DENIS VILLENEUVE'S DUNE ALSO IGNORES THE DINNER SCENE

Dune began as a landmark science fiction novel by Frank Herbert, with the title having now received multiple adaptations. The latest of these was the 2021 Dune movie by Denis Villeneuve, which retold roughly the first half of the book's story on the big screen. It didn't capture every scene from the books, however, with several pivotal elements missing from the finalized version of the movie.

Most notably, Dune 2021 was missing a particularly important scene from the original novel. Ironically, this same scene was also absent from the David Lynch-directed Dune movie from 1984. This is despite Herbert commenting on the original movie not having this scene, let alone its place in the book's story. Strangely enough, for as accurate as the Villeneuve version was to the source material, this was actually only one of several "missing scenes."

Updated by Timothy Blake Donohoo on November 9, 2023: The 2021 adaptation of Dune has continued to be acclaimed by moviegoers, especially as it's found success on the Max streaming service. Likewise, the interest in the books and the movie's sequels has made many notice the elements missing from the theatrical adaptations. These are more than just minor nitpicks, however, with several pivotal scenes from the book completely excised from the recent movie's narrative.

Dune 1984 Was a Contentious Adaptation of a Sci-Fi Classic

10 Movies With The Chosen One Trope

The original movie adaptation of Dune is now considered an ambitious cult classic, namely for those who enjoy science fiction movies from the 1980s. Nevertheless, the original Dune has its critics, be they professionals or merely fans of the source material. Part of the reason for certain complaints was the sometimes egregious changes made when transitioning from the book to the big screen. In particular, the handling of Baron Vladimir Harkonnon was seen as making him a cackling cartoon villain who traded his original depth for a disgusting, grotesque aesthetic.

Famed film critic Roger Ebert referred to David Lynch's Dune as "an incomprehensible, ugly, unstructured, pointless excursion into the murkier realms of one of the most confusing screenplays of all time." He was certainly not alone in his dislike of the movie, with the consensus claiming it as one of the biggest missteps in cinematic history. Even Lynch shared this sentiment, once saying, "I'm proud of everything -- except Dune."

Author Frank Herbert, on the other hand, was very pleased with Lynch's handling of the vast source material. Dune's original manuscript was passed over almost two dozen times. The initial critical reception was horrendous, so the author became accustomed to negative analysis. The only regret he mentioned was the omission of the book's banquet scene, which laid the foundation for later parts of the plot. This scene was also missing from Denis Villeneuve's latest adaptation. Comparisons between the two Dune films aside, the moment Herbert longed for could have added something of great value to both films.

Frank Herbert's Dune Novel Builds Political Tension

10 Least Faithful Sci-Fi Adaptations

In the lead-up to the banquet scene, Duke Leto, the newly arrived Lord of Arrakis and military commander Gurney Halleck use the ornithopter vehicle to rescue a group of spice miners. This moment defines the Duke's character in direct juxtaposition to his Harkonnen predecessor by demonstrating that his subjects' lives are more important than the almost full load of spice that was sacrificed to secure their safety. It also sharpens the clarity of just how tenuous their position on Arrakis is because it is clear that rescue was only necessary due to sabotage.

The next chapter is entirely dedicated to a dinner planned by Lady Jessica, the Duke's concubine and a Bene Gesserit adept. She is acutely aware of their precarious hold on power and produces a guest list that she thinks will engender stronger political relationships that will prove necessary for their survival. Thufir Hawat, the Duke's devoted mentat and Master of Assassins, did not attend and was adamant that the Duke abstain as well, in part because he has made it a poorly kept secret that he thinks, erroneously, that Lady Jessica is a Harkonnen spy.

While Leto watches the preparations take place, he absently wonders if anyone will try to kill him in the coming evening. After Leto notices a servant preparing a bowl of water and towels for a custom instituted by the Harkonnens, he abolishes the practice on sight, only fueling the simmering anger from the carryall debacle. He then greets his guests.

Dune's Dinner Scene Shows Appearances Can Be Deceiving

Everything We Knew About Dune's TV Spinoff So Far

As ducal heir Paul Atreides attends the dinner party, it soon becomes clear that he is surrounded by various shadowy figures, each with their agendas. Duncan Idaho, the champion of House Atreides, is there to spy on Lady Jessica for Thufir Hawat. The Bene Gesserit-trained Lady Jessica is there hosting and manipulating, trying to acquaint herself with someone who may be able to get House Atreides off-world quickly.

Many of the party guests are mercantile and economic stakeholders, both legal and illicit. The scene allows for some very crucial world-building for Dune's later stories. In introducing a series of seemingly unrelated characters as a part of the dinner party, Dune deconstructs the sci-fi genre by adding an element of political intrigue. During the party, a water oligarch named Lingar Bewt makes it quite clear he has no fondness for the Duke or his changing of customs and is more than willing to remind any about his leverage over the planet; An unnamed agent of the Guild Bank who serves as an adviser to the Water Peddler's Union is secretly a Harkonnen spy; Esmar Tuek is a renowned and well-connected smuggler. Lastly, Liet Kynes is there, the Judge of Change and a prominent planetologist, who carries the controversial belief that Arrakis could be successfully terraformed into a water-abundant planet.

The Duke gives a brusque toast while a bevy of rich foods, imported sparkling wine, and coffee spiked with mélange grace the table. The Duke then drinks half of his water and pours the rest onto the floor. Custom demands that his guests follow suit, and many display obvious discomfort at the waste of it all. Kynes, however, casually pours him into a hidden container.

Villeneuve's Dune Should Have Featured the Banquet Scene

Dune: Part Two Must Navigate a Controversial Part of the Frank Herbert Novel

This scene is much more than worldbuilding for the Dune series. Throughout the gathering, trepidatious conversation bubbles up while Jessica and Paul herd the various players to their spots on the stage without the performers realizing that their parts have been cast. As a result, this scene works well in showcasing Paul and Jessica's effective diplomatic partnership, something that they will build on during their time with the Fremen in the years to come. It's, therefore, a shame that this scene didn't make it into Denis Villeneuve's Dune adaptation. Partway through the dinner, an agent of Hawat steals the Duke away for some pressing security matter, and Paul takes his place at the head of the table. Almost immediately, a banker brazenly insults Paul, though he responds with an effective counter that causes the banker to push his chair back from the table.

Kynes defuses the tense atmosphere by exerting an unexpected level of power over the banker, which arouses Jessica's suspicion. She becomes confused by the source of Kynes' influence since it can't just be his administrative position as Judge. This banquet brilliantly foreshadows Kynes as a mysterious and dangerous figure, so if it were included in Villeneuve's version of Dune, it could have added to the depth of Kynes' film counterpart. Ultimately, the scene provides an immense amount of worldbuilding for Dune by laying out the tentacles of bureaucracy. Given that Villeneuve divided the book in half for his adaptation, it is interesting that despite Herbert's desire to have this moment produced on screen that there was still presumably no room for it in the film.

Considering that Part One was almost entirely expository, it seems like this would have been a singular opportunity to display the power brokers vying for their portion and the loyalty that the Duke inspired in his men. Having this scene in the movie could have also added depth to the paradigms that both the Harkonnens and Atreides have influenced with their colonial apparatus, for good and ill. There is a chance that it could be shot and used as a flashback in Dune: Part Two, finally bringing the scene to life. It'd be a natural segue into introducing characters such as Irulan, especially since this was a focus on the sole adaptation of the scene in the TV miniseries version of Dune. Even if it remains absent from the remake continuity, it won't be the only scene to be excised.

Other Elements Missing from Dune 2021

Why Dune: Part Two's Delay Isn't the Actors' Strike's Fault

The Conservatory

As shown in the unadapted dinner sequence, Lady Jessica had an even more important role in the original Dune novel. Another way this manifested was a scene in which she finds a conservatory within her new family home. This was important because it showcased a water source on the dry, arid Arrakis. The scene was missing entirely, with Paul and House Atreides never really shown exploring their new home.

The scene in the novel also had Lady Jessica discovering a note about a potential traitor. This planted the seeds of a conspiracy, making her distrustful as to who was supposedly going to betray her master, Leto. Of course, these elements segued into what would have been present in the dinner sequence, so it makes sense that they were removed.

Gurney's Musical Talent

Denis Villeneuve Wants to Make Third Dune Movie Based on Dune Messiah

Gurney Halleck acts as the weapons master for the House Atreides, even angrily testing Paul to a duel early in the movie. Played by Josh Brolin, he had a gruff and rather stony characterization throughout the movie. While this is accurate to the source material, it's missing key elements that made Gurney more well-rounded.

Gurney was known for combining the minstrel with the warrior, being just as artistic, astute, and entertaining as he was battle-ready. He frequently performed music in the book, namely in the dinner/banquet scene. There were actually scenes shot and music pieces produced for footage where Brolin's Gurney emulated these multifaceted traits, but they were sadly not featured in the final cut.

Characters Cut for the Sequel

The narrator for the Dune novel and even the David Lynch movie is Princess Irulan. Though her role is initially small throughout the first novel, it increases as in the series' sequels such as Dune: Messiah. This is namely due to her becoming the wife of Paul Atreides, though theirs is a purely political marriage that doesn't result in children.

Irulan is not seen or heard from at all in Villeneuve's first Dune, though she's set to be played by Florence Pugh in Dune: Part Two. Similarly, Feyd-Rautha Harkonnen was not among his family's ranks during any scenes in Dune: Part One. This differed from the book and the original movie (where the character was notably played by Sting), as he was always present with either his uncle Vladimir Harkonnen and his cousin Rabban. The character is also set to show up in the sequel, played by Austin Butler.

Dune: Part Two flows into theaters on March 1, 2024.

2022-12-13T01:11:44Z dg43tfdfdgfd