The Importance of Being Portentous: A Review of David Lynch's DUNE

The science fiction genre has suffered many embarrassments at the hands of movie makers. More often than not. And most of these embarrassments have involved the movie maker's failure to capture the essence of the written original on which the movie was based. But this is not the case with David Lynch and DUNE. On the contrary, he takes a firm hold of the essential portentousness of Frank Herbert's novel and concentrates it until every scene oozes and drips with it. Characters who had real roles in the novel make mere cameo appearances in the movie, their roles reduced to the utterance of a few portentous sentences - their death usually following soon after.

Yet this is a fascinating film; I've watched it several times - and cringed with embarrassment each time. That is, when I wasn't laughing instead. DUNE might be seen as a sly burlesque of a serious original (compare STARSHIP TROOPERS). When you watch it, and you must watch it, pay particular attention to the performance of Everett McGill who plays Stilgar leader of the Fremen - he is utterly hilarious.

The film is Very Freudian, too. Young Paul Atreides rescues his mother from a giant phallic (or should I say androgynous) sand worm and later becomes master of the tubular titans, proudly riding one on his messianic way to re-conquer the planet his father lost.

DUNE is an important, underrated film in the sf genre. The spice must flow.