Dune, the miniseries (Part I)

In my previous post, I think I made it pretty clear that the Dune movie was a flop. And I mean this in every sense of the word: commercially, critically; hell, even Lynch distanced himself from the final product. But that was to be expected, since Dune is just not something that translates into a movie format. There's simply too much going on, and any fan of the series knows exactly what I'm referring to here. In terms of length, pacing, content, characters, background, detail, depth and commentary, Dune is just too dense to fold into a few hours of footage. Lynch attempted to address this problem in a number of ways

1.) Prologue: In the original movie, Lynch tried to cover Dune's extensive background by having Irulan give a breakdown of how the universe works. In the Director's Cut, he took a different rout and went with a narrated preamble (using animated stills) that covered the major events leading up to the original novel. These included the Butlerian Jihad, the founding of the Guild, Bene Gesserits, and other secret societies, and then moved on to cover the basics about the Dune universe, such as its feudal structure, the spice, etc. Nothing wrong with either of these, except that they were both kind of awkward. They both felt a tad expository, and in the case of the animated opening, it went long. Loooong! Thus it was kind of a directorial Catch 22 for Lynch: can't start this movie without an intro or the audience will get lost, can't dump too much info on the audience or they'll switch off.

2.) Exposition: In the opening scene, Lynch uses a reworked plotline to help the character of the Emperor set up everything that's going to happen in the first act. In the subsequent scenes, all the other main characters do the same thing. The Baron and Piter de Vries explain their plan to attack the Atreides to his nephews, Feyd and Rabban, and Paul is told the reasons for their move to Arrakis by his mentors. But the problem here was, it all felt too unnatural and clunky. You really got the feeling that someone had read the book and was trying to give a synopsis to the audience, not a movie where characters were interacting and providing entertaining to us. You can't make a decent movie if everything feels like there's a sense of duty behind it, then it's just boring.

3.) Internal monologues: it goes without saying that you can't clog up a movie with endless dialogue, especially stuff where characters are just standing around and explaining things in an unnatural way. Some degree of this is understandable, but after awhile, the audience will simply begin saying, "Nobody talks like this! Get on with it!" So Lynch tried using internal speeches, "gee, I'm worried about Paul…", "so this is Arrakis…", "If I am to lead them, I must ride the worm…" and so on. And like I said, it was annoying as all hell! Even after all the expository speeches his characters made, there was still tons of things the audience needed to be told in order to keep them up to speed. And as I said in my last review, the movie would have worked better without it, but that's coming from someone who's read the books and the truth is, I have no idea if I would have been able to keep up otherwise. Lynch clearly felt the same way so he hedged his bets by including the internal monologues so as to keep things rolling and provide explanations.

Okay, right now I'm thinking anyone reading this is saying "We get it! It didn't work, move on!" Well fine then! As I'm sure I've said a few times already in the course of this review, a miniseries was created in 2000 that sought to address these difficulties and give Dune a faithful adaptation. By going with a the three part, six-hour format, the creators clearly felt that they would have the time they needed to provide an adequate build-up, plenty of character and plot development, and make sure that nothing big would be left out or glossed over. And, with some exceptions and changes, they did just that! Even before I read the books, I saw the miniseries in full, was highly entertained, and felt that I was given a complete rundown of everything that took place in the novel. Then, upon reading the novel, I decided that the miniseries was not only faithful to the original material but even improved upon it in some areas. Unlike Lynch, who was under pressure and had to throw things together which he was ultimately unhappy with, the creators of the miniseries clearly had enough time and perspective to work through all the problems of adapting Herbert's book to the screen. But I'm going long here and I haven't even got to the good stuff. Nothing worse than a long preamble, right? (Mr. Lynch, I'm looking in your direction…)

(Background—>)

The miniseries itself was a collaboration between several studios, which included New Amsterdam Entertainment (US), Blixa Film Produktion (Germany), Hallmark Entertainment, and the Sci Fi Channel. As if this isn't enough of an indication, the cast was also very international in scope, with actors and actresses from the US, Britain, Germany, Czech Republic, and Italy. These included such big names as William Hurt, Giancarlo Giannini, Ian McNeice, and P.H. Moriarty. It would take me too long to list all the big name movies these people have been in, but trust me, you've seen them! John Harrison, a veteran television writer/director with a tonne of sci-fi, fantasy and horror titles to his credit, was not only responsible for directing this bad boy, but also had a big hand in writing the creation of the script. In describing the final product, he claimed that the miniseries was a "faithful interpretation", in which changes and elements that he had introduced serve to elaborate rather than edit from the original. Having seen the miniseries and read the novel – in both cases, more than once – I feel pretty fit to verify this claim. While their were several differences between the miniseries and the novel, I can honestly say that they worked in its favor without detracting from the original material. But specifics must be mentioned, as well as the differences between this adaptation and Lynch's failed attempt.

(Content—>)

The miniseries opens with a rather brief prologue by Princess Irulan, explaining the significance of Arrakis (Dune) and the spice. We then cut to a quick montage of images that represent a nightmare being experienced by Paul. In this sequence, we see Arrakis, a war that is to come, Chani, and of course, Paul's father dying. Upon waking, Paul realizes he's left a recording of Doctor Yueh playing, a recording which explains the importance of their move and recaps the balance of power their society rests on. Unlike the novel, this is not taking place on Caladan, but on the Guild space liner as the family is about to depart for Arrakis. This intro, unlike Lynch's, provides a brief yet informative snapshot of the Dune universe and what is to come. There's the also the sense of impending departure, lending the scenes some sense or urgency, which is precisely what the mood should be at this point. Paul, and everyone around him, understand that this move is a big deal, that is there is a great deal of danger involved, and that in spite of the fact that it is surely a trap, that they have no real choice.

What follows is an altered, but faithful reenactment of the Mother Superior scene. Having come aboard their ship to see Paul, they discuss the subject of his dreams, giving the audience a crucial hint as to how Paul is special (i.e. he's potentially prescient) as well as some hints of what is to come. From his brief, broken glimpses, Paul can tell that Arrakis holds many things for him. He sees desert people chanting his name, terrible wars, and his father dying. The Mother Superior is intrigued, and of course, she conducts the pain box test. Naturally, Paul passes, but storms out in anger, leaving the Mother Superior and Lady Jessica to discuss her defiance to the order. As anyone who's read the novel knows, Bene Gesserit sisters are under orders to produce daughters only, as part of their breeding program, until the eugenics program is complete and one will bear a son. This son, if all goes as planned, will be the Kwisatz Haderach*, a prescient man with perfect genetic memory. But by giving her Duke a son, Jessica has disobeyed the order, and potentially doomed herself and her son in the process. The Mother Superior says they will suffer for this, not at their hands, but in general. She also says that they will do what they can for the boy, but "for the father, nothing…", thus letting us know that something's in the works, but that Bene Gesserit cannot discuss it openly. Another thing they do right here, even though its breaking with the novel, is that at no point are the words Kwisatz Haderach mentioned! That's something Harrison chose to reveal slowly, and in increments instead of giving it away early on.

All of this is starkly different from the original movie. It is expository without being preachy or dutiful. If anything, its cool and intriguing, relying on subtle dialogue that still lets us know whats coming. Another change I should mention is Paul's character. Unlike in the novel or original movie, he's not cheery or positive about any of the things that are going on around him. Instead, he's angry, which is what any teenager would be if they were caught in his situation. In fact, his angst and defiance run like a thread through all of Part I, including his fight scene with Gurney which follows immediately after. This is one change I highly approved of, as its far more realistic. Whereas Paul was always portrayed as the kind of child who never had playmates or a normal childhood because duty and protocol so often got in the way, here we see the consequences of that. He misses his father and Duncan, the closest person he has to a friend, and chooses to take that out on his mother, the Mother Superior, and Gurney. It just works, man!

In any case, we then get to see Paul do shield practice with Gurney and then a Guild Navigator come on board to send them to Arrakis. Clearly, the special effects are better in the miniseries' case than in the original movies, but that doesn't make them better. If anything, I was kind of missing the original's models and sense of grandeur. Whereas the new version could just rely on CGI, Lynch had to rely on what was available at the times, namely models and conventional animation. Nevertheless, the scenes work, especially the shield practice scene where the dialogue is so much better, since Paul is upset about his meeting with the Mother Superior and chooses to take it out on Gurney. And the scene with the Guild Navigator is also pretty good, a relatively simple affair where instead of floating through a glowing cloud of spice vapor and shooting white hot… (I dunno, plasma?) out of his mouth, we see an odd, mutated sort who simply focuses on two stars and goes into trance, causing the ship to be sucked into a wormhole a moment later. And the best part of all this: no internal monologues!

Then… boom! Cut to Arrakis, where we see Leto for the first time as he's talking to Duncan about the Fremen and their leader, Liet. Another thing the miniseries did so much better than the first, they actually talked about Liet instead of just mentioning his name and glossing over his significance. We are told that he is the quasi-leader of the Fremen, and that Leto wants to find him so they can enlist the help of those Fremen who live in the deep desert. This too is something the miniseries does very well, showing how Leto is concerned with cultivating a relationship with the natives of the deep desert, as he is aware that their abilities and knowledge may be what they need to rule. Like in the novel, this was something that came up again and again, and it was hinted that the Emperor himself was worried over it. Because as all people who have ever run Arrakis know, the deep desert is a place you never go, the Fremen people you simply don't mess with! Not only have they found ways to thrive in the toughest conditions imaginable, they've managed to multiply to several million people and know how to fight! Hence, whoever had them as allies would have access to the toughest, meanest, most disciplined fighting force in the universe. Hintedy hint hint! But more on that soon enough!

Several scenes follow, all of which are true to the novel. In one, Paul is allowed to attend his father's council meetings, he offers up effective suggestions of how they can run Arrakis and recruit the smugglers. Meanwhile, Lady Jessica meets with the household staff, which includes the Shadout Mapes (head servant, or something), and they slowly learn that she may very be the mother of their messiah. Like everything in this miniseries, Harrison built this up slowly, dropping subtly hints and not using any internal dialogue or having his characters constantly say "the legend, the legend". When Paul and his father pass through the streets in one of their cars, its finally cinched. People are chanting "Mahdi" when they see him, something which Thufir explains to him after. "These are simple people," he says when Leto asks if they really think his son could be a messiah. "Hope sustains them". This is developed further in the scenes where Dr. Kynes (the elusive Liet, though they don't know it yet!) is introduced and takes them out to observe a spice harvester at work. Again, these scene were faithful to the novel without being imitative. Whereas Herbert openly wrote what Kynes and Paul were thinking in the book, the miniseries manages to develop this without the need for internal monologues (even though that would a director's first choice of how to convey their thoughts). Instead, we see through a number of shots how they are becoming fascinated with one another. Liet-Kynes notices strange things about Paul, like how he knows how to wear a stillsuit** and understands Fremen ways, consistent with their legends about him – and how Paul picks up on hints that he is in fact, a true Fremen. All of this is conveyed but not said, which is far more effective.

Then, after the spice harvester is attacked by a worm (CGI offered some improvements on this scene too), and the Duke sacrifices it to saves his men's lives, a major scene takes place. And that is the dinner banquet. It is major for two reason: one, it's a central part of Act I in the book, which was not included in the first movie, and two, because it brings Princess Irulan fully into the series. Whereas in the original movie she was just voiceover and a background character, in the miniseries she played a central role. Harrison and the other writers clearly felt that this was the best way to resolve the ambiguity of her character, how she's significant in a behind-the-scenes sort of way, but never actually seen or heard from. Writing her into several key scenes was the way they did this, allowing her to observe the key players and thus be in a position to comment on things and explain to the audience what was going on. This works, because it gives her character a sort of phantom presence, you can sense that she's a sort of wise and underestimated sort, someone who can see through BS and plotting and will connect with the heroes. It was also effective because, during the course of the banquet, she has a chance to talk to Paul, we see how they are similar, and it previews their marriage which happens by the end. Another thing that makes these scenes work is the skilled acting of Alec Newman (Paul) and Julie Cox (Irulan). You really get the feeling that these two will meet again, that they have a connection that supersedes the distance between their houses, and that their eventual relationship is likely to be intellectual rather than romantic. Whereas Irulan is thin, fair and proper, Chani (whom Paul marries) is voluptuous, animated, and dark. Clear case of the platonic versus the sensual here!

While this is all taking place, we cut to the Harkonnen homeworld of Geidi Prime several times so that we can see how the Atreides arch-enemies are doing. Ian McNeice, who plays the role of the Baron, gives all of these scenes a dramatic flair that puts them light years ahead of what was done in the original movie. Instead of being revolting and loathsome, he's effeminate, graceful, and deliciously evil. This is preferable is so many ways because ultimately that's what makes for a good villain! He might be bad, but audiences will find him all the more likeable and entertaining that way. He'll be the guy audiences love to hate him. In addition, he'll be a lot more believable. One thing Brian Cox said about being the villain, you never want to be too bad. Otherwise, the audience just tunes out and doesn't have fun. And if there's one thing Brian Cox knows, its how to play the bad guy! (He was Col Stryker in X-Men Two, Hermann Goering in Nuremberg, and the bad guy in The Bourne Supremacy). We even get to see a scene from the royal palace during Part I which should be mentioned. The Emperor, as played by Giancarlo Giannini, speaks about the Atreides and the plot against them without being horribly expository. Not once does he say that he's sending his dreaded Sardaukar to help the Baron in the attack, nor that an attack is even taking place. Instead, he and Count Fenrig simply say that he needs to find a suitable husband for his daughter (Irulan), and that it's "too bad that Atreides boy won't be around" or some such thing.

Anyhoo, the attack takes place shortly thereafter, and we see for the first time (unlike in the novel and movie where the identity of the betrayer was foretold) that Yueh is the traitor. Here, and here alone, he reveals that he did it because the Baron has his wife and he must see her again, even if she's already dead. More changes, Thufir is killed in the attack rather than taken prisoner. In the novel, he became the Baron's new Mentat after Piter is killed by the Duke with the poison-gas tooth, and was therefore at the center of all the Baron's machinations and plotting. With him dead, his importance gets minimized in the course of the series, but it also gives the Baron and Feyd a chance to expand by making them responsible for all the plotting that takes place between them, thus making them seem more villainous (more on that later). It is here that we also see the Baron do some of the best acting in the whole series. We already get to see how his Shakespearean talents command a scene, his dramatic flare, and how he ends a scene with rhyming couplets. But here, it's wonderfully over the top and fun to listen to! "I am, Baron Vladimir Harkonnen, and the instrument… of his families demise!" "What more proof do you need of what heaven's intention is? Atreides dead, and Harkonnen lives!" Punctuated, of course, with tons of evil laughter. And best of all, no heart plugs and boys being molested to death! Classic!

Paul and his mother, of course, make it to safety, with the help of Duncan Idaho. Again, it feels like he's killed off way too fast, but at least in the ensuing chase, we get to see a very important scene which was left out of the original: Dr. Kynes, who helps save them by suggesting they brought into the deep desert where the Fremen will protect them, is revealed to be Liet. Paul figures it out when they are in a seitch (a Fremen hideout) and confronts him about it. He explains, intrinsic to the plot arc, that he is not the Fremen's leader, but more of a guide, who will stay around until "Mahdi comes". This helps to illustrate the key element of how the Fremen and the planet's Imperial ecologists have been working together since the time of Kyne's father. Ever since the elder Kynes was welcomed into a Fremen community, he busily taught them of how Arrakis' ecology could be changed, how moisture dens could be created and turned into fertilizing waters. Over time, this idea merged with the legends planted by the Bene Gesserit, of how a messiah would come and lead them to freedom. Paul, and hence the audience, is now beginning to see how these prophecies (self-fulfilling though they may be) are coming true thanks to his arrival. This is important stuff man! You gotta include it!

Then, of course, Paul and his mother flee because the enemy is coming. They take to an ornithopter, and fly even deeper into the desert. In order to escape the pursuing Harkonnen planes, they are forced to fly into a storm. Now this scene I didn't like much, mainly because they ripped off the following line from Emperor Strikes Back: "You're not going in there are you?" "They'd be crazy to follow us!" Yeah… Okay, but then Paul recites the litany against fear, and they go for it! And Part I ends with Irulan saying the saga of Dune is far from over…

Thus ends Act I. Tune into again for Act II…

Endnotes:

*This term is derived from "Kefitzat Haderech", a Kabbalah term which means "The Way's Jump", apparently relating to teleportation. In this context, it means "Shortening of the Way", referring to the bridging of past, present and future, i.e. prescience.

**A suit that allows the wearer to retain water lost through respiration and perspiration by catching it all in its skin, filtering and processing it, then depositing it in a series of bags the person can draw from.