Dune Spoiler free review
Please note: This is a very subjective review. ;)
Question:Star Wars or Star Trek?
My answer: Dune.
So, me being me, I have done various little sub-headings, trying to organise my thoughts...
Me and my criteria for adaptations
I have known and loved Dune since I stumbled across it in the library as a teenager. And - in case anyone comes across this who does not know me and my foibles - I am a purist when it comes to adaptations. For example I have never watched Disney's The Jungle Book - I am well aware that it's a beloved animated movie, but I grew up with and absolutely adore Kipling's Jungle Books and, knowing the ways in which the animated story diverges from the original stories, I quite simply can't do it. <- Please don't try to convince me, it won't work.) Anyway, that's the level I operate at when it comes to adaptations. The more I care about the original, the more critical I am of adaptions. So no, I have never watched any other Dune adaptations, quite the opposite. (I saw one picture of Sting as Feyd-Rautha and have tried to bleach my brain ever since. *shudders*)
My viewing experience
Now Dune isn't just a book I love, I also re-read it regularly, to the point where my viewing experience was a constant comparison to the book, analysing the choices the film makers made and what scenes had been cut/condensed/edited/changed/added. And when I at times couldn't quite hear what the characters were saying I could fill it in from memory. I don't know how someone unfamiliar with the story would respond to the movie, hence the subjective state of this review...
Thoughts/observations
- Much like the LotR movies, this adaptation feels right; the look, the scale, the texture, the tone, the casting (ye gods, the casting is impeccable!) - Denis Villeneuve has said that he tried to recreate what he saw in his mind when he first read it as a teenager, to translate the whole world onto the screen, and I'd say he has succeeded.
- There is zero hand holding. The viewer is thrown into the Dune universe with barely any explanations of how things work. There are very very few of those scenes that often plague sci-fi/fantasy stories where the characters stop and explain everyday objects or concepts to each other - overall the creators just expect you to be able to follow/work it out for yourself. When there are explanations, a lot them fall on the show-don't-tell side, or it's someone having something new explained to them for the first time. Everyday things are just there. If you're a book fan it's thrilling to see how everything has been translated to the screen (shields, ornithopters, glowglobes etc etc), if you are new to the world I think it's easy enough to follow? There might be world building questions, but then you just need to go read the book! (Or you can ask me! I am an encyclopedia.) The downside is that there is a lack of context for a lot of things that hit hard when you know what's going on/the significance of the characters/situation or what's going on in their heads. I don't know how it comes across, since it difficult to define an absence that you can't see (that is, viewers unfamiliar with the book won't know what they don't know.) However the main story line is easy enough to follow and the plot unfolds in a pretty straightforward manner.
- Should you watch in the cinema? IMHO: Yes. It was created specifically for IMAX (both the cinematography and the music), and it's BIG. I would however like to watch it again on a smaller screen, because it's pretty overwhelming. I remember seeing the very first trailer - whenever it came out - and deciding there and then that this was a movie I was willing to go see in the cinema, even if I had to wear a hazmat suit. (YMMV of course... I realise that not everyone loves it as much as I do/does not want to risk going to the cinema/does not care about ~the experience~ to that extent.) But the sheer scale is amazing and worth the big screen.
- This is serious sci-fi. I'm not sure how else to put it... There are no weird aliens or funny robots or comedy side-kicks, and no quippy dialogue or 'magic' re-set buttons. It takes itself seriously, and does not poke fun at itself or the events that are happening. That is not to say that the characters don't know what kind of story is unfolding (being trapped by The Story is one of the main motifs of the book) and - to a certain extent - help shape it.
What's it actually about?
This is the question that stumps me every time and why I have never written about it, despite loving it so much.
So, have a few attempts at summing up:
"Dune is all about...pushing the limits of what humanity could be." This is quite possibly the best, most apt description of what Dune is, that I've ever heard. Well said.
A youtube comment to the trailer
Now despite being very accurate, it's not a very accessible description (without going into the world building etc etc), so here is a meme I came across the other day, and WELL:
That third tile down does a wonderful job of listing most of the major themes/story strands, whilst the meme itself is also HILARIOUS. (It might only be hilarious when you know the book, but trust me, it is very funny.)
ETA: I realised that I somehow missed off the MAIN thing. Go me and my million thoughts. The main story strand, and what the movie focusses on, is Paul Atreides, who is quite literally The Chosen One. It's difficult to explain further without spoiling plot points, but we get to see all him trying to deal with this, because how do you cope with it? What does that do to a person? What choices does he have in dealing with it? It is by far my favourite Chosen One story, because it's so complex. As to whether it's a White Saviour Story: Yes. Very much so. But one that interrogates whether this is actually a good thing... In one of the Appendices of the book (the one about the ecology) it's laid out how the Fremen are busy saving themselves until they become 'afflicted' with a hero...
Going back to the quote at the top, then Star Wars is basically a fairy tale (I think TLJ is the only film that properly tries to dig into other things, which is probably why it's my favourite) and Star Trek is very Utopian in its view of humanity. Dune on the other hand deals with all the complexities listed above and more, but takes them to extremes in the way only sci-fi can, digging into everything in great depth. The book has been called 'unfilmable' and to some extent that is very true - so much of it happens inside people's heads that getting it on screen is a fool's errand. But, this is a very very good try. It cuts off a lot details in order to focus on the main story, but then I'm not sure it could be done any other way, except for making a VERY long TV series. And a TV show wouldn't have the scale...
*hands*
I think the best way to put it is that this movie is a version of this story, and - although not perfect - it's doing a very good job.
Going back to what it's about then I think this is a story that has become more relevant than it was when it was written. The climate emergency/pollution is something Frank Herbert was very concerned about 56 years ago, and look where we are now! Ditto the way media frames people, the way information is used (and misused) to create narratives for very specific and subjective purposes, the way the 1st world treats the resources of the 3rd world, the way certain leaders marry politics and religion...
Basically, it's a story that deals with multiple different things all at the same time, which is not easy to translate onto the screen. So I will leave you with this from Dave Bautista:
“[The] world that [Villeneuve has] created is so far over my head. It’s so beautiful and different, and a lot of times dark and strange. But it’s something I never could have imagined. I just don’t have that mind. When I think about things, and when I think about directing, it’s all very contained, based on simple stories, a lot of times very simple and inspiring stories. And for someone to see something and create a world this big, a galaxy, a universe this big, it’s something that doesn’t comprehend, doesn’t compute in my brain. But it’s weird that he can do both. [Denis Villeneuve] can create these huge epic worlds and scenes, but at the same time just focus on the most simple things about a performance. He’s just a special guy, he’s got a special focus, and man, he’s a brilliant storyteller. Dune is special. I think people are going to be blown away. It’s going to be one of the most beautiful films that people have ever seen. But I think that people who are just diehard fans of Dune, of the novels, they’re going to be blown away. Because they don’t have anything, really, to reference in relation to the books. Now they will. They’ll have that visual reference. He took these characters, he took this world, and he’s taken them off the page and put them on screen. It’s epic”
- Dave Bautista (Rabban Harkonnen)
'They'll have that visual reference' is exactly right. That's what it is. <3
~~
Finally have an interview (basically spoiler free):
And the first trailer:
Accurate youtube comments:
Me: "You've revealed too much in the trailer."
My roommate: "What the hell is going on?"
Casual Viewers: Why is the kid so blank faced and emotionless?
Book Readers: Why is the kid showing too much emotion?
Of course I had to re-watch the trailer and now my entire brain is just going 'EPIC EPIC EPIC OMG I LOVE IT SO MUCH!!!' *flail*
They took what I saw in my head and put it on screen.
PS. There will be a Spoiler FULL review also, where I'll dig into things a lot more, oh yes. But that will take longer... Post has been cloned from dreamwidth. Comments welcome everywhere.
Question:Star Wars or Star Trek?
My answer: Dune.
So, me being me, I have done various little sub-headings, trying to organise my thoughts...
Me and my criteria for adaptations
I have known and loved Dune since I stumbled across it in the library as a teenager. And - in case anyone comes across this who does not know me and my foibles - I am a purist when it comes to adaptations. For example I have never watched Disney's The Jungle Book - I am well aware that it's a beloved animated movie, but I grew up with and absolutely adore Kipling's Jungle Books and, knowing the ways in which the animated story diverges from the original stories, I quite simply can't do it. <- Please don't try to convince me, it won't work.) Anyway, that's the level I operate at when it comes to adaptations. The more I care about the original, the more critical I am of adaptions. So no, I have never watched any other Dune adaptations, quite the opposite. (I saw one picture of Sting as Feyd-Rautha and have tried to bleach my brain ever since. *shudders*)
My viewing experience
Now Dune isn't just a book I love, I also re-read it regularly, to the point where my viewing experience was a constant comparison to the book, analysing the choices the film makers made and what scenes had been cut/condensed/edited/changed/added. And when I at times couldn't quite hear what the characters were saying I could fill it in from memory. I don't know how someone unfamiliar with the story would respond to the movie, hence the subjective state of this review...
Thoughts/observations
- Much like the LotR movies, this adaptation feels right; the look, the scale, the texture, the tone, the casting (ye gods, the casting is impeccable!) - Denis Villeneuve has said that he tried to recreate what he saw in his mind when he first read it as a teenager, to translate the whole world onto the screen, and I'd say he has succeeded.
- There is zero hand holding. The viewer is thrown into the Dune universe with barely any explanations of how things work. There are very very few of those scenes that often plague sci-fi/fantasy stories where the characters stop and explain everyday objects or concepts to each other - overall the creators just expect you to be able to follow/work it out for yourself. When there are explanations, a lot them fall on the show-don't-tell side, or it's someone having something new explained to them for the first time. Everyday things are just there. If you're a book fan it's thrilling to see how everything has been translated to the screen (shields, ornithopters, glowglobes etc etc), if you are new to the world I think it's easy enough to follow? There might be world building questions, but then you just need to go read the book! (Or you can ask me! I am an encyclopedia.) The downside is that there is a lack of context for a lot of things that hit hard when you know what's going on/the significance of the characters/situation or what's going on in their heads. I don't know how it comes across, since it difficult to define an absence that you can't see (that is, viewers unfamiliar with the book won't know what they don't know.) However the main story line is easy enough to follow and the plot unfolds in a pretty straightforward manner.
- Should you watch in the cinema? IMHO: Yes. It was created specifically for IMAX (both the cinematography and the music), and it's BIG. I would however like to watch it again on a smaller screen, because it's pretty overwhelming. I remember seeing the very first trailer - whenever it came out - and deciding there and then that this was a movie I was willing to go see in the cinema, even if I had to wear a hazmat suit. (YMMV of course... I realise that not everyone loves it as much as I do/does not want to risk going to the cinema/does not care about ~the experience~ to that extent.) But the sheer scale is amazing and worth the big screen.
- This is serious sci-fi. I'm not sure how else to put it... There are no weird aliens or funny robots or comedy side-kicks, and no quippy dialogue or 'magic' re-set buttons. It takes itself seriously, and does not poke fun at itself or the events that are happening. That is not to say that the characters don't know what kind of story is unfolding (being trapped by The Story is one of the main motifs of the book) and - to a certain extent - help shape it.
What's it actually about?
This is the question that stumps me every time and why I have never written about it, despite loving it so much.
So, have a few attempts at summing up:
"Dune is all about...pushing the limits of what humanity could be." This is quite possibly the best, most apt description of what Dune is, that I've ever heard. Well said.
A youtube comment to the trailer
Now despite being very accurate, it's not a very accessible description (without going into the world building etc etc), so here is a meme I came across the other day, and WELL:
That third tile down does a wonderful job of listing most of the major themes/story strands, whilst the meme itself is also HILARIOUS. (It might only be hilarious when you know the book, but trust me, it is very funny.)
ETA: I realised that I somehow missed off the MAIN thing. Go me and my million thoughts. The main story strand, and what the movie focusses on, is Paul Atreides, who is quite literally The Chosen One. It's difficult to explain further without spoiling plot points, but we get to see all him trying to deal with this, because how do you cope with it? What does that do to a person? What choices does he have in dealing with it? It is by far my favourite Chosen One story, because it's so complex. As to whether it's a White Saviour Story: Yes. Very much so. But one that interrogates whether this is actually a good thing... In one of the Appendices of the book (the one about the ecology) it's laid out how the Fremen are busy saving themselves until they become 'afflicted' with a hero...
Going back to the quote at the top, then Star Wars is basically a fairy tale (I think TLJ is the only film that properly tries to dig into other things, which is probably why it's my favourite) and Star Trek is very Utopian in its view of humanity. Dune on the other hand deals with all the complexities listed above and more, but takes them to extremes in the way only sci-fi can, digging into everything in great depth. The book has been called 'unfilmable' and to some extent that is very true - so much of it happens inside people's heads that getting it on screen is a fool's errand. But, this is a very very good try. It cuts off a lot details in order to focus on the main story, but then I'm not sure it could be done any other way, except for making a VERY long TV series. And a TV show wouldn't have the scale...
*hands*
I think the best way to put it is that this movie is a version of this story, and - although not perfect - it's doing a very good job.
Going back to what it's about then I think this is a story that has become more relevant than it was when it was written. The climate emergency/pollution is something Frank Herbert was very concerned about 56 years ago, and look where we are now! Ditto the way media frames people, the way information is used (and misused) to create narratives for very specific and subjective purposes, the way the 1st world treats the resources of the 3rd world, the way certain leaders marry politics and religion...
Basically, it's a story that deals with multiple different things all at the same time, which is not easy to translate onto the screen. So I will leave you with this from Dave Bautista:
“[The] world that [Villeneuve has] created is so far over my head. It’s so beautiful and different, and a lot of times dark and strange. But it’s something I never could have imagined. I just don’t have that mind. When I think about things, and when I think about directing, it’s all very contained, based on simple stories, a lot of times very simple and inspiring stories. And for someone to see something and create a world this big, a galaxy, a universe this big, it’s something that doesn’t comprehend, doesn’t compute in my brain. But it’s weird that he can do both. [Denis Villeneuve] can create these huge epic worlds and scenes, but at the same time just focus on the most simple things about a performance. He’s just a special guy, he’s got a special focus, and man, he’s a brilliant storyteller. Dune is special. I think people are going to be blown away. It’s going to be one of the most beautiful films that people have ever seen. But I think that people who are just diehard fans of Dune, of the novels, they’re going to be blown away. Because they don’t have anything, really, to reference in relation to the books. Now they will. They’ll have that visual reference. He took these characters, he took this world, and he’s taken them off the page and put them on screen. It’s epic”
- Dave Bautista (Rabban Harkonnen)
'They'll have that visual reference' is exactly right. That's what it is. <3
~~
Finally have an interview (basically spoiler free):
Click to viewAnd the first trailer:
Accurate youtube comments:
Me: "You've revealed too much in the trailer."
My roommate: "What the hell is going on?"
Casual Viewers: Why is the kid so blank faced and emotionless?
Book Readers: Why is the kid showing too much emotion?
Of course I had to re-watch the trailer and now my entire brain is just going 'EPIC EPIC EPIC OMG I LOVE IT SO MUCH!!!' *flail*
They took what I saw in my head and put it on screen.
PS. There will be a Spoiler FULL review also, where I'll dig into things a lot more, oh yes. But that will take longer... Post has been cloned from dreamwidth. Comments welcome everywhere.