Simply Magical (Dune (DVD))

Member Name: paul763

Product:	Dune (DVD)
Date:	07/08/00 (2 review reads)
Rating:

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David Lynch and an excellent cast and crew tried their best to create a worthy version of the hard-to-film novel. Most of the actors are well-cast and the special effects run from quite good to lukewarm, even taking into account the relative age of this film. The Sandworms are well done and the costumes and sets are terrific. But the vehicle designs seem just plain wrong in the mind's eye of this Dune fan. The video transfer of David Lynch and cinematographer Freddie Francis' visions are faithful but any problems are inherent in the way the movie is photographed. Even with the fierce squinting of the actors in the day scenes, much of the film looks as though it is shot on an overcast day! If you want to know how to shoot a desert, just look at Lean's 'Lawrence Of Arabia' or even George Lucas' original 'Star Wars'. The only false note in the characterisations is the Baron Harkonnen. In the book, the Baron is a very intelligent and Machiavellian deviant. The Baron of this film is more deviant than cunning, making him more of a Lynch creation than a Herbert one. But most of the other characters are spot-on. At a running time of 140 minutes David Lynch was hard pressed to do the full story of the first Dune novel justice.

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