Frank Herbert's
| Links |
"""He
was warrior and mystic, ogre and saint, the fox and the innocent, chivalrous,
ruthless, less than a god, more than a man. There is no measuring Muad'Dib's
motives by ordinary standards. In the moment of his triumph, he saw the death
prepared for him, yet he accepted the treachery. Can you say he did this out of
a sense of justice? Whose justice? Remember, we speak now of the Muad'Dib who
ordered battle drums made from his enemies' skin, the Muad'Dib who denied the
conventions of his ducal past with a wave of the, saying merely: "I am the
Kwisatz Haderach. That is enough."
-from "Arrakis Awakening" by the Princess Irulan
|
|
"The
long-awaited film version of Frank Herbert's classic science fiction epic,
Dune, explodes on the screen with dazzling special, unforgettable images
and powerful performances. The saga of intergalactic warrior Paul Atreides (Kyle MacLachan) and his messianic rise to leadership features an all-star cast, including Jose Ferrer, Max Van Sydow, Oscar-winner Linda Hunt, and rock legend Sting. This monumental Dino De Laurentiis presentation is directed by David Lynch (The Elephant Man, Eraserhead), with photography by Acadamy Award-winner Freddie Francis, music by Grammy-winner Toto, and incredible monster creations by E.T.'s Carlo Rambaldi. Visit a world beyond time and space, and experience the ultimate adventure that goes beyond the imagination " "excerpt from video jacket" |
The three hour extended version was a very limited television release. The Extended Version was nothing more than a re-edited version of the David Lynch film where every deleted scene was reinstalled and a new introduction added. The version was not approved by David Lynch so his name was removed from the credits and the name Alan Smithee was used. This version of Dune is interesting to the die-hard fan, but to the unenthusiastic fan the flaws in the editing and the poor tape quality will make the experience not enjoyable. If you wish to purchase a copy of this version you can go to http://www.revok.com, but be warned that it will cost over $40.00.
|
|
The 5-plus hour Sci-Fi miniseries was the most ambitious Dune production since David Lynch's production. John Harrison (writer and director) took a far different approach to Frank Herbert's novel than Lynch. Harrison's vision was more colorful and extravagant, showing the wealth and power that the Great Houses have compared to the bleak existence of the people of Arrakis. I am not saying that this version is better than the other both had they flaws. Lynch left out most of the Great Desert War and Harrison left out Thuffir Hawat pretty much all together. However it was interesting to see someone else's vision of Dune. |
One of the great things about Dune is its ability to be interpreted in many different ways. Frank Herbert was excellent in the ability of writing in a way that leaves many details to the imagination of the reader and still be one of the most detailed novels in science fiction. This fact nowhere more evident than in the way screenwriters and directors see Frank Herbert's vision.
