Dune and psychedelic desert messiahs

[Mark Thibodeau]

Also, if we are to critique the novel and/or film seriously, we should
never forget (as most DUNE readers seem to, but Herbert never did) that the
book's messianic revolution is engineered, i.e. it is (or would/will be)
the result of an elite, top-down, deadly violent, centuries-in-the-making
CONSPIRACY by the Bene Gesserit.

Jerky

On Sun, Oct 24, 2021 at 12:41 PM Joseph Tracy <brook7 at sover.net> wrote:

> Agree that this could be a valid literal interpretation, but how do you
> seperate visionary from hallucinatory or soul-manifesting( psychedelic)?
> Also the book is more empatically trippy as regards the nature of spice and
> this is still loaded cultural territory for a movie. Part of the problem
> with Herbert’s story is the isolated “truth” of the messianic vision.  Here
> is a dark skinned culture whose eyes have turned blue from the use of spice
> and they seem to rely on scriptures rather than insight. Really?
>
> Would a war killing billions really have a chance of bringing peace to the
> cosmos? Is this really the best “vision” of how cruelty and violence are
> ended?  To me the fable is fatally flawed by this hierarchy on many levels
> and  an understanding why and how it is flawed is its truest value.
>
> > On Oct 23, 2021, at 4:13 PM, Ian Livingston <igrlivingston at gmail.com>
> wrote:d
> >
> > Correct. The protagonist's visionary inclination is well established
> > considerably before his first contact with the psychoactive qualities of
> > the "spice". In fact, I don't recall any reference to hallucinatory
> > effects. That is imposed by trip-seeking viewers.
> >
> > On Sat, Oct 23, 2021 at 1:09 PM Mark Thibodeau <jerkyleboeuf at gmail.com>
> > wrote:
> >
> >> It does not rely on tripping.
> >>
> >> On Sat, Oct 23, 2021 at 3:51 PM David Morris <fqmorris at gmail.com>
> wrote:
> >>
> >>> Good to hear it’s not a dog.  Early reviews said it was either sublime
> or
> >>> an overwrought-yet empty mess.  Sounds like it relies on tripping?
> THAT
> >>> could be a mess (usually is in film).
> >>>
> >>> Thanks
> >>> DM
> >>>
> >>> On Sat, Oct 23, 2021 at 3:44 PM Bruno <bruno.laze at gmail.com> wrote:
> >>>
> >>>> Saw it yesterday as well. A shout-out to Villeneuve's fidelity to
> early
> >>>> sci-fi aesthetics.  Reminds me of John Harris and pre-90s book covers.
> >>>> Villeneuve shows much skill in making authorial, fringe ergotic
> sci-fi.
> >>>> What not to love when a genre goes artistic?
> >>>>
> >>>> Space travel: spice. A hallucinogen. To travel light is to get rid of
> >>> brain
> >>>> patterns.
> >>>>
> >>>> Le sam. 23 oct. 2021 à 12:50, Joseph Tracy <brook7 at sover.net> a écrit
> >> :
> >>>>
> >>>>> Went to see Dune last night, mostly Williams College kids attending,
> >>>>> needed some escapist nonsense. It was well done I thought, good
> >> acting,
> >>>>> good music and sound effects if slightly over the top with the big
> >>> drums.
> >>>>> Visually severe, engaging, ominous in story-appropriateriate ways. I
> >>>>> wondered if the whole heroic desert freedom fighters with Islamic
> >> style
> >>>>> might shake up the imagination of young watchers shaped by
> >> anti-Muslim
> >>>>> cultural atmosphere. Stayed quite close to the book, more condensed.
> >>> Not
> >>>>> sure visionary psychedelic messiahs leading desert rebels against the
> >>>>> exploitation of a cruel empire has serious relevance, but it could
> >> be a
> >>>> lot
> >>>>> worse. It is only half the first book.
> >>>>>  I thought Herbert made a big mistake killing off the ecologist
> >> when I
> >>>> re
> >>>>> read the book most of a year ago. I still think so, too central as a
> >>>>> redeeming theme.
> >>>>>
> >>>>> I have an increasingly hard time with big Iron machines traveling
> >> light
> >>>>> years through space while people fight with swords.  We are so
> >> fucking
> >>>> far
> >>>>> from real space travel.
> >>>>>
> >>>>> --
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> >>>>>
> >>>> --
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> >>>>
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> >>
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>
>
>
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