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Posted: |
Jul 26, 2008 - 8:10 PM
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By: |
Kevin Smith
(Member)
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It has grown on me the past while, so much so that it's in top ten (maybe five) favourite scores. Stop laughing, I can hear it. Toto, the Vienna Symphony Orchestra, a sizable choir, and electronics, who would have thought? This is definitely one of the best incorporations of guitars and orchestra that I have ever heard, something that Trevor Rabin is still working on. The electronics are accenting the orchestra, not replacing the orchestra (like cough cough Media Ventures).
I know the score has aged (obviously), mostly because a rock band did it, but it doesn't seem that aged. The electric guitars add to the score in power (no pun intended) more than they take away in agefulness.
The main theme doesn't change in variation at all, aka John Barry like, it's good so it can get away with it. The themes for the movie (kinda like a sci-fi Lawerence of Arabia), Paul (dark/disonant), Leto (noble), Fremen (mysterious), the love theme (err love like?), the dream/mourning theme (repeating choral piece) etc are quite simplistic and effective as you might expect from a rock band (which musical help from Marty Paich, who taught James Newton Howard).
Although I mention the themes, the score spends most of its time under the surface. The action cues are very decent, with action motifs developed as the cues progress. The last minute of "Big Battle" is absolutely sublime.
I agree with Christian Clemm about Eno's "Prophecy theme", it works great in the film, but when you listen to it on the album, you realize that, 2 minutes in, nothing is happening.
Granted, there are some unlistenable parts, but they are few fortunately. You can also hear some of the influences for the score like Shostokovich's Symphony #11. But that was intended by David Lynch. The end credits, is quite originally Toto, with them doing what Toto does, soft rock and such with orchestral and choral backing.
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I really like the end credits tune, very moody and beautiful. I didn't care too much for the rest of the score.
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There is also something special about having this cast in a film. One of the biggest issues that I had with John Harrison's adaptation was that so many iconic actors in the original (José Ferrer as Shaddam IV, Max Von Sydow as Kynes, Siân Phillips as Mohiam, Jürgen Prochnow as Leto, Linda Hunt as Shadout Mapes, Dean Stockwell as Yueh etc.) had become fused in my head with the characters from the book that it was difficult to accept other actors playing those roles, especially in analogous sequences.
HYPERBOLE ALERT: This is a breathtaking movie to look at. The design work is outstanding and Freddie Francis' photography is just stunning. The depth and texture of the sets and costumes is eye-popping (especially in high def; I have the HD-DVD of this title... wow!).
I've always liked this score. I really enjoy PEG's expanded release which has several standout cues such as "Departure," "Riding the Sandworm" and "Destiny." I have kept my Polydor CD, however, for the Brian Eno track and the alternate mixes of "Robot Fight" and "The Floating Fat Man (The Baron)," which conform on the original album to what is heard in the film (the original mix of "Robot Fight" has more percussion and is a bit more exciting).
The end credits as heard in the film has a choir and strings added, and I find it a much more arresting mix than the version heard on the album. Unfortunately there is also an oafish edit right in the middle of it as it appears in the movie, and a fade-out at the end.
Harrison's version is by no means a definitive adaptation of Frank Herbert's novel; I would venture such a thing is probably impossible with the mediums being as different as they are. Granted, his version does squeeze in more of the second half of the book, particularly with respect to detailing life among the Fremen, but it invents and alters as many things as David Lynch's movie does... often in the same way! For example, both versions have a scene with a Spice Navigator folding space on the journey from Caladan to Arrakis, both expand significantly on both Leto's role and his influence over Paul later in the story.
I have to say one more thing about David Lynch's Dune. I think few would argue that this is a filmmaker whose oeuvre contains quite a few very disturbing images. Well, one of the most disturbing in his entire filmography is in this PG-13 rated movie... that of the Lady Alia (Alicia Roan Witt at nine) standing atop a mound of dead bodies with a bloodstained knife in her hand with a euphoric expression (and music). Chilling stuff!
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Crap. I can't believe it's been 25 years. Holy smoke.
That shock being swept away, I'll toss in my own "this remains one of my favorite scores." I haven't seen the film in, well, 25 years I guess, but the score has remained in my main rotation for that whole length of time. Have the lp, have the cd, have the expanded cd. And, really, I like the original cd over the expansion. Even with the dialogue. Mmmm...Virginia Madsen...
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Haven't listened to it in a long time, but I know the main themes very well. I was hooked on the end credit theme and main title theme when I was 14 in '85. Played it over and over again. I really need to get that expanded CD. I still have the original CD (and I kept the LP for sentimental value). I also agree with what Lehah said, the film's a real mess, but an intriguing and easy-to-watch mess. It's just not a film you can really watch casually. You have to give it 200% of your attention to get the benefit of the experience.
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