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My introduction to David Lynch’s Dune was through a friend’s Dune-themed lunchbox in elementary school. It was 1984, I was six years old, and in the first grade. My main exposure to science fiction at that time was via the Star Wars films and Star Trek. I knew nothing about Frank Herbert’s classic novel, much less Lynch’s film.
But that lunchbox looked so damn cool, with knife-wielding characters in futuristic armor. The thermos showed more characters, as well as a spaceship and a hulking, wheeled surface vehicle.
At the time, I had no idea what I was looking at, but I knew I wanted to find out.
Skip forward a few years to 1987, when my parents bought a VHS player. When we visited video rental stores, I was always drawn to the science fiction and fantasy section. And of course, I talked my parents into renting Dune. I still remember watching it that first time, with Princess Irulan appearing from a starry backdrop and speaking of spice, Fremen, and a messiah. I was still in the dark regarding Herbert’s universe, but from that moment, I was hooked.
Watching Lynch’s Dune at that early age imprinted the film onto my consciousness. It was unlike anything I had seen before, and esoteric in comparison to other SF movies. I loved the stillsuits, the worms, the otherworldly portrayal of Paul’s prescience, and even at that pre-pubescent age, I had a crush on Lady Jessica, played by Francesca Annis.
I remember how negative Starlog Magazine was, regarding the film, and in my teens, I’d hear less than stellar opinions of it from fellow SF fans. I’ve never understood these rejections from fandom. Lynch’s film has flaws, but it remains one of the best scifi movies of the 1980s, a respectable adaptation of Frank Herbert’s novel, and a unique piece of cinema in its own right. Now, upon its 40th anniversary, I’ll look at how this film holds up in relation to Herbert’s novel, its legacy, and its impact on me.
This essay assumes the reader has watched the film, so I will not go into every detail regarding scenes, characters, etc.
