The movie “Jodorowsky’s Dune” tells a story of the great quest. Imagine people whose works you always admired that gather, inspired by a charismatic leader, to make a movie that will make your brain explode from the amount of excessive awesomeness! Feeling excited already?
Well, this movie never got made. The quest did not succeed. Or did it?
The story about making the film and the storyboard (all scenes drawn in one big book) survived.
H.R. Giger (Alien monster creator), Chris Foss (s-f illustrator), Dan O’Bannon (Alien screenwriter, Star Wars special computer effects), Salvador Dali, Jodorowsky’s teenage son (trained in martial arts exclusively for the movie), David Carradine, Mick Jagger, Jean Giraud “Moebius,” Pink Floyd, Orson Welles, Udo Kier, Amanda Lear (“It’s so confusing!”), Magma band… I couldn’t even rank these wonderful people in some kind of order, as their talents cannot be compared and measured. All are named Spiritual Warriors by Jodorowsky himself.
The movie “Jodorowsky’s Dune” is a captivating movie experience that should be obligatory for all movie fans. It makes you question your motifs not only when it comes to movie watching but also your career choices and fulfilling the expectations of others.
While it is based mainly on talks with people involved in the project, including Jodorowsky himself, it also combines the storyboard clips together with mesmerizing art concepts and music. This way we can almost see how the finished movie could look like.
To better understand the concept by Giger (1940-2014), read what he said about this particular artwork (as inspired by Jodorowsky):
Harkonnen stands on rising ground, a sort of hill, and consists of jagged bones and excrement which slowly crumble into dust. More bones and excrement are continually being ejected from Harkonnen, which crumble and are swept away by the eternally raging storms. A sort of staircase leads up the hill to the castle, defended by spears built into the bones on either side of the entrance, which have an independent existence and often impale the citizens just for fun.
H.R. Giger (source)
Alejandro Jodorowsky. A human enigma. A genius or a madman? Or both? Or none?
For sure he is absolutely fascinating to watch and listen to.
Notice the original music by Kurt Stenzel which captures the mood of the presented artwork and the narrative.
What is interesting from my point of view, I find the original “Dune” series by Frank Herbert to be one of the best book series ever created. It shaped me as a human being and as a reader. It taught me to love s-f and fantasy. And Jodorowsky didn’t want to adapt this novel but to rape it. He readily admits it.
And still I think I would love his movie, even though he stayed away from the book and its actual themes.
This may have something to do with my general dislike for “fanboy mentality” (meaning obsessive fans who want all adaptations of their beloved books or comic books to look identical as the originals. It’s not possible, cinema is a different medium.). But also with the fact that I appreciate Jodorowsky’s bold visionary mind. You may already know this from my review of “The Holy Mountain.”
Just read my favorite quote from the documentary:
This system make of us slaves. Without dignity. Without depth. With a devil in our pocket.
This incredible money are in the pocket. This money. This shit. This nothing. This paper who have nothing inside.
Movies have heart.
Have mind.
Have power.
Have ambition.
I wanted to do something like that. Why not?
Alejandro Jodorowsky
Go and watch this movie in cinema if it is still playing near you. Rent it or buy it when it comes on DVD/Blu Ray. This independent project directed by Frank Pavich is worth it.
And this comes from the fan of the original Dune book that Jodorowsky would have butchered in his adaptation.
And from a person who generally avoids documentaries.
The spiritual power of Jodorowsky? Rather the power of cinema.
And the power of people. Multo (Ghost) and Thy Critic Man (read his review here) recommended this movie to me. And we don’t know each other personally, we just read each other’s blogs. Maybe this says something about our times. Frequently during the movie Jodorowsky reflects on the difficulties he had finding about and locating like-minded people that he needed. Today we can gather ourselves easily from all over the world. Maybe this is why “Jodorowsky’s Dune” could succeed today – because fans of Jodorowsky’s cinema could learn about it through one another.
But that’s the topic for another movie.
Links:
NEWS FLASH: Check out Alejandro Jodorowsky’s kickstarter page: http://kck.st/1yG9EWs You can help to make his new movie “Endless Poetry”! How often can you help the legend? The kickstarter project ends on 22 March 2015.
grotesque ground 