Ok maybe way too many of these are spawning recently, but this movie/book series NEEDS ONE
It really does!
Villeneuve is such a competent director. Casting was not exactly what I had in mind when I was reading the books (is it ever??), but it's really well done.
Dune was seriously some of the best action/adventure/scifi to come out in a long time. All the superhero and Star Wars movies/shows have grown extremely formulaic and tedious. Dune was such a breath of fresh air. This is what cinema should be.
My thoughts exactly. I have grown to kinda hate Star Wars because of Disney, only Rogue One was good because it was grim unlike the other recent films. Dune was sorely needed. In a way, it's something like the Star Wars film I would have wanted
Obviously subjective, but I felt that this was the most amazingly accurate portrayal of the world, overall. I was never a huge fan of the '80s film, and I felt the TV series in the '90s landed so much, but wildly missed in other areas.
Villeneuve is simply a master of the art. The new adaptation is the most faithful visualization I could have imagined. The drama he creates with the characters is excellent. The only beefs I have with the film are:
But the rest of it -- the portrayal of the characters, the music -- the way they imagined the ornithoptors -- ! Mwa! Beautiful!
Villeneuve is simply a master of the art. The new adaptation is the most faithful visualization I could have imagined. The drama he creates with the characters is excellent. The only beefs I have with the film are:
They cut the scene where Duncan Idaho returns to the palace drunk and lets slip to Jessica that Leito ordered him to kill her, but he couldn't bring himself to do it. There is then a follow-up scene where Jessica realizes that the situation must have come from Thufir, and she confronts him. These are two of the most incredible scenes in the novel! I fully expect they'll be part of a director's cut or extended edition. My gods, I was crushed when those scenes were not in the film!
I have total faith that Zendaya can pull Chani off, but her delivery was more than a little flat. With the outstanding performances delivered by Bardem and Olusanmokun (as Stilgar and Jamis)...Chani came across as a kid with an American accent. I did not get a "Fremen" vibe from her.
But the rest of it -- the portrayal of the characters, the music -- the way they imagined the ornithoptors -- ! Mwa! Beautiful!
I stopped reading after God Emperor; though the encyclopedia was fun to read about the many lives of Duncan Idaho.
I have no strong opinion on the films, but very glad the 1984 one exists (because without that one David Lynch may never have met Kyle MacLachlan or made Blue Velvet, etc...)
I have no strong opinion on the films, but very glad the 1984 one exists (because without that one David Lynch may never have met Kyle MacLachlan or made Blue Velvet, etc...)
I actually kinda liked the 84 movie except for a few gross thingies (Guild Navigators, Harkonnens (except Sting's Feyd, he was awesome, too bad he had so little screen time), but the Villeneuve take is the correct one: Paul is not a god but he uses the Fremen religion to win allies against the Empire that destroyed his House/family. David Lynch erroneously interpreted the story as if Paul was an actual god that can make it rain
. I also definitely prefer Villeneuve's Harkonnens: portrayed as serious and intelligent, caring about their House's advancement, I like that even Rabban (Dave Bautista) is portrayed a rather smart (he questions how could they let the Duke be given Arrakis). So the new film is the one that respects the book's message
I think that the new show is a better representation of the books than the 1984 version. I think it's a better show overall, just period. But I've always loved the old verson for its wackiness.I actually kinda liked the 84 movie except for a few gross thingies (Guild Navigators, Harkonnens (except Sting's Feyd, he was awesome, too bad he had so little screen time), but the Villeneuve take is the correct one: Paul is not a god but he uses the Fremen religion to win allies against the Empire that destroyed his House/family. David Lynch erroneously interpreted the story as if Paul was an actual god that can make it rain
I think the first hour of the 1984 movie is pretty well done, I'm kind of torn about the 3rd stage navigator scene - on one hand it's monstrous to consider that this thing was once human and it's a Carlo Rambaldi creature, but not at all as they're described. The Harkonnens overacting is so campy, I both love and hate how perverse they made the baron.I actually kinda liked the 84 movie except for a few gross thingies (Guild Navigators, Harkonnens (except Sting's Feyd, he was awesome, too bad he had so little screen time), but the Villeneuve take is the correct one: Paul is not a god but he uses the Fremen religion to win allies against the Empire that destroyed his House/family. David Lynch erroneously interpreted the story as if Paul was an actual god that can make it rain
Also torn about Sting, can't separate The Police with him here (I think the video they did for Synchronicity II was made about the same time) but they just have Feyd deciding Paul is his enemy for reasons, and those metal underpants...
Less said about Paul making it rain the better, oh dear.
Regardless, I'm looking forward to see how Villeneuve concludes the story, hopefully Messiah is being considered.
Sting was one of the characters that blew it for me. I saw the film before I read the book, but after reading it, I couldn't help but roll my eyes at how much the film turned into empty camp and visual spectacle, because, well, "movies"...at least at that time. Sting's portrayal of Fayd was waaay off. I can't wait to see how it goes in this one. He really needs to be a psychopath pretty-boy that fights like friggin' Bruce Lee.
And also, what was the deal with the "weapons based on sound" thing? Where did that even come from??? Like the story needed any more mind-bending shit!
Haha, I had completely forgotten about that - apparently the sonic weapon was a David Lynch addition, but I wonder if there was some studio interference (1984 Dune had lots). They probably felt kung-fu, knives and dartguns wouldn't be exciting for the battle scenes, it was made following the success of Star Wars after all. I bet there were studio notes demanding more laser battles!
I loved this movie. And I like a lot of the cast but, I gotta say, the lack of actors with middle eastern heritage is pretty weird.
It's directly from the story itself. The Fremen are directly descended from the "Arabs" on Earth who were repeatedly driven from their homes and "out into the desert". The implication of the literature is that, about 8,000 years earlier, they were almost wiped out by war and persecution until the last remnants were driven to Arrakis, where "Fremen" culture was then led down the path of prophecy over thousands of years by the Bene Gesserit sisters.
Most of the language used throughout the story is derived from Arabic. Like Arrakis means "fourth dancer", as Arrakis is the third planet in that solar system, with the main star being the "first dancer". Bene Gesserit means "fallen from the island", or rather "descended from the place of isolation". And so on.
I see, well then it sounds like they really should've cast a lot of MENA actors to play the Fremen then. Shame for an otherwise brilliant film
I def hope he makes Messiah as the third part of the (film) trilogy, it is needed to complete Paul's tragic story. They have even hinted the plot of Messiah in Paul's visions of the Holy War in the first movie
I think the movie is as perfect as a movie can be. The only thing that could have been done better (but how?) was the exposition to Paul's awakening to prescience. Prescience and its potential to affect humankind is one of the main themes in the books. Especially in the thopter chase scene, which in the book is a key point where he navigates the currents thanks to his newfound abilities, and in the movie it looks like he just falls asleep and survives by sheer luck.
Fremen don't descent directly from Arabs but from Zensunni, a fictional culture, a syncretic religion deriving from a long streak of various cultural and religious movements on Earth. Also, they were not "almost wiped out and driven to Arrakis" as Zensunnis migrated to many planets and gave birth to various societies such as Bene Tleilax or a large part of the native population of Salusa Secundus as well as influenced many of Dune's cultures and religions including the prevalent Orange Catholic Bible. In a word, they were all over the place.
As for the linguistics, yes, Herbert mostly based most of it on Arabic but that's because his language research was limited
not because he wanted Fremen to be Arab.
Nothing against more MENA people being cast as Fremen, but this stems from the common misconception among the readers that "Fremen should be Arab" and "Atreides should be Greek" and so forth. Same with some people steaming at Atreides playing bagpipes while "not being Scottish." Cultures in Dune are syncretic. Peoples of Dune are long past the ethnic, political and cultural divisions of "ancient Earth." I think the movie does a perfect job at portraying that given the limitations of this medium.
Fremen don't descent directly from Arabs but from Zensunni, a fictional culture, a syncretic religion deriving from a long streak of various cultural and religious movements on Earth. Also, they were not "almost wiped out and driven to Arrakis" as Zensunnis migrated to many planets and gave birth to various societies such as Bene Tleilax or a large part of the native population of Salusa Secundus as well as influenced many of Dune's cultures and religions including the prevalent Orange Catholic Bible. In a word, they were all over the place.
As for the linguistics, yes, Herbert mostly based most of it on Arabic but that's because his language research was limited
not because he wanted Fremen to be Arab.
Nothing against more MENA people being cast as Fremen, but this stems from the common misconception among the readers that "Fremen should be Arab" and "Atreides should be Greek" and so forth. Same with some people steaming at Atreides playing bagpipes while "not being Scottish." Cultures in Dune are syncretic. Peoples of Dune are long past the ethnic, political and cultural divisions of "ancient Earth." I think the movie does a perfect job at portraying that given the limitations of this medium.
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Ahh, well that sounds a lot better then. So it should make sense that any faction will look diverse and mixed? In other words there's no reason to avoid casting MENA actors in any of the main roles?
With that being said, putting yourself into the studio/director/casting director's seat, does it not seem a bit tone-deaf to have a movie with not even a single MENA actor in any important role in this film, given the influences on the source material? Don't get me wrong, I can understand them being sensitive about not wanting to perpetuate stereotypes (maybe they were thinking about that with regards to Fremen, which would be understandable), but then that becomes a non-issue if every faction's casting is opened up to everyone.
I know it sounds a bit like I'm shitting on this and I just want to be clear, I think they deserve credit for having a diverse cast, and even changing things up a bit, like Kynes, but nonetheless I think it's an important criticism that they failed to cast any MENA actors for any of the main roles. It's not as if they weren't able to audition any. Especially when one of the casting directors was Jina Jay whose office is based in London.