Way Back Wednesday - Dune

(From IMDB) Dune is a 1984 science fiction film written and directed by David Lynch, based on the 1965 Frank Herbert novel of the same name.

As in the novel, the central plot concerns a young man foretold in prophecy as the "Kwisatz Haderach" who will protect the desert planet Arrakis from the malevolent House Harkonnen and save the universe from evil.

The film was not well received by critics and performed poorly at the American box office in 1984. However, fans of the Dune series are polarized by the movie and the film has become a cult favorite.

In the year 10,191 AG - after Guild, or roughly 23,190 AD - the most precious substance in the universe is the spice melange, which extends life, expands consciousness and is vital to space travel. The powerful Spacing Guild and its Navigators use the orange spice gas to achieve a sense called prescience by which they safely guide the interstellar ships to any part of the universe using the quantum mechanics of Holtzman generators, an extremely complicated machine which "folds space" (in effect, the ship is moved instantaneously across vast distances).

Four planets draw the attention of the Spacing Guild: Arrakis, a desert planet and only source of spice in the universe; Caladan, home of House Atreides; Giedi Prime, home of House Harkonnen; and Kaitain, home of the Emperor Shaddam IV. The Guild, fearing a plot that might jeopardize Spice production, sends a third stage Navigator to Kaitain demanding explanations from the Emperor, who confidentially lets the Guild know of his plans to destroy House Atreides.

The movie and the novel revolve around Paul Atreides, who turns out to be the Kwisatz Haderach. One of my favorite lines of the movie is near the beginning when Paul says:

"I must not fear. Fear is the mind-killer. Fear is the little-death that brings total obliteration. I will face my fear. I will permit it to pass over me and through me. And when my fear is gone I will turn and face fear's path, and only I will remain."

In my humble opinion, the novel Dune was simply far too complex and dense to make into a movie. This film really begs for action and adventure, not sociopolitical satire and meditations on religion and culture that we get. The novel can be seen as a subtle dig at our civilization's dependence on oil (our "spice" if you will), and the cultural clash with those that produce it in the Middle East.

However, David Lynch's Dune did capture a look and feel of the novel that is appropriately grandiose and textured. Guilty of being equal parts overblown and underdeveloped, Dune remains a frustratingly incoherent beautiful mess of a movie. To this day, Dune makes a better novel than movie, but in spite of it all, I love Dune for being the right texture. There is a theatrical release of the movie and an extended verison, and like the sci-fi geek that I am, I own both.

Just be warned: The movie Dune may not be for everyone.