Of Sandworms and Sarlaccs: 11 Similarities Between “Dune and “Star Wars”

Critics of George Lucas like to rant about how much he ripped his 1977 space franchise off of Frank Herbert’s 1965 Hugo-winning novel and with Denis Villeneuve’s 2021 adaptation being hailed by today’s critics as “the next Star Wars“, this just add fuel to the fire. Both groups are complete twits. Sure Star Wars and Dune share many similarities that any fan could notice – especially if one reads the novel for the first time like I did when I was 17. But both franchises are so radically different that when Mr. Herbert first saw A New Hope, he was unsure whether to sue or not. In this post we’ll take a look at the 6-part film series and the 6 book series and see how they compare and contrast.

Twins: Luke and Leia/ Leto and Ghanima

In Dune, Paul and his concubine, Chani, have a son whom they name Leto II after his illustrious father. But little Leto is killed in a Harkonnen attack. By the end of Dune Messiah, Herbert’s 1969 follow-up, Chani has given birth to twins – a boy and a girl whom Paul names Leto and Ghanima respectively. While audiences were already introduced to Luke Skywalker and Princess Leia Organa in 1977, they would have to wait another six years before they learned that Luke and Leia were twins separated at birth. In the Expanded Universe novels, Leia would go on to become a mother of twins herself.

How they’re similar: Alas, both sets of kids lost their moms early on in life. Chani and Padme would die from complications in childbirth under extrenuous circumstances, leaving their newborns motherless and their fathers despondent enough to go into exile – sort of. Anakin becomes Darth Vader, while a blinded Paul Atreides goes into exile in the desert and becomes a mysterious figure known as The Preacher.

However, twins have also played a major role in mythology throughout cultures and ages, from Jacob and Esau to Apollo and Artemis, possibly to exemplify the concept of duality. Lucas has always made it no secret that he lifted much of Star Wars off of ancient mythology but it remains to be seen to what extent Herbert, who died in 1986, did the same.

How they’re different: Whereas Luke and Leia had to be split up as infants to protect them from danger, that wasn’t the case for Leto and Ghanima, who got to grow up together on Arrakis, share their father’s powers between them and be surrounded by many protectors. While both Luke and Leto meet up with their estranged fathers, only one drew them back to the side of good – and did not have to become a giant human/sandworm in the process.

Desert Planets: Arrakis/Tatooine

And take the most special care that you locate Muad’Dib in his place: the planet Arrakis. Do not be deceived by the fact that he was born on Caladan and lived his first fifteen years there. Arrakis, the planet known as Dune, is forever his place. – Princess Irulan

And what of the boy?

To Tatooine. To his family send him.

I will take the child and watch over him. – Obi-Wan and Yoda

It’s one of the most observed – and laziest – similarities between the two IPs. Paul hails from a desert planet (Arrakis) as do Anakin and Luke (Tatooine) but neither were born on said desert planet. Paul was born on and spent his first 15 years on Caladan (a water planet) while Luke was born in secret on Polis Massa (an asteroid field).

How they’re similar: yes, the single-biome planets with two satellites – 2 suns for Tatooine, 2 moons for Arrakis – are where our heroes start their journeys. Yes, they are considered insignificant to their respective galactic governments. And yes, they’re home to some of the most inhospitable lifeforms known to the galaxy: sandworms and Fremen for Arrakis; Sarlaccs, Krayt dragons and Tusken Raiders for Tatooine. Anyone who lived on these planets always had to watch their backs. Not to mention the precious commodity of water.

How they’re different: Compared to the cutthroat Arrakis, Tatooine still seems like a fun place to visit when you think about it. There’s the Boonta Eve podraces of Mos Espa. More diverse life forms to tame and ride like rontos, banthas and eopies. You can buy a beverage and chat up a pilot or smuggler at the Mos Eisley Cantina and there’s gambling establishments owned by Hutts like Jabba and Gardulla.

Despite these distractions, Luke (nor Anakin) has no love for his home planet and dreams of adventures far, far away. Once Luke leaves he develops as a character. When he comes back to Tatooine to rescue Han Solo, he tells him that there’s nothing to see. “I used to live here, remember?” After the Empire falls, Tatooine doesn’t get the “historical landmark” treatment as the home of Jedi Master Luke Skywalker. Now Arrakis on the other hand…

Before Paul moved to Arrakis as a member of House Atreides, he studied the planet, expressed interest in its inhabitants and instead of finding a way to get off planet after the murder of his father, made Arrakis his home. Once he and his mother joined forces with the Fremen, he overthrew his enemies, the Harkonnens, became Emperor and made Arrakis the capitol of the Imperium.

Oh yeah, I forgot to point out one last crucial difference.

Spice! Spice! Spice! Spice! Arrakis produces it, Tatooine doesn’t.

The Sardaukar/ The Royal Guard

https://giphy.com/gifs/nerdist-dune-movie-sardaukar-ZGBtSAxdrjYKlbyAO9

In service to the Emperor (Shaddam/Palpatine), these specially trained soldiers are hard to defeat in combat and are not to be messed with. Woe to anyone who stands in their way – they will take you out! Unless you’re Master Yoda or a sandworm.

You may be wondering why I chose the Red Royal Guards as a comparison to the Sardaukar instead of the more iconic Stormtroopers. Well, Stormtroopers are most impressive but we all know what bad marksmen they are in a fight. The Emperor’s Royal Guards on the other hand…

How they’re similar: The Emperor’s Royal Guard is called that for a reason. They were first introduced in Return of the Jedi in 1983 disembarking from Emperor Palpatine’s shuttle, their bright red robes a stark contrast to the black, white and gray ensemble of the troops and officers of the Empire. Their flowing robes and force pikes suggest fluid movement, hand-to-hand combat and stealth while their helmets conceal their faces, leaving their identity in question. They’re unflinchingly loyal to the Emperor to the point of even turning on each other if there was suspected treason among their ranks. There’s also speculation that the guards may have been force sensitive themselves based on a deleted scene where one of them force chokes an imperial officer.

The Sardaukar of the Padishah Emperor Shaddam IV had a reputation throughout the Known Universe for their ruthlessness, superior fighting abilities and concealed weapons. They were recognized by their gold trimmed, grey and black uniforms and helmets, which, concealed any semblance of individuality. No one could match their physical prowess. Even the desert tough Fremen had a grudging respect for them.

How they’re different: No one in the GFFA knows how many members there are in the Royal Imperial Guard and when they do appear onscreen – which isn’t often (the only other film in the Saga where they appear is Revenge of the Sith – and they immediately get knocked out by Yoda) – they come in pairs.

Sardaukar on the other hand number in the thousands – and always attack as an army.

Lightsabers/Crysknives

This is the weapon of a Jedi Knight. Not as clumsy or random as a blaster. An elegant weapon for a more civilized age. – Obi-Wan Kenobi

A knife, m’Lord, a knife the like of which you’ve never seen. Milky white and glowing with a light of its own like. – Duncan Idaho

How they’re similar: Like King Arthur’s sword or Odysseus’ bow, the lightsaber and the crysknife are weapons that define the characters of our respective franchises and make us wish we possessed one of our own. To make them, one had to prove themselves by passing a test of character. Wielding them required lots of skill and training.

How they’re different: The crysknife is the weapon of choice for the Fremen, fashioned from the tooth of a dead sandworm. It’s 20 centimeters (7 inches) long and tipped in poison.

Wielded only by the Jedi, the lightsaber was a plasma blade powered by a kyber crystal that emitted from a hilt fashioned in a style that matched the wielder’s individuality. It could be shut off at will and hung from the belt of its owner.

Interestingly, one jedi student, Tenel Ka Djo, fashioned her lightsaber hilt from the tooth of a rancor, an animal native to her home planet of Dathomir.

The Jedi/Bene Gesserit

Two (semi) religious organizations consisting of members with special powers who hold a place of prominence in their respective societies.

How they’re similar: the Jedi and Bene Gesserit are skilled fighters. They hold the ability to see into the past, present or future. They’re in service to the Emperor/Chancellor but don’t seek to rule the galaxy themselves – though some believe otherwise. They can control every muscle and nerve in their bodies. And they have enemies with similar abilities: for the Jedi it’s the Sith, for the Bene Gesserit it’s the Honored Matres. Both even take in students for training.

How they’re different: Everyone knows that a Jedi’s strength comes from the Force, an energy shield that surrounds, penetrates and is generated by all living things. The Jedi trust in the Force, reach out with the Force and use the Force.

The Bene Gesserit, on the other hand, have no central deity or deities. While they have no problem using religion as a tool (through their Missionaria Protectiva program), in the end they see religion as nothing more than a set of superstitions and myths to sow among “primitive” organizations. Instead of worshiping a god, they set out to create a god (Kwisatz Haderach) through a selective breeding program involving all the Great Houses of the Imperium. And speaking of breeding…

The Bene Gesserit will often play a part in this program by becoming wives or concubines to nobles (like Lady Jessica Atreides or Empress Anirul Corrino) and produce offspring (always daughters) for the planned bloodlines. However they’re expected to never fall in love with their mates and while trained in many lovemaking techniques, use sex as a tool. However this has not stopped some Bene Gesserit from genuinely falling in love like Jessica did for Leto I.

Marriage and reproduction is forbidden in the Jedi Code as it goes against the rule of attachment. While a jedi padawan has love for his or her master, he or she must be cautious in forming a bond with his or her master in the case that the sudden death of the master can draw the padawan to the Dark Side of the Force. Despite this rule, many jedi had secret mates and lovers with whom they started a family, such as Anakin Skywalker and his secret wife, Senator Padme Amidala.

One more big difference: the Jedi was a diverse order of humans and aliens from throughout the galaxy whereas the Bene Gesserit accepted only human women (non-human aliens are absent in the Dune series).

Queen/Senator Padme Amidala/Lady Jessica Atreides

The beloved women of Duke Leto Atreides and Jedi Knight Anakin Skywalker. Mothers of Paul and Alia Atreides and Luke and Leia, who shape the futures of their galaxies.

How they’re similar: Both are skilled diplomats and fighters with killer wardrobes to match. Their relationships with their men are frowned upon due to caste: Leto I never married Jessica because she wasn’t of noble blood – and therefore legally freeing him to make a marriage alliance with another Great House, while Anakin and Padme had to keep their marriage a secret due to Anakin’s jedi vows.

How they’re different: Jessica was a member of the Bene Gesserit order which gave her special powers – basically Dune’s version of a jedi knight. Padme, on the other hand was only a “mere mortal” who couldn’t withstand Darth Vader’s Force choke and died, leaving her newborn twins motherless. Jessica outlived her children and took part in the raising of her grandchildren.

Baron Vladimir Harkonnen/Darth Vader

The icons of evil in their respective universes.

How they’re similar: I’ll steal a paragraph from this Yahoo article because it explains it better:

Neither of these stories would be true epics without their truly memorable villains. While Darth Vader is known for his cyborg body and his suit that helps him breathe, Baron Harkonnen is morbidly obese to the point that he relies on anti-gravity “suspensors” to support his body. Though the trope of the villain with an impediment is considered by some to be tired and offensive, both villains are nevertheless memorable for their desire, ruthlessness, and penchant for genocide. Both villains also have familial connections to the protagonist, with Baron Harkonnen being Lady Jessica’s father, making him Paul’s grandfather. Talk about family issues!

And by now if you don’t know that Darth Vader is Luke and Leia’s father, you must’ve been in a coma for the last 41 years.

How they’re different: Even before the release of the prequels, audiences knew that Vader had once been a hero but “turned to evil”. It took the love of his son, Luke, to bring him back to the light side of the Force. Vladimir Harkonnen has never been known to be a good guy and he has no love for anyone – not even his own nephews, whom he grooms as heirs for the title of Baron – and even he suspects their treachery. The only thing the Baron loves is power.

Sandworms/Space Slugs

Yes, the title of this post is “Of Sandworms and Sarlaccs” but that’s because it sounded catchy. Aside from living in desert environments, the two species have nothing in common. Sarlaccs are arthropods, which range from crabs and lobsters to spiders, scorpions and insects. Sandworms are, well, worms.

But when it comes to other creatures in the Galaxy Far, Far Away, the closest to the Sandworm is the Exogorth, or Space Slug, a silicone-based life form that can exist in no atmosphere, which is why they’re primarily found on asteroids.

How they’re similar: They have no arms or legs and they burrow. They eat anything that gets in their way. They grow to ridiculously long proportions (enough to make a blue whale look small by comparison) and they reproduce asexually.

How they’re different: Space slugs reproduce by fission – a chemical trigger that would cause it to split into two identical, self-reliant slugs. Sandworms are the final stage of the sandtrout life cycle – when sandtrout (a larval form of sandworm) banded together after converging on a store of water deep, deep beneath Arrakis digesting the chemical compound from the water, which often erupted in explosion known as pre-spice mass. Then – voila!- instant sandworm.

Space slugs also have eyestalks on the side of their head while sandworms lack eyes. Sandworms produce melange for human consumption while space slugs contribute nothing of value to the GFFA except a good “campfire” story.

So if you’ve just moved into a new place, or started a new office job, and you’re in need of some trendy supplies may I suggest these newly released sandworm bookends from Dark Horse Comics…

… and this Space Slug desk organizer from Entertainment Earth.

The Voice/ The Jedi Mind Trick

Now, you come here!

The command whipped out at him. Paul found himself obeying before he could think about it. Using the Voice on me, he thought. He stopped at her gesture, standing beside her knees. – The Reverend Mother Gaius Helen Mohiam to Paul.

The Force can have a strong influence on the weak-minded. – Obi-Wan Kenobi, A New Hope

How they’re similar: the objective of these techniques – which takes years to master – is to make brats, scum and losers obey your command. They can only be wielded by members of the Jedi and Bene Gesserit orders.

How they’re different: Using the Voice requires pitch and manipulation of muscle tone in the throat. A Mind Trick requires Force concentration, a wave of the hand and a command.

Paul Atreides/Anakin Skywalker

The Kwisatz Haderach and The Chosen One. The “Shortening of the Way” and the One Who Will Bring Balance to the Force. The boys who were prophesied to make the Galaxy a better place. Oh, if only it were easy…

How They’re Similar: Refusing to use her Bene Gesserit powers to conceive a daughter, Jessica bore a son and trained him in the “weirding ways” of the matriarchal order as a potential candidate for the role of Kwisatz Haderach, a “prophecy” created and manipulated by the Missionaria Protectiva and spread throughout worlds.

In a scene from Revenge of the Sith, Chancellor Palpatine tells Anakin Skywalker about “The Tragedy of Darth Plagueis the Wise”, a Sith Lord who devoted his studies to manipulating the midi-chloreans to the point of creating life via the Force. Was Plagueis secretly behind the immaculate conception of Anakin Skywalker? If so, does that explain Anakin’s tendency to flirt with the Dark Side throughout his Jedi career?

Either way, both men would fall short of their elders’ expectations and unleashed some very. very dark years for their respective societies. Despite his best intentions, Paul would lose control of his Fremen followers after he overthrew Emperor Shaddam IV, as they unleashed a jihad throughout the galaxy that resulted in the deaths of millions. Fearful of losing his wife, Anakin made a pact with Darth Sidious as the former slaughtered the Jedi and various targets while the latter declared a new Galactic Empire – which resulted in more deaths as time went on.

How They’re Different: As I said earlier, both men are reunited with their sons, admit the errors of their ways and renounce their roles as semi-divine figures. But while Anakin got to accomplish his task of bringing Balance to the Force, Paul left the galaxy in an even bigger mess – because Paul was never the Kwisatz Haderach to begin with.

Frank Herbert/George Lucas

Two creators of the most beloved IPs of all time: The Dreamer of Dune and The Maker of Star Wars. Dune won the first Nebula and the Hugo for best novel. It’s always included in every “100 Greatest Novel” list. It’s the best-selling sci-fi novel of all time. Star Wars won 6 Academy Awards in 1978 and more film industry awards than you could shake a lightsaber at. Generation after generation continues to discover and be inspired by Dune and Star Wars.

The big difference between the two creators is that Frank Herbert passed away in 1986 from pancreatic cancer, while George Lucas is still with us.

And you may be wondering what I thought about Denis Villeneuvue’s new film. KULL WAHAD! IT’S AMAZING GUYS!!! I had my doubts about this adaptation when I saw the official trailer but I was WRONG! Wrong, wrong, wrong! It’s refreshing to finally see a Dune movie done right and to see a good-old science-fiction movie dominate the box office. I had already watched it twice on HBO Max and I saw it in theaters. See this film for yourself so that we can get more film adaptations of our favorite sci-fi stories.

So what other similarities and differences have you noticed between Dune and Star Wars? Did I miss anything? Let me know in the comments.

3 Reasons I’m Not Excited About “Dune”

 

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=n9xhJrPXop4

Is there a word in the Imperium for “I’m Not Profoundly Stirred”?

Maybe I’m just too hard to please. Maybe Herbert’s essential classic is too difficult to adapt from page to screen. Or maybe Hollywood is just too stupid and shallow to do the 1965 novel justice. I’m going with the last one, but the bottom line is: the Dune (2020) trailer is here and I’m not looking forward to it. I’ve seen artwork more impressive than this (and at the end of this post, I’ll show them to you). Here’s three reasons why Denis Villeneuve upcoming adaptation looks underwhelming.

1. It’s Too Drab

Now I’m aware that the Fremen of Arrakis don’t wear bright colors every day, considering they’re living on a desert planet (don’t want to attract the worms, y’know), so I’ll give that a pass, but Caladan, home of House Atreides is a water planet! Shouldn’t there be more blues, greens and yellows in their clothing and decor? Why does Paul’s home (0:26) and bedroom (0:19) look so dark and dreary, considering his father is a freaking duke!!! Is Leto broke? Did the set designers run out of money? Does Villeneuve have chromophobia? Even the Lynch and the SyFy Channel versions had impressive sets and costumes.

https://twitter.com/retroscifiart/status/1243292385594888193

Princess Irulan from the film.

Lady Jessica from the ’84 film.

Lady Jessica from the 2000 miniseries.

Princess Irulan from the miniseries.

Even Chani got a nice wardrobe.

2. The Casting Is Problematic

And when I say “problematic”, I’m not talking about Timothee Chalamet as Paul Atreides. In fact he’s perfect for the part as the story starts with Paul at fifteen and ends with him in adulthood and Chalamet has a youthful face. I can’t say anything about Zendaya’s casting as Chani because I’ve never seen her other films. Nor do I take issue with Jason Momoa as Duncan Idaho because, well, Idaho was a heartthrob in the books (if you get my drift). But I do have a problem with Oscar Isaac, Rebecca Ferguson and Sharon Duncan-Brewster as Duke Leto, Lady Jessica and Liet Kynes respectfully. Timothee Chalamet was born in 1995. Oscar Isaac was born in 1979. Isaac is sixteen years older than Chalamet, which means Leto was 16 when Paul was born. But Rebecca Ferguson was born in 1983. She’s only twelve years older than Chalamet, which means Jessica gave birth to Paul when she was 12 years old. Can we say “squick” boys and girls? Bottom line: Isaac and Ferguson are too young to be the parents of a 15 year old.

Now some of you might reason that since the world of Dune is modeled after the feudal cultures of the middle ages, then maybe the filmmakers were following the marriage practices of the era. But Dune takes place millions of years in the future and thanks to melange, people live longer and the longer people live, the later they marry or pair off and reproduce. So why didn’t they cast Javier Bardem as Duke Leto and Oscar Isaac as Stilgar (I think Isaac would’ve made a great Stilgar)? Why not choose an older actress like Gillian Anderson, Marcia Cross, Nicole Kidman, or Judy Greer (I listed red-headed actresses because Jessica was described as having “bronze hair”)? 

Now for my problem with Sharon Duncan-Brewster as Liet-Kynes. Liet-Kynes, in case you forget is the Imperial “Planetologist” who discovered Arrakis’ potential as a hospitable ecosystem, who went native when he came into contact with the Fremen.

He’s also Chani’s father. 

I have no problem with them casting a black person to play Liet Kynes. I can think of a lot of black actors that would make great Liet Kynes. Herbert was never specific about the ethnicities of his characters, so Kynes can be any color. But Herbert wrote Liet as a man and a father. Why did the filmmakers turn him into a woman? Did they feel there wasn’t enough women in the novel – which is ridiculous because Dune has a lot of memorable female characters – did they think that the Shadout Mapes, Harah, the Bene Gesserit, Lady Margot and Princess Irulan didn’t have enough screentime. Why not introduce her as Chani’s mother (whose name, Faroula, was revealed in God Emperor of Dune) and expand her role (she was also revealed to be a medicine woman)? I smell a “woke” Muad’ Dib.

3. I Like My Shai-Hulud With a “Triangular” Mouth Thank You Very Much

John Schoenherr provided the earliest artwork for Dune when it was serialized in Omni and the first hardcover edition. He gave the worms three triangular lobes that form the lips of its mouth which has been the standard image for the sandworm ever since. Herbert praised Schoenherr as “the only man who has ever visited Dune.”

So the film goes with this design instead:

Maybe a lamprey attached itself to the camera and they filmmakers said: “ewwww, we’re too afraid to pull it off, maybe if we give it a part in our film and a huge salary, it’ll detach itself.” Either way this is not the kind of sandworm I’d ever want to ride, cosplay, or eat.

 

Now some of you Villeneuve fans will object and use Blade Runner 2049 (and maybe Arrival) as “proof” that he’ll do Herbert’s book justice. But BR 2049 was a sequel to a film that was never faithful to PKD’s book to begin with (which I talked about here) and is more inspired by said film than Do Android’s Dream of Electric Sheep. Dick’s 1968 novel was only 210 pages, Herbert’s is 412, divided into three segments, with four appendixes, one glossary and a map (which begs the question: will this film be a trilogy or is Denis cramming it all into one movie?). Do Android’s Dream of Electric Sheep? is one of Dick’s most grounded novels (read: not trippy) while Dune is an epic planetary romance that touches on philosophy, religion, politics, the environment, history, gender roles and even mysticism (read: very trippy). Plus a lot of the characters engage in soliloquies throughout the book, which is tricky to translate onto the screen. 

But hey, maybe I’m wrong. Maybe this will be a good film but I’m not spending $11-13 on seeing it in theaters. I’ll just rent it instead.

Meanwhile enjoy these beautiful works of art by local artists:

See more artwork here, here and here. 

And then read this hilarious article from The Babylon Bee. 

“Jodorowsky’s Dune” Film Review

After a year (or more, I forget) of waiting, I finally saw the much-talked about documentary about the so called “Greatest Film Never Made” on Amazon’s video service. The verdict: while the documentary was interesting, I felt that in the end Jodorowsky wouldn’t have done Dune anymore justice than David Lynch did.

Let me back up a bit. In 1975, Chilean director Alejandro Jodorowsky, embarked on an ambitious 14-hour adaptation of Frank Herbert’s seminal SF novel Dune (a book that needs no introduction). Jodorowsky hired some of the most visionary minds, his “spiritual warriors” as he called them, to work on the conceptual stage of his pet project: Jean Giraud (Moebius), H.R. Giger, Chris Foss, Dan O’Bannon, Pink Floyd and Magma. The actors he wanted were Orson Welles, Salvador Dali, Mick Jagger and Amanda Lear. But no studio would back the film financially, nor distribute it and the project fell through.

So in 2014, a documentary film was released to selected theaters and rave reviews. Jodorowsky showed us storyboards and concept art of characters, locations and ships. There were interviews with H.R. Giger, Chris Foss, Gary Kurtz, Brontis Jodorowsky, Amanda Lear, Diane O’Bannon and even various film critics and filmmakers. But there was something that bothered me throughout the film.

Most of the participants never read the book. Even Jodorowsky himself admitted he hadn’t read it:

I didn’t read Dune. But I have a friend who say to me it was fantastic.

And then Chris Foss says this:

I still haven’t read the book. No. I have no idea what the actual story is. None whatsoever. It all came through Alejandro and the script. So as far as I’m concerned, the story of Dune is what Alejandro told me it was.

The only person who was familiar with Dune was Amanda Lear, who had to explain the novel’s plot to Salvador Dali when he agreed to play the part of Emperor Shaddam IV. This sadly brought to mind a quote by another director who attempted a film adaptation and failed miserably:

Interviewer: Dino DiLaurentis came to you or brought to you Dune the project before you were even fully aware?

Lynch: I had never read…never even heard the word. I thought he said June. 

So if Jodorowsky didn’t read the book what deviations did he take from the novel’s plot?

Well for starters, there’d be no romantic relationship between Duke Leto and Lady Jessica because he’s a eunuch. That’s right, he castrated. So how would Paul have been conceived? By a blood sample Jessica takes from Leto and somehow inserts into her birth canal…

Moving on.

Another scene involves Leto’s death. It involves Piter deVries (referred to as Peter in the film) hacking off the Duke’s limbs, asking “where are they?” (Who? Is he referring to Jessica and Paul and why would the Baron even care about their whereabouts?) with the Baron finally beheading him when he refuses to answer. No poison tooth here.

Then there’s the finale: Paul dies. He’s beheaded by the Harkonnen’s/Emperor’s forces and while they’re gloating, Jessica and every Fremen on Arrakis chants in unison (in Paul’s disembodied voice): “I am Paul, I am Paul, I am Paul,” while the planet becomes lush with plant life, drifts out of its orbit and happily spins into oblivion. This, once again brings another quote, this time from the voice of the master himself, Mr. Herbert:

Paul was a man playing god, not a god who could make it rain.

At the conclusion of the film, Jodorowsky had this to say:

I changed the ending, evidently…I did that. It was my Dune. When you make a picture you must not respect the novel. It’s like you get married, no? You go with the wife…you take the woman, if you respect the woman, you will never have child. You need to open the costume and rape the bride. And then you will have your picture. I was raping Frank Herbert, raping, like this! But with love, with love!

This statement is wrong on so many levels. No, you don’t have to be faithful to a book, scene by scene, word by word because, a) it doesn’t always work and b) it turns people off from reading the novel. But when you’re making a film adaptation of a book, you HAVE to respect your source material or else fans of the book will feel that disrespect emanating from your film and will turn those who haven’t read the book off from seeing your movie. Second, it isn’t “your Dune“, Mr. J, it’s Frank Herbert’s Dune. How would you feel if someone did a remake of El Topo and radically changed it so that it was El Topo in name only? I doubt you would like that. And finally, and most importantly, rape is NOT romance. It’s violent, it’s misogynistic, it’s about power, control and domination. Marriage is supposed to be built on respect or else there’s no love. Children are not a necessity, they’re an expression of a husbands and wife’s love for each other. The Bene Gesserit wanted Jessica to bear girls for their breeding program but Jessica instead had a boy. Why? Because she loved Duke Leto.

Lynch and Jodorowsky, two members of the Surrealist Movement, got it wrong. Dune has philosophy, religious themes, soliliquies and characters with visions but it’s not a mind-bending book. It’s actually straight-forward in it’s storytelling which is why it’s still read and loved to this day. Herbert wrote an anti-messiah story warning us about the dangers of putting too much faith in leaders (rumor has it he partly based Paul on John F. Kennedy. In his book, Eye, he blames JFK for the Vietnam War). But ironically these two filmmakers took it too literally. But that’s what happens when your not familiar with your source material. Some more appropriate SF material for surrealist filmmaking would be Harlan Ellison, Philip K. Dick’s later titles or any works by the authors of the then burgeoning Cyberpunk movement.

After watching this movie, I’ve finally come to the conclusion that Dune doesn’t need a moving picture adaptation. I will from now on just stick happily to the book and many, many artists’ depictions.

For further reading: “Big Worms And Big Fish: Jodorowsky, Dune And Jodorowsky’s Dune“

 

30 (Worm)Signs That Prove You’re Obsessed With “Dune”

1. Every time you hear about a newly discovered planet, you demand NASA to name it Arrakis.

2. You wanted to major in bioengineering so that you could secretly create a sandworm and set it free in the Sahara Desert.

3. You exclaim “kull wahad!” (“I am profoundly stirred”) every time you’re surprised.

4. You claim “Zensunni” or “Bene Gesseret” as your religion of choice.

5. Your political party is House Atreides.

6. Whenever you point to a picture of a kangaroo rat, you say, “Muad’Dib”.

7. You think 1965 was the best year in the history of the world.

8. You think 1986 was the worst year in the history of the world.

9. You add cinnamon spice to everything you drink. It’s the closest you’ll get to mélange.

10. You request that your eyes (not just the iris – ALL of your eye) be dyed blue at the beauty parlor.

11. Whenever you ride the train, you pretend the engineer is a guild navigator.

12. You want a copy of the Orange Catholic Bible.

13. If you ever have twins, you’ll name them Leto and Ghanima.

14. You recite the Litany Against Fear every time you give a speech.

15. You prefer to wear a stillsuit to the beach.

16. You shun computers because you’re training to become a mentat.

17. You still resent your high school history class for never discussing The Butlerian Jihad.

18. You use “the voice” whenever you want your children to obey you.

19. You make all your dates take the Gom Jabbar test.

20. When flying, you prefer to travel by ornithopter.

21. In your will, you want all your money to go to the Herbert estate when you die.

22. You constantly send copies of your script for a Dune movie to every studio you can think of. And you won’t stop until they send you an acceptance letter.

23. You’re always walking without rhythm.

24. You shout “kanly!” every time you have a disagreement.

25. You forged your own crysknife in shop class.

26. You demand everyone in your book club read all the Dune books – including the ones by Brian Herbert and Kevin J. Anderson. That’s right. All 15 of them.

27. Sting has issued a restraining order against you.

28. You play matchmaker to everyone you know in the hope that they will produce a Kwisatz Haderach.

29. You perform prana-bindu every morning after you get out of bed.

30. Your doorbell plays the Main Theme from the 1984 movie.