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And yet, I would classify this as the only David Lynch film other than Eraserhead that really does anything for me. Eraserhead is a masterful interpretation of the effect of impending fatherhood on an already psychologically overwhelmed young man. Dune, however, stands as the broad interpretation of a novel that’s paradoxically thick with ideas. As a result, while the film version touches on most of the novel’s plot points, it also aims for an expansive, almost stream-of-consciousness approach. It attempts to evoke the themes of the novel without dwelling excessively on the details – it wants to be a dream!

The minutiae of this universe are presented via near constant chunks of expository dialog, endless visual cues, the occasional dream sequence and of course, the obligatory Christ allegory. But I want to focus on the exposition; it’s part of the reason I feel this might have worked better as multiple films. Herbert’s source material is far too dense to cram into 136 minutes, so it’s fair to say that of all the Lynchian flourishes present in Dune, the most alienating might be the dialog. Literally every word of it is an expository clue; a tiny fragment of the actual key necessary to unlock what the fuck is going on in this film.

If you haven’t already read the novel, or are unwilling to take careful notes, you have no hope whatsoever of unraveling this most Byzantine of plots. You’ll notice I’ve written almost 800 words without mentioning anything about the story – that’s because I HAVE read the novel, I DO kind of like the film, but I’m still not entirely sure I am clear on everything.

So I’ll try and put it in a nutshell.

Tens of thousands of years in the future, humanity has colonized most of the known universe. All of this is ruled by a single Emperor, and an assortment of ruling families that do his bidding. It’s more or less the way Medieval times worked, except…in space. The most important planet in the universe is called Arrakis, and it is the source of a mysterious Spice called “mélange.” Without this substance, interstellar travel is impossible, meaning of course that this technology is tightly controlled by a shadowy and powerful few.

But in the right hands, the Spice can also bestow certain individuals with remarkable abilities. This gives rise to some of the beliefs and religious practices that make the Dune universe so enthralling. What’s less interesting are the political machinations that result in the Emperor (Jose Ferrer) turning against one of the most powerful ruling families, House Atreides. The Matriarch of the family, Leto Atreides (Jürgen Prochnow), is made governor of Arakkis as part of a ploy to make him vulnerable. Once the Atreides are in place, their arch rivals, Clan Harkonnen, have orders to move in and wipe them out.

There’s just one problem. Well, two, actually. Remember the Spice, and the mystical powers it can bestow upon a chosen few? Well, Leto’s wife/girlfriend/concubine (women are essentially tools in this universe) Jessica (Francesca Annis) and her son Paul (Kyle MacLachlan) are two such people. And it happens that the indigenous inhabitants of the desert planet Arakkis have a Prophecy about a Chosen One who will someday free their planet from bondage and bring rain to the deserts.

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