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DUNE
Studio: Universal
Year: 1984
Length: 2 hrs 17 mins
Genre: Science Fiction
Aspect Ratio: 2.35:1
BD Resolution: 1080p
BD Video Codec: VC-1 (@ an average 30 mbps)
Color/B&W: Color
Audio:
English DTS-HD Master Audio 5.1 (@ an average 4.0 mbps)
French DTS 2.0
Subtitles: English SDH, French, Spanish
Film Rating: PG-13 (Violence, Cruelty, David Lynch)
Release Date: April 27, 2010
Starring: Kyle MacLachlan, Francesca Annis, Sean Young, Max von Sydow, Patrick Stewart and Sting
Based on the novel by Frank Herbert
Written and Directed by: David Lynch
Film Rating: 2/5
One really has to wonder why David Lynch chose to adapt Frank Herbert’s sprawling novel Dune for the big screen. Not only was this an out-of-character choice for him (as we can readily see from the films he has made since then), but the source material is both too intricate and too dense to translate into a 2 hour movie. The result of Lynch’s efforts is an unusual experience, and not in the manner that one would normally associate with other Lynch projects like Blue Velvet or Mulholland Drive. Here, we have moments of beautiful, baroque design (the Emperor’s palace, the wide shots of Paul Atreides leading the Fremen on Arrakis) that get disrupted by stiff performances or an inexplicable use of voiceover of the characters’ inner thoughts. Many great actors come and go here, from Max von Sydow to Jose Ferrer to Linda Hunt, but the only performances that really stand out are two of the villains: Kenneth McMillan’s delirious turn as Baron Harkonnen and a great bit from Sting as Feyd Rautha.
The novel is pretty dense, but it still unfolds at a reasonable pace, even with all the information being thrown at the reader. Unfortunately, the film moves very slowly. Add to this some really stilted dialogue that works a lot better on the pages of the novel than in the mouths of the cast, and you have some real problems. On the other hand, again, the design work here is really special – and it feels like this is where David Lynch really concentrated his efforts. This film definitely has a unique look to it, at times a beautiful one.
Dune has previously been released on standard definition DVD and HD-DVD. From what I can tell here, what we are seeing on the new Blu-ray is essentially the same as what was released on HD-DVD 3+ years ago, albeit with a DTS-HD MA sound mix rather than a Dolby Digital Plus one. The picture transfer is apparently the same, and the extras are the same. Fans of the movie will no doubt enjoy it here. Fans of David Lynch will likely find this film to be an odd curiosity in the middle of his career. Fans of the novel have already voiced their strong opinions of this film many times over the years.
VIDEO QUALITY 3/5
Dune is presented in a 1080p VC-1 2.35:1 transfer that is a bit variable to my eye. It’s not a bad transfer, but some sections of the film look clearer to me than others. The picture quality is definitely a step up from standard definition releases, but there are moments, particularly in long desert cave sequences that feel positively murky to me. (A good part of this is likely due to the age of the film and the fact that this isn’ t likely to see a major restoration project.) I should note that I am watching the film on a 40” Sony XBR2 HDTV. If anyone is watching the film on a larger monitor and is having issues, please post them on this thread.
AUDIO QUALITY 3/5
Dune is presented in an English DTS-HD Master Audio 5.1 mix in English, along with a standard DTS 5.1 mix in French. (This is part of what gives away the idea that this disc is a port of the HD-DVD.) While there is some use of the subwoofer and the surrounds, this mix actually came across as surprisingly quiet to me. Since much of the film is taken up with dialogue and voiceover, it’s not a surprise that the mix is mostly front-oriented. But I honestly expected a more active mix, and a more full-throated sound. My rating reflects that this isn’t a bad mix at all – just not that intense of one.
SPECIAL FEATURES 2 ½/5
The Blu-Ray presentation of Dune comes with the usual BD-Live connectivity and My Scenes functionality, as well as D-Box functionality. The disc also carries over all the extras from the HD-DVD, all in standard definition.
Deleted Scenes – (17:18, 480p, Non-Anamorphic) A collection of deleted material is introduced by Raffaella De Laurentiis, who dismisses the idea that there was ever a “lost” version of the film that ran 4 hours long. The scenes then follow, mostly in pretty ragged condition. Some of the scenes are directly out of the novel but don’t seem to play out very well (A scene between Linda Hunt and Francesca Annis is a good example of this.) Other scenes are just quick extensions of existing scenes. Freddie Jones’ character is given a proper ending. The scenes are not chaptered. The only way to watch them is straight through. The scenes are presented in standard definition and are not anamorphically encoded. Given their distressed condition, I don’t know that a high definition transfer of them would help much.
Designing Dune – (8:54, 480p, Non-Anamorphic) This featurette includes interviews with various members of the production’s art department, and shows many sketches of the various environments and props seen in the film. There’s some really beautiful work on display here. As one of the designers notes, whatever you make think of the faults of the film, there’s no denying the craftsmanship that went into it.
Dune FX – (6:00, 480p, Non-Anamorphic) This quick piece focuses on the on-set effects, such as the wire work used to float Kenneth McMillan, the live-action training robot used in an early scene, and the black smoke used in some outdoor battle sequences. Kit West gets the most interview time here, and he admits that the practices used in this film would likely not be permitted on a movie set today.
Dune Models & Miniatures – (7:01, 480p, Non-Anamorphic) This brief featurette covers the models and visual effects built for the movie. As with the production design group, the VFX team was comprised of an international group, each with different talents to bring to the project..
Dune Wardrobe Design – (4:49, 480p, Non-Anamorphic) The final featurette covers the work of the wardrobe department here, and includes some deleted shots of wardrobe ideas that did not make it into the final film. (A special hat for the Fremen is revealed here, which Lynch thankfully removed from the film.) Most of the time is spent discussing the black Stillsuit worn by the Fremen, which looks quite good onscreen but was apparently miserable for the cast to wear in the blistering heat outside.
BD-Live - The more general BD-Live screen is accessible via the menu, which makes various online materials available, including tickers, trailers and special events. At the time of this review, the BD-Live functionality has not been activated yet.
My Scenes - The usual bookmarking feature is included here.
D-Box - The sensation functionality is present here for those viewers who have this technology in their homes.
The usual promotional ticker is present on the main menu, but can be toggled off at your discretion. The film is subtitled in English, French and Spanish. The usual pop-up menu is present.
IN THE END...
Dune is a film that is more of a curiosity than a satisfying dramatic adventure. The Blu-ray release provides fans of the film with an upgrade in the picture and sound if they’ve been watching the SD releases of it over the years, and provides HD-DVD owners with a comparable version. Fans of David Lynch who have not seen this film may wish to rent this to see the design work and the occasional flashes of interest. Fans of Sting, on the other hand, should absolutely take the time to see this.
Kevin Koster
April 16, 2010.
