David Lynch’s 1984 film adaptation of Frank Herbert’s 1965 sci-fi novel Dune is best described as an interesting failure. Much of the failure was Lynch’s—he didn’t really understand the source material, and he made some questionable artistic calls—but blame must be shared with Universal Studios, which insisted Lynch significantly cut the intended three-hour runtime to a more manageable two hours. The result was a rushed third act that barely feels like a movie at times, and that hits many of the major beats of Herbert’s novel without giving them the necessary space to mean anything. At one point, the passage of time is conveyed through a montage while a narrator solemnly intones, “Paul and Chani’s love grew” as Kyle MacLachlan and Sean Young smooch to a Toto guitar riff. No wonder Lynch’s Dune was a critical and commercial flop, and no wonder Lynch himself still hates to be associated with it.
Read Full Article »
