Frank Herbert's Dune
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| Frank Herbert's Dune | |
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| Directed by | John Harrison |
| Produced by | Richard P. Rubinstein Mitchell Galin |
| Written by | Frank Herbert (novel) John Harrison |
| Starring | William Hurt Alec Newman Saskia Reeves Ian McNeice Julie Cox Giancarlo Giannini |
| Music by | Graeme Revell |
| Cinematography | Vittorio Storaro |
| Release date(s) | December 3, 2000 |
| Running time | 265 min. 295 min. (Director's cut) |
| Language | English |
| Budget | $20,000,000 (estimated) |
| Followed by | Frank Herbert's Children of Dune |
| Allmovie profile | |
| IMDb profile | |
Frank Herbert's Dune is a three-part miniseries based on the 1965 novel Dune by Frank Herbert. It was produced by New Amsterdam Entertainment in association with Blixa Film Produktion and Hallmark Entertainment Distribution, and broadcast by the Sci Fi Channel. Written and directed by John Harrison, the series was first broadcast in the USA on December 3, 2000 and was later released on DVD on 23 October 2001. A Special Edition Director's Cut was released on DVD on 11 June 2002; it contains scenes not included in the original televised version.
A 2003 sequel miniseries called Frank Herbert's Children of Dune continued the story, adapting the second and third novels in the series (Dune Messiah and Children of Dune). As of 2004, both miniseries were two of the three highest-rated programs ever to be broadcast on the Sci-Fi Channel. [1]
Frank Herbert's Dune won two Emmy Awards in 2001 for Cinematography and Visual effects in a miniseries/movie, as well as being nominated for a third Emmy for Sound editing.
The miniseries was shot in Univisium (2:00:1) aspect ratio, although it was broadcast in 1:78:1.
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[edit] Adaptation
Director John Harrison claims that his film adaptation of Frank Herbert's novel was a "faithful interpretation,"[2] in which any changes he made served to suggest what Herbert had explained subtly or not at all. The miniseries introduces elements not found in Herbert's novel, but as Harrison claims, it is usually to elaborate rather than to edit. Harrison's television adaptation and David Lynch's 1984 film adaptation both depart from the content of the novel, but Harrison's treatment of Herbert's thematic and philosophical content is usually compared favorably to the 1984 film. The miniseries preserved many elements of the 1984 film's visual feel in its costume, set and creature design.
[edit] Main cast
| Actor | Role |
|---|---|
| William Hurt | Duke Leto Atreides I |
| Alec Newman | Paul Atreides/Muad'Dib |
| Saskia Reeves [3] | Lady Jessica |
| James Watson | Duncan Idaho |
| Jan Vlasák | Thufir Hawat |
| P.H. Moriarty | Gurney Halleck |
| Robert Russell | Dr. Wellington Yueh |
| Laura Burton | Alia Atreides |
| Ian McNeice | Baron Vladimir Harkonnen |
| Matt Keeslar | Feyd-Rautha Harkonnen |
| László I. Kish | Glossu Rabban |
| Jan Unger | Piter De Vries |
| Giancarlo Giannini | Padishah Emperor Shaddam Corrino IV |
| Julie Cox | Princess Irulan Corrino |
| Miroslav Táborský | Count Hasimir Fenring |
| Uwe Ochsenknecht | Stilgar |
| Barbora Kodetová | Chani |
| Jakob Schwarz | Otheym |
| Karel Dobry | Liet-Kynes |
| Christopher Lee Brown | Jamis |
| Jaroslava Siktancova | Shadout Mapes |
| Zuzana Geislerová | Reverend Mother Gaius Helen Mohiam |
[edit] Departures from the novel
Alec Newman portrays Paul Atreides as emotionally immature at the start of the film, whereas in Herbert's novel, Paul is mature beyond his years throughout the narrative. In the book, Paul was 15-18 years old, but Harrison aged the character to 18-22 in order to increase the quality of the acting for this crucial role. [4]
The miniseries invents an extensive subplot for Princess Irulan, a character who plays little part in the plot of the first novel. Harrison felt the need to expand Irulan's role because she played such an important part in later books, and epigraphs from her later writings opened each chapter of Dune.[5] Additionally, the character gave him a window into House Corrino.[2] Besides the final scene, the only one of Irulan's appearances based on an actual excerpt from the novel is her visit to Feyd-Rautha. However, in the book it is a different Bene Gesserit, Margot Fenring, who visits the Harkonnen heir, on assignment from the Bene Gesserit to "preserve the bloodline" by retrieving his genetic material (through conception) for their breeding program. The miniseries does not suggest this as Irulan's motive.
The miniseries implements several stylistic changes. For example, Herbert's ornithopters are described as birdlike, but though the miniseries presents ornithopters with flapping wings, they more closely resemble insects. According to the novel, extensive use of melange tints the sclera, cornea and iris of the user to a dark shade of blue, called "blue-in-blue" or "the Eyes of Ibad,"[6] In the miniseries, the eyes of the spice-addicted have an fluorescent, "glowing" appearance. In the case of Jessica, before she undergoes the rite to become a Fremen Reverend Mother by changing the Water of Life, her eyes are normal; immediately after the rite, they glow blue.
[edit] References
- ^ Kevin J. Anderson Interview ~ DigitalWebbing.com (2004) Internet Archive, 3 July 2007.
- ^ a b "DUNE: Remaking the Classic Novel" ~ Cinescape.com
- ^ Harrison has stated in interviews that actress Alice Krige was his first choice to play Jessica, but she was unavailable and Reeves won the role. Krige would later play the role in the sequel miniseries when Reeves was unavailable.
- ^ SciFi.com ~ Ask John Harrison
- ^ Julie Cox's narration at the beginning and end of the miniseries reflects Irulan's later role as historian of the Atreides empire, illustrated by Herbert through epigraphs.
- ^ Herbert, Frank (1965). Dune, Terminology of the Imperium. "IBAD, EYES OF: characteristic effect of a diet high in melange wherein the whites and pupils of the eyes turn a deep blue (indicative of deep melange addiction)."
[edit] External links
- Official Dune miniseries site at SciFi.com
- Dune (TV miniseries) at the Internet Movie Database
- Dune (TV miniseries) at Allmovie
- Official Dune novels website
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