DILLON ON FILM

Dune: 40 Years On

David Lynch’s 1984 attempt at adapting Frank Herbert’s sci-fi novel is a catastrophic misfire that continues to age poorly

Credit: Universal

Warning: Contains spoilers.

With Denis Villeneuve’s adaptation of classic sci-fi novel Dune currently dominating multiplexes to spectacular and brilliant effect, this seems an opportune moment to reflect on the first time Frank Herbert’s epic arrived in cinemas. After various abortive attempts to bring the book to the screen (most famously, an utterly bonkers take from Alejandro Jodorowsky), in 1984, David Lynch helmed a lavish, hugely ambitious version. It crashed and burned at the box office, amid widespread critical disdain, but has since attracted a cult following of sorts. This year see the fortieth anniversary of Lynch’s supposed folly. Is it ripe for reappraisal? Has it been unfairly maligned?

Short answer: No. If anything, David Lynch’s take on Dune looks increasingly inept and dated with every passing year. I now refer to it as Dune and Duner. Whilst it certainly deserves some credit for having a fabulous cast, fine production design, imaginative costumes, and a stirring music score by Toto and Brian Eno, the script makes about as much sense as a Wall Street briefing on shorting stocks. It is completely…