Dune (1984) *

One star?! Why bother reviewing a dreadful film that merits one star?? For most people, even David Lynch fans, Dune is a major embarrassment but one sadistically they subject themselves to. But is is all that bad? Unfortunately, yes. The major problem - that can't be surmounted - is SOUND. In order to try to condense Frank Herbert's massive novel, Lynch employs endless voice-overs. Which wouldn't be such a bad idea but there are literally at times INAUDIBLE. At other points, one can hear the characters but the dialogue is so thick with jargon and insider-language it was better not hearing them. Even the prologue added at the beginning - which literally gives away the ending and destroys any dramatic tension - causes more confusion and simply makes the film even mnore unbearable.

Most of the blame resides with executive producer Dino De Laurentiis for deliberately turning the film into a mindless blockbusters that made money in France and nowhere else. Even with all these problems, the film is worth seeing and not just because it is part of the Lynch canon. The sets and costumes are amazing. The characters and folklore - though overdone - have an interesting Shakespeare-like quality. But what probably stands out and makes the film so incredible is Lynch's fairly clear endorsement of holy jihad against the imperialist powers. The villain is fairly thin stand in for the Shah of Iran (Shaddam in the film) and Paul Atreides is a Jesus-like, Arab warrior who thinks of himself as a God. So the film is an amazingly powerful and unlikely political allegory that condemns US policy (remember this was done during the Reagan presidency).

But, in the end, ironically, it's precisely because the film IS BAD that it's so enjoyable. Kyle MacLachlan is simply not very good here and has the dubious honor of being in both this and Showgirls. This is movie that can, literally, be enjoyed because it has few redeeming qualities. As bad entertainment, this movie works. Or, as I've hinited, as an interesting though failed Lynch myth it also has its charms. It is - I mean this sincerely - perhaps better seen without any volume. Finally, Alicia Witt and Sting play crucial cameo roles.