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Dune (1984)
Starring Kyle MacLachlan, Brad Dourif, Virginia Madsen, and Sting. Cinematography by Freddie Francis. Edited by Antony Gibbs. Produced by Raffaella De Laurentiis. Written and Directed by David Lynch.
In the distant future war is waged over control of a precious spice called melange. The spice can only be grown on one planet in the universe, Dune, which is dry, desolate, and generally unfavorable to human life. Paul Atreides and his parent are sent by the ruler of the universe to govern the planet, not knowing that their relocation is a setup for an assassination. Paul’s father is killed in the attack, but Paul and his mother escape and find refuge in a colony of spice miners called the Fremen. While in exile they meet the Reverend Mother Ramallo, who predicts that Paul is the “chosen one” that is meant to lead the planet into a holy war against the evil Harkonnen Empire.
Frank Herbert’s 1965 novel Dune is one of the most celebrated science fiction novels of all time. Its epic scale and intricate storyline may make it appear nearly impossible to effectively adapt to the screen, but that doesn’t mean it hasn’t been tried. The first to attempt was producer Arthur P. Jacobs, but his fatal heart attack in 1973 pulled it out of pre-production. The next in line was the “King of the B’s” himself, Roger Corman, but the production proved to be too large in scale for his modest production company and he ultimately let it go. The first serious attempt at an adaptation was by Michel Seydoux and Alejandro Jodorowsky. It finally seemed like Dune was headed to the cinemas, but production was quickly shut down when it exceeded its budget before photography even began. In 1979 Dino De Laurentiis became the third filmmaker to purchase the rights to Herbert’s novel. After the surprise success of Alien, God of Filmmaking Ridley Scott was hired to direct the project. Scott’s vision of Dune was enormous and it soon proved to be financially impossible to keep up with. He spent seven months in pre-production before eventually bowing out. De Laurentiis’ daughter Raffaella, who was now acting as the film’s producer, chose a director that she felt could give the project the appropriate blend of size and intimacy that the story deserved… David Lynch.
After the critical and box office success of The Elephant Man, Lynch was a hot commodity in the film world. When given the monumental task of adapting Dune, Lynch decided to start from scratch and would spend the next year and half writing and rewriting his own draft of the screenplay. He then spent the next twelve months in Mexico, shooting with his fourteen hundred cast and crew members. Everyone’s hopes were high for Dune; so high in fact that De Laurentiis optioned the next four novels in Herbert’s Dune series, but things would not turn out as everyone hoped. When the film was finally released it was completely trashed by critics and dismissed by audiences. In retrospect, Lynch would be very honest about his first Hollywood production. He freely admits to “selling out” to please the producers and to keep the film in the PG range. The beating that Lynch would take over Dune was severe and mostly unjust, but the experience would directly lead into his next film, a personal project titled Blue Velvet, which would eventually become one of the most significant films of the 1980’s.
Budget: $45,000,000
Total US Gross: $27,447,471
Genre: Science Fiction
Runtime: 137 Minutes
US Release Date: 12/14/84
Aspect Ratio: 2.35:1
Awards: Academy Awards: Nominated for best sound.
Tagline: A World Beyond Your Experience, Beyond Your Imagination.
Quote: “He, who controls the spice, controls the universe.”
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