Dune - 50 Minute Edit (Dune, 2021) - blankblank (2022)
This edit of Dune (2021) significantly cuts down the original and replaces the score with various tracks - largely electronic music. Nearly all the original audio is gone, including all dialogue, with a few sound effects remaining, such as that of the helicopters. The footage is drastically cut down to remove all shots of characters speaking, streamline the film, and match footage to audio cues and transitions.
Editing is well done, with the few sound effects used integrated well and the transitions between songs being mostly well executed. In a few cases I probably would’ve favoured more abrupt fades and fewer cross fades. Visual editing, which includes cuts to match music and the occasional fade, is also well done, and the footage which remained is appropriately chosen. The editing of the visions/dreams was very nice.
The narrative itself is certainly less clear than the original, and leaves it to the viewer to piece it together. As I barely remember the original film this was a little challenging at times but not so much so as to become lost. If you’ve not seen the original, then you definitely will be lost. While some dialogue could have been included to clarify the narrative, I appreciate the editor’s intent of making this an entirely visual story with audio only serving to immerse the viewer rather than provide any explanations. It’s up to you to create the story in your mind - as you would when watching a music video, which this edit resembles.
I’m a big fan of electronic music so I did enjoy this edit. I thought that the tracks chosen matched the footage well and often set the tone of what we were seeing, which helped tell the story better.
One thing I’d suggest as an improvement is to include more of the original audio effects. For example, while the song choices for the Harakan attack were good, the impact of the scene felt lacking due to there being no audio to match what we are seeing - no explosions, no impact of swords, no battle cries etc. Adding those in, whether from the original mix or from online sound effects, would improve immersion.