Chapters of Dune: Adaptations of Frank Herbert's Masterwork
Space opera and "raypunk" have a lot of overlap, with the most prominent examples being Star Wars and Flash Gordon. But if you're really looking for the penultimate space-based retro-futuristic intrigue-filled masterpiece it is difficult to beat Frank Herbert's Dune. Star Wars and Flash Gordon are campy and largely simplistic, relying heavily on action and spectacle and then making up the web of the universe as they go along. In reverse, the universe of the Dune series is intricate and hard-hitting from the start, thoughtful and deep in the nerdy weeds of science fiction. In fact it boggles my mind that such a cerebral book managed to make it out of the pages and onto the screen. But it has, not once but now heading into three times.
1. The Book
Dune was originally published back in 1965, an immediate critical success which earned the first ever Nebula Award for best science fiction novel. As with the best of science fiction, it uses the medium to thoughtfully explore the relationships of politics, religion, the nature of power, ecology, and the human destiny. No big deal, really. Recently I've noticed people riding the wave of Game of Thrones mania going back and calling this "Game of Thrones in space". To which I roll my Spice-blue eyes skyward and immediately reach for my crysknife to gut the water-fat fool who is lazy and must have a Game of Thrones reference applied to everything. If anything, Game of Thrones is Dune set in medieval fantasy. To give a very brief synopsis (and therefore be warned of spoilers), this is essentially what happens in the book.
In the far future, the known universe is ruled by an Emperor and its feudal houses. But what really keeps these worlds connected is the spice mélange, a substance that expands human consciousness, enhances health, and enables Guild navigators to fold space and traverse the galaxy. Behind the scenes patiently wait the Bene Gesserit, whose semi-mystical training and selective breeding have given them subtle power. Paul Atriedes, the son of the Duke Atriedes and his Bene Gesserit consort, leaves his homeworld with his parents to oversee the management of the one planet in the galaxy with the spice. This desert planet Arrakis has long been under the thumb of the Atriedes mortal enemies, House Harkonnen, but the Emperor has grown displeased with their tactics. This move to Arrakis sets the schemes of Atriedes, Harkonnen, the Emperor, the Guild, the Bene Gesserit, and even the native Fremen into motion, leading to a tide of power plays and betrayals that bury House Atriedes. But even as Paul's enemies congratulate themselves on their success, Paul and his mother Lady Jessica escape into the desert. Bearing his mother's blood and Bene Gesserit training, Paul is quick to find a place among the Fremen. With his growing prescient powers and ability to lead, he becomes a cunning warrior and prophet. Together with the Fremen crusaders Paul stages a comeback and avenges himself on his enemies. In the end Paul uses the tools of war, politics, and religion to regain his birthright and more, but his ascension is only the beginning of a new and dangerous age.
What marks the book apart from many of its kind is that it is a fully-formed world, in a way that reminds me a lot of Tolkien's Lord of the Rings. It remixes elements of modern and ancient civilizations into a bizarre but grounded future, and is a master class of politics and intrigue. It can be a hard book to crack, there's a lot going on in the headspaces of the characters, but very rewarding.
2. The 1984 film
It took a few tries to get a screen adaptation off the ground. Apparently in an earlier version Salvador Dali was tapped to play the Emperor for some reason? Anyway, David Lynch ended up directing this first run. Overall this a pretty good film. The world created is fantastically produced, with amazing set and costume designs, grandiose miniatures and visual effects, music by Toto, and a cast of over-the-top villains and weirdos. Where else can you get Kyle MacLachlan, Sean Young, Patrick Stewart, Max von Sydow, Linda Hunt, and Sting all in the same film? And everything has the feeling of an epic, as any Dune film should.
However, adapting the book into a movie inevitably creates problems. The screenplay strips away a lot of the nuance in the book, which turns out is a big part of what makes the book great. The book is full of plans within plans, in this film all we tend to see is good Atriedes and evil Harkonnen. And although the religious tones are there, all we really see is that Paul is the messiah. In the book it's pitched more as something Paul and Jessica take advantage of out of desperation, they know that religion can be powerful but extremely dangerous to use. There's a lot of argument as to whether Paul really has a choice, and in this film it's not really much of a conflict. There are some minor changes some plot elements, but the same themes of self-discovery, fate, religion, and politics remain. In the book it makes perfect sense to be able to hear the inner monologues of characters, but in a movie the use of whispered monologues seems a little silly and at times distracting.
3.The 2000 mini-series
Almost twenty years later, the Syfy Channel produced their own version of the Dune saga as a mini-series. Of the two screen versions, I think this one is by far superior. The mini-series format allows for a lot more exploration into the thoughts and motives of the main players. Instead of just following Paul and occasionally peeking in on the dastardly villains, the mini-series creates substantial parts for the Harkonnens and Corrinos. We don't really see much of this in the text, but in particular the story arc of Princess Irulan is a welcome addition, bumping up her character from prize (in the text) or narrator (in the 1984 film) all the way to a player in her own right. Paul and Irulan are both learning how to gain and wield power, something that is a core plot line in the text and something overlooked in the first movie. We also get to see much more of Fremen life, which in turn helps us root for the Fremen. We actually see an explanation of the ecology of Arrakis (another core element of the book), which feeds into Fremen dreams of paradise and into the fate of spice production. Another interesting cast is involved, in general good fits for their roles although beyond William Hurt and Alec Newman they're largely actors known for their work outside of the United States. And thankfully we get rid of the whispered internal monologues.
So what are its weaknesses? Well the feel of it is much different, much less messianic and phenomenal cosmic power. The whole work is very theatrical, as if it's a forgotten Shakespearean play. A play very well adapted into cinematic screenplay and camerawork, but still bearing a lot of theatrical quirks. Which totally works with the characters and intrigue and feuding houses, but in that stylization some things get cranked up to eleven. For instance, the sets. They feel very much like a series of sets, rather than locations, the colors are amped up and the CGI isn't very convincing. And while I like a lot of the costumes in this work, I have to admit a lot of the Imperial court and soldier uniforms are kind of dumb. And that kind of works in the Imperial court, we're supposed to get the feeling that the Emperor is a spoiled fop who's the polar opposite of the pragmatic Fremen, but the soldier uniforms for Harkonnen and Corrino don't make any damn sense. Also the stillsuits in the original film are way more iconic than perhaps the more "realistic" versions in the mini-series. The over-the-top quality of the costumes makes me think again of a theatre view of things. But in the end, an excellent adaptation of the book, and carry very well in the sequel mini-series Children of Dune (which adapts from the books Dune Messiah and Children of Dune).
4. The 2020 film
We'll have to wait until December of this year to find out what happens with this most recent attempt to capture the spirit of Dune. At this point the book is meant to be adapted into a two-parter, which should be interesting. As seen with the 1984 vs. 2000 versions, it sure does help to reserve room for more depth (which is hard to achieve in one feature-length film). But from what I've seen so far, I'm willing to say that it will likely be a credit to the line of adaptations, and likely will surpass the previous versions. Why so certain? Well, let's start with Denis Villeneuve.
Denis Villeneuve has been a director to watch, and though I've not seen his entire filmography I've been extremely impressed with Sicario and Bladerunner 2049. I've also heard very good things and have been meaning to watch Arrival and Prisoners. From these films alone its apparent that Villeneuve is skilled in working in science fiction and in suspense/action, which is good because Dune is right up that alley. On top of that, his films pay special attention to providing glorious visuals and sequences, which should be important in a Dune screen adaptation. Pretty much every shot of Bladerunner 2049 is in that realm (although here's a great sequence as an example), and there's this fantastic sequence in Sicario that I carry around in my head now of soldiers merging with the darkness. Roger Deakins is cinematographer in both of those, but for Dune there's Greig Fraser who also has impressive credits with Rogue One, Zero Dark Thirty, Foxcatcher, and episodes of The Mandalorian. There's probably a host of other people responsible for such spectacular visuals, but what I mean to say is that Villenueve films seems to attract the best for delivering in those areas. And although we don't have a complete cast list, it does seem to be attracting a lot of well-established and budding talents. Already we have Stellan Skarsgard, Josh Brolin, Rebecca Ferguson, Oscar Isaac, Javier Bardem, Dave Bautista, and Jason Momoa, with newer talents like Timothee Chalamet and Zendaya cast as Paul Atriedes and Chani.
So I think between the director and this cast this film should be well on track. I certainly look forward to another addition to Frank Herbert's legacy.
1. The Book
Dune was originally published back in 1965, an immediate critical success which earned the first ever Nebula Award for best science fiction novel. As with the best of science fiction, it uses the medium to thoughtfully explore the relationships of politics, religion, the nature of power, ecology, and the human destiny. No big deal, really. Recently I've noticed people riding the wave of Game of Thrones mania going back and calling this "Game of Thrones in space". To which I roll my Spice-blue eyes skyward and immediately reach for my crysknife to gut the water-fat fool who is lazy and must have a Game of Thrones reference applied to everything. If anything, Game of Thrones is Dune set in medieval fantasy. To give a very brief synopsis (and therefore be warned of spoilers), this is essentially what happens in the book.
In the far future, the known universe is ruled by an Emperor and its feudal houses. But what really keeps these worlds connected is the spice mélange, a substance that expands human consciousness, enhances health, and enables Guild navigators to fold space and traverse the galaxy. Behind the scenes patiently wait the Bene Gesserit, whose semi-mystical training and selective breeding have given them subtle power. Paul Atriedes, the son of the Duke Atriedes and his Bene Gesserit consort, leaves his homeworld with his parents to oversee the management of the one planet in the galaxy with the spice. This desert planet Arrakis has long been under the thumb of the Atriedes mortal enemies, House Harkonnen, but the Emperor has grown displeased with their tactics. This move to Arrakis sets the schemes of Atriedes, Harkonnen, the Emperor, the Guild, the Bene Gesserit, and even the native Fremen into motion, leading to a tide of power plays and betrayals that bury House Atriedes. But even as Paul's enemies congratulate themselves on their success, Paul and his mother Lady Jessica escape into the desert. Bearing his mother's blood and Bene Gesserit training, Paul is quick to find a place among the Fremen. With his growing prescient powers and ability to lead, he becomes a cunning warrior and prophet. Together with the Fremen crusaders Paul stages a comeback and avenges himself on his enemies. In the end Paul uses the tools of war, politics, and religion to regain his birthright and more, but his ascension is only the beginning of a new and dangerous age.
What marks the book apart from many of its kind is that it is a fully-formed world, in a way that reminds me a lot of Tolkien's Lord of the Rings. It remixes elements of modern and ancient civilizations into a bizarre but grounded future, and is a master class of politics and intrigue. It can be a hard book to crack, there's a lot going on in the headspaces of the characters, but very rewarding.
2. The 1984 film
It took a few tries to get a screen adaptation off the ground. Apparently in an earlier version Salvador Dali was tapped to play the Emperor for some reason? Anyway, David Lynch ended up directing this first run. Overall this a pretty good film. The world created is fantastically produced, with amazing set and costume designs, grandiose miniatures and visual effects, music by Toto, and a cast of over-the-top villains and weirdos. Where else can you get Kyle MacLachlan, Sean Young, Patrick Stewart, Max von Sydow, Linda Hunt, and Sting all in the same film? And everything has the feeling of an epic, as any Dune film should.
However, adapting the book into a movie inevitably creates problems. The screenplay strips away a lot of the nuance in the book, which turns out is a big part of what makes the book great. The book is full of plans within plans, in this film all we tend to see is good Atriedes and evil Harkonnen. And although the religious tones are there, all we really see is that Paul is the messiah. In the book it's pitched more as something Paul and Jessica take advantage of out of desperation, they know that religion can be powerful but extremely dangerous to use. There's a lot of argument as to whether Paul really has a choice, and in this film it's not really much of a conflict. There are some minor changes some plot elements, but the same themes of self-discovery, fate, religion, and politics remain. In the book it makes perfect sense to be able to hear the inner monologues of characters, but in a movie the use of whispered monologues seems a little silly and at times distracting.
3.The 2000 mini-series
Almost twenty years later, the Syfy Channel produced their own version of the Dune saga as a mini-series. Of the two screen versions, I think this one is by far superior. The mini-series format allows for a lot more exploration into the thoughts and motives of the main players. Instead of just following Paul and occasionally peeking in on the dastardly villains, the mini-series creates substantial parts for the Harkonnens and Corrinos. We don't really see much of this in the text, but in particular the story arc of Princess Irulan is a welcome addition, bumping up her character from prize (in the text) or narrator (in the 1984 film) all the way to a player in her own right. Paul and Irulan are both learning how to gain and wield power, something that is a core plot line in the text and something overlooked in the first movie. We also get to see much more of Fremen life, which in turn helps us root for the Fremen. We actually see an explanation of the ecology of Arrakis (another core element of the book), which feeds into Fremen dreams of paradise and into the fate of spice production. Another interesting cast is involved, in general good fits for their roles although beyond William Hurt and Alec Newman they're largely actors known for their work outside of the United States. And thankfully we get rid of the whispered internal monologues.
So what are its weaknesses? Well the feel of it is much different, much less messianic and phenomenal cosmic power. The whole work is very theatrical, as if it's a forgotten Shakespearean play. A play very well adapted into cinematic screenplay and camerawork, but still bearing a lot of theatrical quirks. Which totally works with the characters and intrigue and feuding houses, but in that stylization some things get cranked up to eleven. For instance, the sets. They feel very much like a series of sets, rather than locations, the colors are amped up and the CGI isn't very convincing. And while I like a lot of the costumes in this work, I have to admit a lot of the Imperial court and soldier uniforms are kind of dumb. And that kind of works in the Imperial court, we're supposed to get the feeling that the Emperor is a spoiled fop who's the polar opposite of the pragmatic Fremen, but the soldier uniforms for Harkonnen and Corrino don't make any damn sense. Also the stillsuits in the original film are way more iconic than perhaps the more "realistic" versions in the mini-series. The over-the-top quality of the costumes makes me think again of a theatre view of things. But in the end, an excellent adaptation of the book, and carry very well in the sequel mini-series Children of Dune (which adapts from the books Dune Messiah and Children of Dune).
4. The 2020 film
We'll have to wait until December of this year to find out what happens with this most recent attempt to capture the spirit of Dune. At this point the book is meant to be adapted into a two-parter, which should be interesting. As seen with the 1984 vs. 2000 versions, it sure does help to reserve room for more depth (which is hard to achieve in one feature-length film). But from what I've seen so far, I'm willing to say that it will likely be a credit to the line of adaptations, and likely will surpass the previous versions. Why so certain? Well, let's start with Denis Villeneuve.
Denis Villeneuve has been a director to watch, and though I've not seen his entire filmography I've been extremely impressed with Sicario and Bladerunner 2049. I've also heard very good things and have been meaning to watch Arrival and Prisoners. From these films alone its apparent that Villeneuve is skilled in working in science fiction and in suspense/action, which is good because Dune is right up that alley. On top of that, his films pay special attention to providing glorious visuals and sequences, which should be important in a Dune screen adaptation. Pretty much every shot of Bladerunner 2049 is in that realm (although here's a great sequence as an example), and there's this fantastic sequence in Sicario that I carry around in my head now of soldiers merging with the darkness. Roger Deakins is cinematographer in both of those, but for Dune there's Greig Fraser who also has impressive credits with Rogue One, Zero Dark Thirty, Foxcatcher, and episodes of The Mandalorian. There's probably a host of other people responsible for such spectacular visuals, but what I mean to say is that Villenueve films seems to attract the best for delivering in those areas. And although we don't have a complete cast list, it does seem to be attracting a lot of well-established and budding talents. Already we have Stellan Skarsgard, Josh Brolin, Rebecca Ferguson, Oscar Isaac, Javier Bardem, Dave Bautista, and Jason Momoa, with newer talents like Timothee Chalamet and Zendaya cast as Paul Atriedes and Chani.
So I think between the director and this cast this film should be well on track. I certainly look forward to another addition to Frank Herbert's legacy.
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