Post by klep on Jul 24, 2017 7:04:06 GMT -6
MOVIE OF THE WEEK for 7/24: Dune
SPACE OPERA WEEK!
In a way, Dune is a perfect film to cover for Space Opera Week. The term is generally used for movies that aren't really hard science fiction, but still nevertheless use the trappings of science fiction to tell adventure stories. Dune, on the other hand, is a tale for which the word 'opera' is completely apt. It is a story grand in scope, about control of an empire and wars between noble families. It's also a romance, about star-crossed lovers of two generations and the laws and customs which threaten their relationships. It's full of warfare and intrigue, triumph and defeat; the only thing missing is the actual singing.
It is also, of course, a flawed film. Frank Herbert's original novel is so detailed and sprawling that cutting it down to normal feature length would be nearly impossible. Indeed, David Lynch's original script was expected to be over four hours in length. Even in today's world where summer blockbusters range over two hours fairly regularly that would be untenable, so he was forced to make cuts and compromises.
Lynch does a marvelous job establishing the characters - he luxuriates in the early, slower-paced chapters of the novel that a more commercial filmmaker would gloss over. And between that and Lynch's unparalleled production design we get a wonderful sense of the world he's bringing to life. Lynch clearly put great effort and resources into bringing Herbert's world to life as he saw it; you can see it all there on the screen.
Unfortunately his loving attention to the first half of the film left him having to make cuts in the second. Once Paul (Kyle MacLachlan) and his mother Jessica (Francesca Annis) make it out to the desert, vast swaths of the book are compressed or omitted. We don't get to see things like the growth of Paul's relationship with Chani (Sean Young) or the delicate political maneuvering necessary to bring the Fremen together under Paul's banner. Instead, the Fremen pretty quickly just accept Paul's leadership and after a montage and another scene or two we're ready for the final battle.
Besides denying us important character and plot development, these cuts also cause some of the movie's final moments to land with a thud. The familial connection between Paul and the Harkonnens is never mentioned nor is any time spent with Alia (Alicia Witt), so her confrontation with the Baron (Kenneth McMillan) and the Reverend Mother (Siân Phillips) have little impact beyond the surface level of seeing the villain get his comeuppance. Furthermore Paul's children with Chani are cut entirely along with many moments of Jessica displaying her own cunning and agency, which is fatal to the novel's discussions of gender and power and completely strips any impact from the final line about concubines and wives.
Even so, I can't help but love the film. For all its flaws, there still just so much to appreciate. The character and world designs, the special effects, that adorable pug, that magnificent opening monologue and more. It's such an honest and loving attempt to bring Herbert's book to life, and it's unquestionably a film by David Lynch - not only are his fingerprints all over it, but he makes an uncredited appearance as a spice worker! It's a stunning work of love and ambition, and those should always be celebrated.
OUR NEXT MOVIE OF THE WEEK for 7/31: Dawn of the Dead
WEEK OF THE WALKING DEAD
Next week we pay tribute to George Romero as we watch and discuss 1978's Dawn of the Dead, a collaboration between Romero and Dario Argento which takes place some time after the onset of the zombie plague. Dawn of the Dead can be found in a couple places on YouTube.
NEXT PICTURE SHOW PODCAST for 7/25: Carnival of Souls
The podcast looks at this 1962 Herk Harvey film in conjunction with David Lowery's A Ghost Story in a pairing about the dead dealing with being dead. Join us Wednesday for a discussion of this older work. Carnival of Souls is available on Filmstruck's Criterion channel and for rent on Amazon Video, where it is free for Prime members.
SPACE OPERA WEEK!
In a way, Dune is a perfect film to cover for Space Opera Week. The term is generally used for movies that aren't really hard science fiction, but still nevertheless use the trappings of science fiction to tell adventure stories. Dune, on the other hand, is a tale for which the word 'opera' is completely apt. It is a story grand in scope, about control of an empire and wars between noble families. It's also a romance, about star-crossed lovers of two generations and the laws and customs which threaten their relationships. It's full of warfare and intrigue, triumph and defeat; the only thing missing is the actual singing.
It is also, of course, a flawed film. Frank Herbert's original novel is so detailed and sprawling that cutting it down to normal feature length would be nearly impossible. Indeed, David Lynch's original script was expected to be over four hours in length. Even in today's world where summer blockbusters range over two hours fairly regularly that would be untenable, so he was forced to make cuts and compromises.
Lynch does a marvelous job establishing the characters - he luxuriates in the early, slower-paced chapters of the novel that a more commercial filmmaker would gloss over. And between that and Lynch's unparalleled production design we get a wonderful sense of the world he's bringing to life. Lynch clearly put great effort and resources into bringing Herbert's world to life as he saw it; you can see it all there on the screen.
Unfortunately his loving attention to the first half of the film left him having to make cuts in the second. Once Paul (Kyle MacLachlan) and his mother Jessica (Francesca Annis) make it out to the desert, vast swaths of the book are compressed or omitted. We don't get to see things like the growth of Paul's relationship with Chani (Sean Young) or the delicate political maneuvering necessary to bring the Fremen together under Paul's banner. Instead, the Fremen pretty quickly just accept Paul's leadership and after a montage and another scene or two we're ready for the final battle.
Besides denying us important character and plot development, these cuts also cause some of the movie's final moments to land with a thud. The familial connection between Paul and the Harkonnens is never mentioned nor is any time spent with Alia (Alicia Witt), so her confrontation with the Baron (Kenneth McMillan) and the Reverend Mother (Siân Phillips) have little impact beyond the surface level of seeing the villain get his comeuppance. Furthermore Paul's children with Chani are cut entirely along with many moments of Jessica displaying her own cunning and agency, which is fatal to the novel's discussions of gender and power and completely strips any impact from the final line about concubines and wives.
Even so, I can't help but love the film. For all its flaws, there still just so much to appreciate. The character and world designs, the special effects, that adorable pug, that magnificent opening monologue and more. It's such an honest and loving attempt to bring Herbert's book to life, and it's unquestionably a film by David Lynch - not only are his fingerprints all over it, but he makes an uncredited appearance as a spice worker! It's a stunning work of love and ambition, and those should always be celebrated.
OUR NEXT MOVIE OF THE WEEK for 7/31: Dawn of the Dead
WEEK OF THE WALKING DEAD
Next week we pay tribute to George Romero as we watch and discuss 1978's Dawn of the Dead, a collaboration between Romero and Dario Argento which takes place some time after the onset of the zombie plague. Dawn of the Dead can be found in a couple places on YouTube.
NEXT PICTURE SHOW PODCAST for 7/25: Carnival of Souls
The podcast looks at this 1962 Herk Harvey film in conjunction with David Lowery's A Ghost Story in a pairing about the dead dealing with being dead. Join us Wednesday for a discussion of this older work. Carnival of Souls is available on Filmstruck's Criterion channel and for rent on Amazon Video, where it is free for Prime members.