By Lília

We love our books, and we also love to see them turn into blockbusters, tv movies and series, but most of the times the book is better than whichever screen format it receives to be shown to the world.

As an avid reader, I was enchanted by Dune, with how big the whole story was, and I was very curious when the first cinematic version was made and shown.

David Lynch’s version was as much a disappointment as it wasn’t. The main story was there – very summarized – in the version they showed in theaters, but the real version was unfortunately never shown, and we the fans have always been curious how David Lynch had actually planned to show it. Many people never understood his decision in making a director’s cut. I did. It wasn’t salvageable any more, so he cut his losses and was better off. But it was a version that, even with the shortcomings, I enjoyed watching then.

Then came a TV miniseries in 2000. I’ve tried to watch Dune, but never really warmed up to Alex Newman as Paul Atreides or William Hurt as Leto Atreides, so that one was not a success for me and I haven’t even tried to watch Children of Dune.

Villeneuve came with a new translation to the big screen and I really loved how he showed the Fremen, the Bene Gesserit and the political machinations of an empire doomed to fail.

But there is one thing that made me uncomfortable the first time I watched the second film and that, after watching it again, solidified in total disgust and disappointment.

How come Jessica is still pregnant when Paul confronts the emperor? You cannot make me believe he would have become the power he then was in a mere 8 and a half months. In the book it’s very explicit that Aria was 2-3 years old already, but in the film Jessica is very pregnant, almost bursting. I can’t believe she would be 2 and a half years pregnant, and I certainly would not believe in a “messiah” that is merely 16. He’s not much older, but his ascension among the Fremen is a progressive relationship that takes around 2 to 3 years to solidify.

I don’t like that Villeneuve made Jessica “talk” to Aria in the womb, but what I can’t really accept is this prolonged pregnancy, or that Paul would become a powerhouse in such a short time.

So, yes, even if this new version has many, many good points, this one was a total failure for me.

Anyway, the book is still much better than the films, even when they’re well-made.