The Butcher
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- Apr 29, 2017
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Caught Dune tonight.
I liked it quite a bit.
It borrows heavily from Lynch's film in terms of the costume and set-design, which is a good thing I think as the look is the best thing in Lynch's film. This film is shot dark, maybe too dark at times but generally avoids being too drab and grey, with some very striking sequences of the spaceships in particular.
I love the look of the Space Navigators (very much Space Popes) although we don't get any fishcreatures yet (fingers crossed!).
A surprising amount is left unexplained here for those not familiar with the world from the book and Lynch's film (mentats for instance are here but never explained) but I like that personally.
This film drops the infodumps and overdubbed character-thoughts that I think were studio-enforced in Lynch's film anyway.
Here the actors are trusted to communicate more wordlessly. Chalamet is effective as a young Paul and Ferguson brings impressive charisma and gravitas as Jessica.
Isaac is good in his few scenes with Paul in particular back on Caladan. Oh and Caladan itself is beautiful, some really lovely sequences there.
But as I suspected no one is going to top Ken McMillan as Baron Harkonen or Dourif as De Vries. The Harkonens are a bit sketchy here in general, you don't even see The Emperor but I would expect that to be filled out in the next film.
Duncan Idaho, an underwhelming character who dies quickly for no apparent reason in the original film, is more heroic and engaging here. The Sardaukar are also much more frightening and intimidating.
Not surprisingly, Villeneuve is also a better director of action scenes although he doesn't drag them out either. I thought the betrayal and defeat of the Atreidies was well done although Dr. Yueh doesn't manage the pathos of Dean Stockwell's melodramatic performance.
The battle scenes are more faithful to the book I think and more dynamic and exciting than Lynch, but I always thought that was clearly the part of the film that least interested Lynch whereas Villenneuve proved his action chops with Sicario.
Another thing I think this version does better than the 'original' film is communicate the importance of the visions of Paul, their relationship to the spice and his terror at the coming jihad.
The Hans Zimmer score works well, it is prominent but integrated into the films look and feel, similar to Blade Runner 2049 and Sicario in that regard.
Here's a good short featurette on the score.
It all very much ends on a character beat and near media res, which is pretty gutsy for an expensive blockbuster style film. Part two seems likely to happen as the film seems to have been a big hit.
Came here to make a post of my own but I agree with just about 95% percent of what you said, and learned a few things to boot.
I agree that the movie is too damn dark; to the point of detracting from my enjoyment in at least one scene (Paul and Jessica’s sandworm encounter).
I’ll disagree on the Harkonnens. I find Skarsgard’s more contained performance so much more credibly threatening than MacMillan’s theatrics. And Dourif is amazing but Dastmalchian is no slouch either, and if anything, criminally underused. (Seconding the hope for more Mentat in part 2 and yeah, where is Paul’s Mentat training?).
Agreed on Idaho. Jason Momoa is a seriously charismatic SOB.
Loved the visual shout-outs to Lynch, and the less obvious ones to Jodorowsky. (Such as the Giedi Prime outside take.)
Loved Paul’s visions, especially the ones that don’t come true. Prescience can be a finicky bitch.
Loved the casting and acting as a whole. If anything I want more of everyone. Hoping they film the later books so I can see Momoa returning as the Duncan gholas and Isaac as Bashar Miles Teg.
I LOVED the Salusa Secundus scene. Sardaukar are pretty much an Astartes chapter, I want to see Villeneuve direct a 40K movie. And it helped drive home just how big religion and ritual and ceremony are in the Dune universe.
I’ll disagree with the score. It’s a fine score but overused. Very loud and intrusive at times. You get a contemplative scene and/or an impactful quote and suddenly the vocals come at you with the subtlety of a jackhammer.
Really looking forward to part two and also confused as to why they wouldn’t shoot this, and Messiah, and maybe Children all back to back. But overall I’m just so, so happy to see the a BIG epic movie in a BIG movie theater screen again.