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Another 80s Visible Universe

Ts

(Romanian)

1984 comes with the long-awaited adaptation of Frank Herbert’s novel “Dune” (published in 1965, considered one of the most important science fiction novels of all time), under the name “Dune”…

Which was just a bold and ambitious attempt to bring Frank Herbert’s science fiction masterpiece to the big screen, David Lynch (the director) trying to capture the complexity of the world created by Herbert, with all its political, social, and spiritual nuances… In “just over two hours of movie”…

“Dune” fans were disappointed by Lynch’s adaptation considered too abstract, failing to capture the essence of the book (accused of oversimplifying the novel’s complex plot and sacrificing character development in favor of spectacular action sequences), “forcing” to increased attention from the viewer to understand all the nuances of the plot, even in the case of fans (especially since the ending of the film was considered by many fans to be inconclusive and frustrating, leaving “too many” unanswered questions for those not previously familiar with the universe dunes).

But, the film stood out for its special visual design, with impressive desert landscapes, elaborate costumes, and fantastic creatures, an exceptional cast (Kyle MacLachlan, singer-songwriter Sting, Patrick Stewart, Max von Sydow, and many other big names from that time), alongside a memorable, epic and mysterious soundtrack (composed by the band Toto), or the special effects which, although innovative for the time, soon proved to be “morally outdated”…

Perhaps, and for that reason, the film did not have the success it deserved for an author who died less than two years later (1986 — following the complications of a heart condition) after he had released “major” works, such as The Dosadi Experiment (a novel science fiction that explores themes of survival, evolution, and psychology), The Godmakers (a story about a man who discovers that he is a god and the consequences of this revelation), The White Plague (a novel that deals with themes of pandemic, control population and medical ethics) or Pandora (co-written with Bill Ransom, this series of books presents a future world where humans have colonized other planets and face new challenges).

The Dune universe “froze” until the world of video games started its manifestation via Dune, with the release (in 1992) of the great success represented by Dune II: The Building of a Dynasty, considered by many to be the first real-time strategy game (RTS) modern, setting the standards of the genre (the game puts you in the shoes of one of the three great houses of the Dune universe, fighting for control of the planet Arrakis), continued after “some time” by Emperor: Battle for Dune (2001) which continued the legacy of Dune II, offering a more complex and detailed experience (in full “wave” of the return of novels).

Video games carried this “standard” through Dune (1993, a third-person action game, praised for its graphics for the time, but criticized for its repetitive gameplay), Frank Herbert’s Dune (1998, another third-person action with a closer approach to the original novel, offering a more satisfying experience than its predecessor).

Then (in 1999) the first book of the Prelude to Dune trilogy was released by Brian Herbert, son of Frank Herbert, with Kevin J. Anderson (based on notes and sketches left by the original author) under the name Dune: House Atreides (exploring the rise of House Atreides and the events leading up to the action of the original novel), then Dune: House Harkonnen (2000, focusing on House Atreides’ rivals, House Harkonnen) and Dune: House Corrino (2001, featuring the history of House Corrino, who ruled over Galactic Empire before the events of Dune).

In 2001, a TV mini-series (3 episodes totaling 4 hours and 25 minutes) was also released under Dune, which tries to stay closer to Herbert’s original text.

The miniseries chooses a slower pace, allowing viewers to immerse themselves in the complex world of Dune and familiarize themselves with the characters and plots, benefiting from a solid cast (with actors such as Alec Newman as Paul Atreides and Saskia Reeves as Irulan Corrino) but it faced stiff competition from other television productions, and the limited budget restricted the scope of the production.

Another trilogy followed, Legends of Dune, through Dune: The Butlerian Jihad (2002, exploring the war between humanity and machines, which led to the prohibition of machine thinking), Dune: The Machine Crusade (2003, continuing the story of the Butlerian Jihad, featuring the final battle against the machines) and Dune: The Battle of Corrin (2004, which concludes the trilogy, depicting the events that led to the formation of the Galactic Empire).

In “parallel” the TV miniseries “Children of Dune” (3 episodes covering 1 hour and 29 minutes), a sequel to the 2001 miniseries, which continues the story of Paul Atreides, focusing on the children of Paul and Chani, Leto II and Ghanima, and how they try to fulfill their destiny and rule the Galactic Empire (for example, it follows Leto II’s transformation into a half-human, half-sandworm hybrid being, and the impact that on the Empire).

Compared to the first miniseries, it features slightly improved special effects, particularly in the creation of fantastical creatures and landscapes, but some aspects of the adaptation were criticized by fans of the book, particularly the way certain characters were portrayed and their development.

And… Direct sequels to the Dune novel represented by Hunters of Dune (a 2006, series that directly continues the story of Paul Atreides, exploring the consequences of his actions in the Dune universe), Sandworms of Dune (2007, the sequel, which focuses on the struggle for control of Arrakis and on the fate of the human species) and Heroes of Dune (2008–present, a series of short novels exploring the lives of secondary characters in the Dune universe), not forgetting Great Schools of Dune (2012–2016, which focuses on the history and the role of the Bene Gesserit and Mentat Schools in the formation of the Dune universe) and Dune Stories (2001–2017, a collection of short stories exploring various aspects of the Dune universe).

Ei bine, într-un fel de final al evoluției „Dune”, vin realizările de excepție Dune: Part One (2021) și „prospăt” lansatul Dune: Part Two (2024), ambele regizate de Denis Villeneuve, adaptare considerată de mulți fani ca fiind cea mai fidelă adaptare cinematografică a romanului, regizorul punând un accent deosebit pe fidelitatea față de materialul sursă, păstrând multe dintre elementele cheie ale romanului, precum peisajele deșertice, costumele elaborate și intriga complexă.

Well, in a kind of finale to the evolution of “Dune” comes the outstanding achievements Dune: Part One (2021) and the “freshly” released Dune: Part Two (2024), both directed by Denis Villeneuve, adaptation considered by many fans as the most faithful film adaptation of the novel, with the director placing particular emphasis on fidelity to the source material, retaining many of the novel’s key elements such as the desert landscapes, elaborate costumes, and complex plot.

Also, the slower narrative pace and increased attention to detail were appreciated by those who read the novel, with the main characters, such as Paul, Chani, and Gurney Halleck, benefiting from greater development, exploring their psychological complexity and evolution in the context of events tumultuous.

Add to all this the stunning visual spectacle, with impressive desert landscapes, elaborate costumes, and high-quality visual effects, or Hans Zimmer’s musical score, which perfectly complements the atmosphere of the film and emphasizes the emotions of the characters.

So here is the world of “Science Fiction” learning its lesson… Regardless of the propagation of a universe, you need a lot of effort to describe it… Otherwise, it will be a small, almost invisible “Poc” (drabble) among the stars of the universe…

The perception that will be “perceptible” and with another achievement of the 1984s, “incarnated” in the movie “The Terminator”… About which I will “comment” in the next episode…

But, I will not “close” this episode before pointing out that the world of “Science Fiction”, at this moment, has created certain new “worlds”, present in the perception of tens, maybe hundreds of millions of people…

Imaginary worlds, but not “Fantasy”… Worlds to be embodied under the perceptions of our senses… And not just imagination…

Worlds that come to describe possible real “presents” of our future, through the contribution of more and more human manifestations but which, of course, have the initiation point, or as we described it in previous episodes, “A tiny point, the size of a universe, which will grow like an explosion, generically called “Big Bang”, where our future will “take place”…

Originally ascribed to that “Big Bang” by real science fiction writers…

Merticaru Dorin Nicolae

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