Revisiting David Lynch’s ‘Dune’

Dune: Part Two is now in theaters; you should see it. But Denis Villeneuve’s two-parter is not the first time Frank Herbert’s 1965 sci-fi epic has reached the big screen. In 1984, David Lynch, fresh off The Elephant Man, passed on directing Star Wars: Episode VI — Return of the Jedi and chose to adapt Dune instead. Reviewing A Masterpiece In Disarray: David Lynch’s Dune — An Oral History by Max Evry for the Telegraph, Ed Power revisits Lynch’s Dune, coming away somewhat sympathetic.

Evry’s account of Dune’s production depicts some of the chaos that undermined the movie. A drunk actor required replacement; Tom Cruise auditioned (poorly) for Paul Atreides (ultimately played by Kyle MacLachlan); Lynch, typically “avuncular” on set, lashed out. But Evry also argues that the movie had promise. Power ends up echoing his view. “The 1984 movie is no longer perceived as a disaster for the ages,” he writes. “Many have a sneaking fondness for it, blemishes and all.” The ranks of revisionists include MacLachlan, who sees the movie as “a flawed gem” that “is stunning in so many ways.”

About the Author

Jack Butler

Jack Butler is a former submissions editor at National Review.

Featured Tags

Manage following

Movies

Dune

Dune: Part Two is now in theaters; you should see it. But Denis Villeneuve’s two-parter is not the first time Frank Herbert’s 1965 sci-fi epic has reached the big screen. In 1984, David Lynch, fresh off The Elephant Man, passed on directing Star Wars: Episode VI — Return of the Jedi and chose to adapt Dune instead. Reviewing A Masterpiece In Disarray: David Lynch’s Dune — An Oral History by Max Evry for the Telegraph, Ed Power revisits Lynch’s Dune, coming away somewhat sympathetic.

Evry’s account of Dune’s production depicts some of the chaos that undermined the movie. A drunk actor required replacement; Tom Cruise auditioned (poorly) for Paul Atreides (ultimately played by Kyle MacLachlan); Lynch, typically “avuncular” on set, lashed out. But Evry also argues that the movie had promise. Power ends up echoing his view. “The 1984 movie is no longer perceived as a disaster for the ages,” he writes. “Many have a sneaking fondness for it, blemishes and all.” The ranks of revisionists include MacLachlan, who sees the movie as “a flawed gem” that “is stunning in so many ways.”