnow) with his wife Jessica (Francesca Annis) and their son Paul (Kyle MacLachlan, more famous for being in cult show Twin Peaks), the film follows their journey to Arrakis showing how Melange is used to fold space and their take over of the planet and its spice production operations.

Paul is haunted by dreams of the future that seem to come true, a plot to steal the Dukal signet ring from Leto is hatched and carried out resulting in his death and the Harkonens regain control of Arrakis. Paul and Jessica are saved from execution and flee into the desert where they meet the Fremen, the indiginous populous of Arrakis and more of Pauls dreams come true.

He shows them Atreides technology evolved around fighting with sound weapons and secretly trains their warriors to become an underground army, they use guerilla tactics to cease spice production forcing the Emporer to come to Arrakis to investigate. Paul undergoes a ritual of the Bene Gesserit sisterhood and fulfils their prophecy of being their mythical "superbeing". Paul & the Fremen battle against the Emporers troops to retake control of Arrakis for the Fremen.

The movie as such doesn't really have an ending being a film of the 1st book in quite a long series so its left very much open ended and your left wondering "so what next?" which you can only really answer if you watch the Sky remake of Dune and its futher chapters or read the remaining books. Worth adding to your collection if your a die hard Dune fan, purely in the name of completeness.