I saw the theatrical cut of Dune back in '84 when it came out on home-video. I was kinda confused, but the production design and acting and story were compelling and captivating and I loved it anyway. Then the Alan Smithee hatchet-job extended cut started being aired as a two-parter TV movie, and that clarified a lot of things. To this day, I would love to see that and the other deleted scenes properly cleaned up, visual effects finished, Frank Herbert's narration retained, and a well-edited version of that put out. And even at ten years old, I had no difficulty understanding that the whispered voice-over was the audience hearing what the characters were thinking. Never got why so many people were confused about that.
A bit later, I read the book. To this day, I tend to prefer to see the movie first. Then I read the book and go "oh, that's what that was about!" Too often, when I read the book first, I get mad at the movie for how much gets changed or left out. Plus, when I read the book now, it's the Lynch costumes and sets and characters' looks I see in my head.
About the only thing worth carrying over from the Sci-Fi miniseries was the Sardaukar uniforms.
As for any new takes...? Given the Middle-Eastern touches in the book, there's a strong risk of either cries of cultural appropriation if, like, the Fremen are too Caucasian, racism if they're too "ethnic", with the White Messiah trope standing out. One important thing that Lynch largely captured without broadcasting it (particularly in the secondary and background characters) is that in Herbert's setting, we were far enough out that races had been largely blurred into each other. Sure, there were exceptions like the Harkonnens, but most people should be "of indeterminate race".
A bit later, I read the book. To this day, I tend to prefer to see the movie first. Then I read the book and go "oh, that's what that was about!" Too often, when I read the book first, I get mad at the movie for how much gets changed or left out. Plus, when I read the book now, it's the Lynch costumes and sets and characters' looks I see in my head.
About the only thing worth carrying over from the Sci-Fi miniseries was the Sardaukar uniforms.
As for any new takes...? Given the Middle-Eastern touches in the book, there's a strong risk of either cries of cultural appropriation if, like, the Fremen are too Caucasian, racism if they're too "ethnic", with the White Messiah trope standing out. One important thing that Lynch largely captured without broadcasting it (particularly in the secondary and background characters) is that in Herbert's setting, we were far enough out that races had been largely blurred into each other. Sure, there were exceptions like the Harkonnens, but most people should be "of indeterminate race".
