40 years ago, a boy addicted to science fiction came across Dune in the library.
He was immediately drawn to the cover of the novel.
"I saw a man with blue eyes on the cover of this beautiful book, and I was amazed by it, and I was deeply immersed in it."
Dune is an old dream.
He said to himself silently, "One day, I'm going to put it on the screen." ”
Novel cover
Later, the boy began to make movies.
From a low-cost literary film director, he has grown into a hot sci-fi commercial director.
"Arrival" and "Blade Runner 2049", two consecutive science fiction films have been regarded as gods by fans.
That's right.
The boy was, Dennis Villeneuve.
Known as "Vista", CP fans locked him up with Christopher Nolan as "Only Nono".
Believe in God and have eternal life
Breaking into Hollywood, he got the chance to shoot higher-cost sci-fi blockbusters.
People keep asking, "What kind of movie is your ultimate dream?" ”
He replied, "I keep saying, I want to make science fiction, I want to make Dune! ”
Dune
Dune
2021.10.22
>>>> the first god pit of science fiction films
The historical status of Dune is unique.
"The greatest science fiction novel in history", "Milestone in the history of science fiction", "The best science fiction novel of the 20th century", "Monument to the creation of imagination"...
Heavyweight titles become its deadly shackles.
With poor development, failed film and television adaptations, and copyright changes, "Dune" has gradually become the "first god pit of science fiction films".
No one dares to touch it, and it sucks when you shoot it.
Dune is a full series
In 1965, shortly after the publication of the first Dune, Hollywood money owners wanted to adapt it into a movie and make a big profit.
However, due to the huge and cumbersome story and the extreme difficulty of adaptation, the film and television adaptation rights have repeatedly changed hands.
In the 1970s, the cultist Zodurowski loved Dune and regarded it as a god-like being.
He wanted to create a prophecy that would make Dune a sacred, free film.
The film lasts more than 10 hours, inviting crossover superstars such as surrealist painter Dalí, orson Wells, the father of modern American cinema, and The British rock band Pink Floyd.
Before and after preparing for 2 years, but due to the over-budget of 15 million US dollars, the fetus was stillborn.
Manuscript of Jodulovsky's Dunes
In 1984, David Lynch took over.
The film's slogan is provocative, "This is 'Dune' that Jodurowski can't make." ”
Before its release, the novel's author, Frank Herbert, was looking forward to it.
After the release, word of mouth and box office were unbearable, triggering a strong protest from fans.
Above: Stills from David Lynch's Dunes Below: Frank Herbert on the set of David Lynch's Dunes
The insulted Jodulovsky, seeing this, was overjoyed.
He said:
"I started to get very happy because it was a bad movie. I realized that no one could make Dune well. ”
Jodulovsky's joy
In November 2016, the film and television production rights of Dune were won by Legendary Pictures.
Which sci-fi director is best suited to make Dune?
David Lynch doesn't eat grass, Ridley Scott has a weak heart, Nolan indulges in brain-burning blockbusters...
This great responsibility naturally fell to Dennis Villeneuve.
As a dune ashes book fan, he envisioned scenes in novels for a long time.
As for how to shoot, he has his own ideas in his heart.
"I will neither borrow elements from David Lynch's Dune Castle, nor will I incorporate Zodrowski's idea of Dune.
I would say that Zodlowski has a very unique vision, and I am a completely different person. If I try to adopt his vision, it is very arrogant and arrogant. ”
Dune became the most ambitious and difficult film of his directorial career.
>>>> gorgeous 2-hour trailer
Dunes, aka, the planet Erasco.
On this yellow planet covered in desert, there is a rare spice, Mei Lang Fat.
This spice is powerful, both foresighting the future and aiding astronautics.
Emperor Padisha, Baron Haknan, the U-Lak-Society Company, the Beni Jesserit Sisterhood, all forces want to invade the dunes and monopolize the beauty of the baleen.
The Haknam family spent decades in the dunes, occupying the planet as a quasi-territory.
However, the Emperor ordered that the planet be given to Duke Leto Ertridi (Oscar Isaac) in the form of a whole territory, so that he could take over the spice development business.
Duke Ofletto Ertridi and his family
On the surface, this is a fat difference.
Actually, it's a death trap.
The jealous and suspicious Emperor deliberately made the Erridi family tree a big move.
Then, using the hakenam family and other forces, the Ertridi family was eliminated.
Baron Haknam
Overnight, the dunes staged a bloody massacre.
The Ertridy family is left with only Paul Ertridy (Timothy Challemet) and his mother, Mrs. Jessica (Rebecca Ferguson).
They walk into the desert, looking for an opportunity to take revenge and rebel.
Paul Ertridi
The story of Dune is not complicated.
To sum it up simply, it is the story of how a chosen teenager grew up and took revenge and seized power.
You can think of it as both a sci-fi version of "Revenge of the Prince" and a sci-fi version of Lawrence of Arabia and Dance with Wolves.
Lawrence of Arabia
however.
Due to the complexity of the worldview, the tedious details, and the poetry, whispers and dreams of the whole text, a film cannot show the whole picture of Dune.
To this end, Villeneuve persuaded the studio owner to split "Dune" into two films.
So, the Dune we're currently watching is only the first part of the movie.
It's just foreplay, a 2-hour trailer.
As for the climactic scene of the teenager becoming the savior, launching a holy war, and rebelling against the oppression of the emperor, it can only be left for the second part.
Although the plot of the first part is as bland as water, it still respects the original work.
Sandworms, to the delight of many book fans.
This terrifying creature hiding in the desert is closely related to Mei Lang Fat.
They heard the sound, and the sizzle slowly approached, as if a storm was sweeping around.
A silvery-gray arc broke through the sand, scattering waterfall-like sand and dust everywhere.
Opening his big black, round mouth, the smell of cinnamon erupted from his nostrils, and his teeth sparkled in the moonlight.
The Virgin Mary (played by Charlotte Ramplin) tests Paul, exuding tension, fear and death.
She was the Emperor's Mantra Master, her hair like a tangled cobweb, her face hidden in the dark shadow of her hood, and her eyes as bright as glittering jewels, eagle eyes.
A fifteen-centimeter square green metal square, plus a poisonous Gorm thorn, left Paul nowhere to hide.
Under the burning sting, he shouted loudly, feeling the chill of death approaching step by step.
The arch-villain Baron Haknon (played by Strand Skarsgaard) is bloated, sinister and vicious.
He fits perfectly with the description in the novel.
"When he emerged from the shadows, he was greeted by an enormously large figure—both in mass and volume—a body of fat. He was wearing a black robe with some slight bulges under the folds of his clothes, which could be seen that he was loaded with portable aerostats, supporting the fat flesh. ”
The moment he floated out of the black grease, I was frightened.
Dune is not a mainstream commercial sci-fi film.
Abandoning the ups and downs of the plot, focusing on classical and exquisite composition and photography.
Villeneuve uses formal beauty to create a sense of cinematic immersion.
Dune three axes: symmetrical composition, low-saturation tones, wide-angle shots
The art form is supreme, but the character portrayal is slightly thin.
Except for the male protagonist Paul, most of the supporting characters are tool people.
Dr. Keynes, the dune ecologist, is both Paul's mother-in-law and an undercover agent arranged by the emperor.
In the movie, except for the directions, she did nothing, and hung up early.
In the novel, Dr. Keynes is a man
Weapons master Gonny Harek (josh Brolin) and sword master Duncan Idaho (Jason Momma) are Paul's right and left protectors.
In the movie, in addition to sacrificing to pave the way, it is mainly responsible for adding laughter to the movie.
The former laughed and did not laugh, and the latter teased Paul for not having muscles.
To be honest, this kind of squeezed out laughing fruit is very embarrassing.
What's even more regrettable is that the two relatively key roles don't have much of a presence.
Count Leto Ertridi, with the exception of father-son love scenes and nude scenes, has no memory points.
Dr. Yue (played by Zhang Zhen), a spy hidden in the Erridi family.
In addition to showing a few words of Mandarin, putting a denture on the duke, sending Paul a ring, and ending the work early.
We see neither the torment of his choice of betrayal nor the deep friendship between him and Paul.
>>>> God look like this?
Whether "Dune" is a god or not, everyone has an answer in their hearts.
Artistically, it is a rare science fiction masterpiece in recent years.
Do not rely on film special effects, to pursue the real artistic texture.
Shoot in the Jordanian desert to create an authentic dune planet.
The spices in the fine sand are not special effects, but all-natural cosmetics are mixed in the sand and captured by the camera.
Wide-angle lens, symmetrical composition, full of order and poetry.
Beneath the lens, the vast expanse of desert is the key to understanding Paul's heart.
The shock of the empty scene, the shock of silence, is the journey of his internalized subconscious.
As he goes deeper into the desert again and again, we go deeper into the character's heart.
Faced with the disadvantage of the early leakage of film resources, "Dune" bucked the trend.
The box office exceeded 100 million yuan in the 2 days of release, setting a box office record for Villeneuve in the mainland.
Although it did not cause a sensation, at least it did not disappoint the audience.
Compared to previous adaptations, this is already the best Dune.
There is a beginning and an end, and only then can it be completed.
At present, Legendary Pictures has not announced the production of the second part of "Dune".
Sincerely hope, Villeneuve will continue to use images to compose poems, turning Dune into an epic science fiction blockbuster that truly rivals The Lord of the Rings.
"People who are popular attract the suspicion of those in power."
Hopefully, this is not the final ending of Dune.