stealing trees

[rose_griffes]

I almost dug up a baby tree the other day. It was at the edge of some soon-to-be-developed property, so I knew it wasn't going to be long before it was bulldozed. But after double-checking the leaf shape when I got home, it turns out I was mistaken about the tree species.

Aside from almost-guerrilla gardening, I've been to the movies. Dune was... weighty. Which is both good and bad. Overall I did feel positive about it, but dang, Denis Villeneuve, maybe lighten up a little? Just a smidge? That two and a half hours felt longer than it was, in part because there's ZERO levity.

The cast was spectacular, the movie looked awesome, and the story was apparently pretty faithful to the source material. But also, it was half of a book, which leads to an incomplete narrative. That's a REALLY long movie to have only half of a story.

I agreed with most of this review, which also had this hilarious and spot-on description of the movie's lead: "I have also barely mentioned Chalamet, and that’s because I believe very strongly that if you have nothing bad to say about a malnourished chap who spells Timothy with two e’s, you should say nothing at all."

So have you seen it? What did you think?

Comments

[shadowkat]

I saw it and reviewed it - HERE.

I agree it was very dark, but then so is the book. There is really no humor to speak of in the novel, at least none that I remember. And it's an accurate adaptation. Lynch's 1984 film version goes for...some, disturbing humor, which I guess is in the book. But Villeneuve avoids that.

I also saw it on my television set with the sound turned way up...so didn't really get the same effect of the sound that you did or the visuals. (I'm not ready to go to movie theaters yet - I live in NYC.) Although I'm not sure I care - because the visuals are rather dark and not exactly visuals I want to see in a movie theater ...

Although, good news.. Dune Part II has officially been greenlit and will start filming in 2022

Just days after the first installment of Dune hit theaters and a successful box office opening weekend, Dune: Part Two has been officially greenlit. Releasing simultaneously in theaters and on streaming service HBO Max, Dune earned Warner Bros.’s largest opening weekend box office of 2021 with $40M in the United States. This resulted in the swift announcement that Dune: Part Two’s release date is set for October 20, 2023, nearly two years to the day after its predecessor.

I actually thought it ended in a good place - with them escaping into the desert. If the films ended there - it wouldn't be a bad thing necessarily. And that is Dune Book 1 in the novel. The novel is split into three books. Book 1, Book 2, and Book 3.

[rose_griffes]

I've seen a few commentators point out that (in their opinion) the novels do have some subtle humor. I don't recall; it's been decades since I read them. Att his point I'm not even sure how far I got in the series.)

Agreed that the film ended in a reasonable place for a two-parter.

[shadowkat]

Same here. I read the first book in the 1980s and never got into the sequels. I don't remember if there was humor in there or not - it is present in David Lynch's 1984 film (but that's also Lynch, who had a sick sort of humor anyhow).

I thought he was doing a three-parter, but apparently not. I don't remember enough of the books to really comment on them.

[fleurviolette]

So, after reading the book, and watching both film versions, it’s a miracle that Dune was adapted into film, given that the original source material is dense.

The first book is so dense, cramming it into a 2 and 1/2 hour movie would be messy. Splitting the film into 2 parts is a wise choice. I did like that in Denis Villeneuve’s version, the set up of the characters, lore, and politics in the story was clearer than in the book.

I’m curious on how the second and third book will be adapted into films, let alone screenplays because the story goes off the rails.

[rose_griffes]

I saw one person commenting that the later books tear apart the white savior trope that the first novel uses. So that would definitely imply a major shift in the storyline. (I read the books a LONG time ago, so I don't remember enough to comment myself. But it was an interesting opinion piece.)

[fleurviolette]

Yeah, the first book sets it up but it is critical of the concept of charismatic leaders who claim they’re the ‘chosen one’. That ‘prophecy’ is orchestrated by a secret organization who influences the politics of that universe. The storyline still follows the family of the main character in the second and third books, as well as two other ruling families. The second book is more like a political family drama, then the third book is heavy with philosophy and supernatural elements within the Dune universe.

[yourlibrarian]

I had some thoughts (and discussion) here: https://yourlibrarian.dreamwidth.org/578251.html