Dune (2020)

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Bondurant

Bondurant

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Saw it last night on Imax:

It was an awesome experience: the Imax scenes with Zimmer score were impressive, all of the visuals (cinematography, sets, costumes, etc) were top notch except for maybe one or two CGI dune landscapes that didn't render well on Imax (think Marvel "plastic" CGI style). About the film itself, everyone is doing very good, I had my doubts about Chalamet but he's doing his part very well, especially at the end when he emancipates from his mother. Top mention to Stilgar, Bardem got the character right. I especially liked the Fremen tent scene, Villeneuve does well at showing a lot of emotions and storytelling in a cramped space. I read Dune books 10-15 years ago and the film pacing was quite good too, I honestly didn't expect it to be that good for a 2h35m long duration.

On the other hand I'm a fan of Villeneuve work as well as sci-fi stuff so unless the film had been very bad, there was little to no way I got disappointed. I understand him when he ranted about Dune release on HBO Max because I think Dune is genuinely a theater experience, and a great one. The only grip I have now is that the next part will be years from now, if it ever happens. I kind of knew beforehand when the film was ending, but while its ending is good I felt a little frustrated. I have high hopes regarding box-office because I think the film did good at satisfying the book fans as well as telling a good, consistant and riveting story to people who haven't read anything about Dune. Well done.
 
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Fight

Fight

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Me and 3 of my friends will be buying theatre tickets, even though we could watch this on HBO. Gotta support the good work and people that you enjoy, or it all goes away.
 
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Brad2770

Brad2770

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This music is good stuff. I know barely anything about the movie. I saw it once as a kid and my only memory of the movie was when the sand worm was trying to get Gina Davis and that guy in the glasses.
 
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Szlia

Szlia

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In a typical Villeneuve way, the answer to the question "When is serious time?" is "All the time." It makes the film both monumental and a bit draining. I guess it's in part due to Villeneuve's style and also possibly the constraint of adapting for the screen a sprawling novel : all the low stake scenes get the axe. A bit more surprising are the visual and thematic links to other Villeneuve movies. Arrival's time perception theme comes to mind and the Baron made me think of Leto's character in Blade Runner 2049. Anyway, that's one impressive movie and, because of it's scope and sound mixing, it's really something to experience in a theater (unless you have the most insane home cinema setup).

The theater was decently filled, especially considering I went to a subtitled screening at 10:30 pm. It gives me hope that it will make enough money to get sequels greenlit. Looking forward to those !

2 questions, one in spoiler :

- I was surprised to hear Bene Gesserit with a soft G. I always heard it with a hard G (even though G before e would make it a soft G for french speakers) and I suspect it's because in classical latin it would be a hard G, but the english wikipedia speciffy the prunonciation with a soft G... so.... how do you pronounce Bene Gesserit ?

I have never read the book and don't remember the political details of Lynch's movie, so based on this new movie, I am not sure I understand the plot from the point of view of the Emperor. The theory is that he feels threatened by the might of the Atreides and the wealth of the Harkonnen and that's why he gives Arrakis to the Atreides, manufacturing a conflict that will weaken both houses. But... then he secretly helps the Harkonnens (unless the Reverend Mother lied about that and managed to get the Sardaukar involved without the Emperor's consent). Are we to understand he wants the Harkonnen to crush the Adreides so he can then turn on them for not respecting his decree? That does not make much sense to be, especially when all this plotting seriously compromises the production of spice which is basically needed for all interstellar travels. Am I missunderstanding something or is this simply a case of lacking onformation to make sense of things ? After all we had absolutely no scene from the point of view of the Emperor at this stage.
 
Sterling

Sterling

El Presidente
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Szlia said:
In a typical Villeneuve way, the answer to the question "When is serious time?" is "All the time." It makes the film both monumental and a bit draining. I guess it's in part due to Villeneuve's style and also possibly the constraint of adapting for the screen a sprawling novel : all the low stake scenes get the axe. A bit more surprising are the visual and thematic links to other Villeneuve movies. Arrival's time perception theme comes to mind and the Baron made me think of Leto's character in Blade Runner 2049. Anyway, that's one impressive movie and, because of it's scope and sound mixing, it's really something to experience in a theater (unless you have the most insane home cinema setup).

The theater was decently filled, especially considering I went to a subtitled screening at 10:30 pm. It gives me hope that it will make enough money to get sequels greenlit. Looking forward to those !

2 questions, one in spoiler :

- I was surprised to hear Bene Gesserit with a soft G. I always heard it with a hard G (even though G before e would make it a soft G for french speakers) and I suspect it's because in classical latin it would be a hard G, but the english wikipedia speciffy the prunonciation with a soft G... so.... how do you pronounce Bene Gesserit ?

I have never read the book and don't remember the political details of Lynch's movie, so based on this new movie, I am not sure I understand the plot from the point of view of the Emperor. The theory is that he feels threatened by the might of the Atreides and the wealth of the Harkonnen and that's why he gives Arrakis to the Atreides, manufacturing a conflict that will weaken both houses. But... then he secretly helps the Harkonnens (unless the Reverend Mother lied about that and managed to get the Sardaukar involved without the Emperor's consent). Are we to understand he wants the Harkonnen to crush the Adreides so he can then turn on them for not respecting his decree? That does not make much sense to be, especially when all this plotting seriously compromises the production of spice which is basically needed for all interstellar travels. Am I missunderstanding something or is this simply a case of lacking onformation to make sense of things ? After all we had absolutely no scene from the point of view of the Emperor at this stage.
Click to expand...
He has concern for the Atreides growing military power and this gives him cover to suppress them. The fact that it also costs the Baron is just a side bonus.
 
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Caeden

Caeden

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So I've only ever read the first book. I recently read it again to prepare for this. I tend to like all of Villenueve's stuff, even if just visually. That said, where the fuck are people seeing this in the US? I thought I saw a few people I think are in the US say they've seen it?

Also, are the further books worth reading? I always felt this book ended in a great "let you imagine the rest" kind of way, but there was one thing I always felt was open
(the Emperor essentially being responsible for killing Leto II)
to cause a rift in later books.
 
Sterling

Sterling

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Caeden said:
So I've only ever read the first book. I recently read it again to prepare for this. I tend to like all of Villenueve's stuff, even if just visually. That said, where the fuck are people seeing this in the US? I thought I saw a few people I think are in the US say they've seen it?

Also, are the further books worth reading? I always felt this book ended in a great "let you imagine the rest" kind of way, but there was one thing I always felt was open
(the Emperor essentially being responsible for killing Leto II)
to cause a rift in later books.
Click to expand...
I think that the 6 frank books are all worth reading. I wouldn't dip into the non frank written books, just wiki any questions you might have.
dune infographic.PNG
 
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Denamian

Denamian

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Szlia Szlia


In the book, the Emperor is a partial figurehead. He has to keep the Bene Gesserit, Spacing Guild, CHOAM, and the Landsraad Council happy. The only real power he has is the threat of the Sardaukar, the most powerful military in the galaxy. He views Leto Atreides as the real threat, the Harkonnens much less so. Leto is popular in the Landsraad and has managed to produce a small military force that is just as good as the Sardaukar, which he cannot allow. He can't take direct action against House Atreides, so he uses the already existing feud between them and the Harkonnens wipe them out.

He grants them stewardship over Arrakis, which escalates the feud. Naturally Harkonnens strike back, which is allowed under the rules of Kanly, the formal rules of vendettas. The Emperor ensures that they win by secretly loaning the Sardaukar to the Harkonnens. The Atreides are effectively destroyed and the Harkonnens are weakened because of the massive economic cost of their revenge. They had to pay the Spacing Guild's exorbitant fees for moving their forces, including the Sardaukar. In the book the Baron mentions it will take decades of squeezing Arrakis for all it's worth to pay for it.

Caeden said:
Also, are the further books worth reading? I always felt this book ended in a great "let you imagine the rest" kind of way, but there was one thing I always felt was open
(the Emperor essentially being responsible for killing Leto II)
to cause a rift in later books.
Click to expand...

At least read up to God Emperor of Dune, book 4. It's even better than the first.
 
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Aldarion

Aldarion

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Sterling said:
I think that the 6 frank books are all worth reading. I wouldn't dip into the non frank written books, just wiki any questions you might have.
View attachment 374226
Click to expand...
Good lord he actually kept going after that obscenity of an ending?

How the fuck did he keep getting up in the morning? I just assumed he had drowned himself in pills and alcohol which failed to deaden the shame of destroying the greatest sci fi stories of all time so he finally offed himself.
 
Aldarion

Aldarion

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I took option 5. God help me, I loved Dune that much.

I'm ashamed, for what its worth
 
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Caeden

Caeden

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Welp, picked up Messiah though God Emperor. Seems based on the above posting I'll call it good there. No reason to Last Jedi another series for myself mentally.
 
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Sterling

Sterling

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Caeden said:
Welp, picked up Messiah though God Emperor. Seems based on the above posting I'll call it good there. No reason to Last Jedi another series for myself mentally.
Click to expand...
The other 2 Frank books are well worth reading. I would avoid any of the stuff that he didn't write though. Just wiki any questions you might have after reading those.
 
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