The trailer for Jodorowsky’s Dune filled me with an infinite sadness. I was left with a knot in the pit of my stomach; like when you realize something important to you has been stolen, before you even knew it was missing. I decided I would not see it; I didn’t need any more ennui in my life. Then I watched El Topo again, and The Holy Mountain for the first time and then I was sitting in Film Forum, eating popcorn, waiting for my heart to be broken. I am now writing this, listening to Mezzanine, after seeing Jodorowsky’s Dune, for the second time.
Oh Lawd, what a documentary! What a film that should have been! What a story! After making three films: Fando y Lis (1968) which was banned in Mexico, El Topo (1970) which was the original midnight movie, and The Holy Mountain (1973) which he was given a million dollars to make and turned out to be a huge success in Europe, Jodorowsky was told to make whatever he wanted. His choice? Dune. Why Dune? He didn’t read it but he had a friend that said it was fantastic. And so he set off to make a film that he hoped would, “Make you feel like you were on LSD, without taking LSD.” But first, Jodorowsky tells us, “I need to find the warriors, the warriors to do it. Everyone will be the spiritual warrior.”
Through a series of coincidences, run intos, food bribes and grandiose promises, Jodorowsky put together an O.G. Dreamteam like no one had seen before or since. His artistic team of Jean Giraud A.K.A. Mœbius, Dan O’bannon, Chris Foss and H.R. Giger went on to create or contribute to some of the best Sci fi movies ever made: Alien, Willow, Tron, The Abyss, The Fifth Element, Species, Prometheus, Return of the Living Dead, Total Recall, to name a few. The cast included: Salvador Dali, Orson Welles, David Carradine, Mick Jagger and his son Brontis Jodorowsky, who at twelve years old trained in martial arts for six hours a day, seven days a week for two years, with a terrifying Frenchman [Jean-Pierre Vignau], in preparation for the role. For the film’s music, Jodorowsky recruited: Pink Floyd and Magma. Imagine Salvador Dali as The Mad Emperor of the Galaxy, standing next to a burning giraffe or Orson Welles as the Baron Harkonnen, so fat that he has anti-gravity implants so he can float everywhere, while Pink Floyd plays in the background. Could this Dune have been the best movie ever? I think at worst, it could have been the greatest movie to watch stoned with your friends.
At this point, I would probably give my right arm for this movie to be made. Jodorowsky’s explanation of how he turned Dune into a movie alone should convince everyone it should be made, “I was raping Frank Herbert, raping like this [loving sex motion], but with love.” Kickstarter anyone? But I’m not sad. Jodorowsky is a surrealist guru of charm and inspiration and he leaves you feeling hopeful, “We don’t do dune. Yes! So what, so what we don’t do dune. Dune is in the world!” He also does not want your pity, “I have 84 years but I am still creative. I am not, ‘ggggggggg [motioning like an invalid].’” Jodorowsky leaves us with maybe the best advice anyone could ever give, “Have the greatest ambition Possible!” I walked out of the Film Forum feeling more ambitious than I have in a long time and I think you will too.
Review by Timothy White. You can follow him on Twitter @TipToTheHip.