Reception
More even-handed criticism praised Lynch's
noir-
baroque approach to the film. Others compare it to other Lynch films that are equally hard to access, such as
Eraserhead, and assert that in order to watch it, the viewer must first be aware of the
Dune universe. In the years since its initial release
Dune has become a cult favorite, and has gained more positive reviews from online critics
[14] and viewers.
[15]
As a result of its poor commercial and critical reception, all initial plans of
Dune's sequels were cancelled. It was reported that David Lynch was working on the screenplay for
Dune Messiah [16] and was hired to direct a second and a third
Dune film.
In retrospect, "Lynch admitted he should never have directed
Dune,"
[17] and prefers not to discuss it in interviews. Universal has approached him for a possible
Director's Cut of the film, but Lynch has rejected every offer.
I started selling out on
Dune. Looking back, it's no one's fault but my own. I probably shouldn't have done that picture, but I saw tons and tons of possibilities for things I loved, and this was the structure to do them in. There was so much room to create a world. But I got strong indications from Raffaella and Dino De Laurentiis of what kind of film they expected, and I knew I didn't have final cut. — David Lynch, on
Dune[18]
The film makes numerous departures from the novel, most notably in the case of the
Weirding Way, which in the novel is a super-
martial art form that allows Paul Atreides to move with lightning speed. In the film it is replaced with "
Weirding Modules," sonic weapons that resemble small video cameras and amplify the user's voice into a destructive force. Since the time of release, this has been controversial among
Dune fans.
[19][20] Reportedly, the original technique was left out because it was thought that a pitched combat of
Fremen fighting
Sardaukar while using the book's Weirding Way would resemble an unsophisticated
kung-fu film; additionally, the Weirding Modules provided an opportunity for the use of special effects. This change literalized a moment in the novel in which Paul says his name had become a death-prayer, as the Fremen shout "Muad'dib!" before killing an opponent. In the film, a Fremen training with the weirding module says "Muad'dib" and accidentally destroys a ceiling, leading Paul to make the remark "my name is a killing word."
