I had never kniwn that Alejandro Jodorowsky was trying to make Dune into a film in the mid 70's until I heard a podcast about Denis Villeneuve's Dune film. The documentary of how Jodorowsky was putting the film together was recommended so I decided to watch.
The documentary is entertaining and shows Jodorowsky's passion for art but it also shows why I do t think his Dune would have tanked just like David Lynch's version did in the 80's. I have to say that I am not a huge fan of Alejandro Jodorowsky films. I've seen a couple and even though I admire that he has a unique voice as a filmmaker, his work is too esoteric and weird for my taste.
The doc has interviews with Jodorowsky and some of the people he hired to realize his vision for Dune. Even though the film feels like an enthusiastic tribute to the creative process it feels more like Jodorowsky and his pals partying themselves in the back for how great the Dune film would have been if stupid Hollywood studios would have bankrolled it. There really is hardly any time spent on the book Dune itself. I agree that as a filmmaker a dure tor can present a vision different from the source material but Jodorowsky doesn't seem to care about Frank Herbert 's legendary book.
There is even a section where the couple of directors in the doc and others state that even though Jodorowsky's Dune did not get made it influenced some of the greatest science fiction and adventure films of all time. What? I agree that maybe some ideas that were in Jodorowsky's huge shot by shot book which he gave the studios when trying to get the financing for the film but a film that never got made is so influencial? Please....
I do think that Alejandro Jodorowsky was able to get some talented people to work on his failed project, but he's not nearly the filmmaker he thinks he is....
This documentary was a chance for Alejandro Jodorowsky to talk about his favorite subject.
Himself...
Grade: C.
The documentary is entertaining and shows Jodorowsky's passion for art but it also shows why I do t think his Dune would have tanked just like David Lynch's version did in the 80's. I have to say that I am not a huge fan of Alejandro Jodorowsky films. I've seen a couple and even though I admire that he has a unique voice as a filmmaker, his work is too esoteric and weird for my taste.
The doc has interviews with Jodorowsky and some of the people he hired to realize his vision for Dune. Even though the film feels like an enthusiastic tribute to the creative process it feels more like Jodorowsky and his pals partying themselves in the back for how great the Dune film would have been if stupid Hollywood studios would have bankrolled it. There really is hardly any time spent on the book Dune itself. I agree that as a filmmaker a dure tor can present a vision different from the source material but Jodorowsky doesn't seem to care about Frank Herbert 's legendary book.
There is even a section where the couple of directors in the doc and others state that even though Jodorowsky's Dune did not get made it influenced some of the greatest science fiction and adventure films of all time. What? I agree that maybe some ideas that were in Jodorowsky's huge shot by shot book which he gave the studios when trying to get the financing for the film but a film that never got made is so influencial? Please....
I do think that Alejandro Jodorowsky was able to get some talented people to work on his failed project, but he's not nearly the filmmaker he thinks he is....
This documentary was a chance for Alejandro Jodorowsky to talk about his favorite subject.
Himself...
Grade: C.