Dune

From Denis Villeneuve as a directorial follow-up to 2017’s Blade Runner 2049, this remake of Dune takes David Lynch’s 1984 original and reimagines it with today’s special effects and aesthetic sensibilities.

Musically, up until 1:13 it’s mostly atmospherics, with percussion coming up in the background just after the minute mark alongside ethereal cello by Shinese-American cellist Tina Guo. At 1:14 we get the first hint that this is a cover song trailer, with “all that you touch” stated in monotone by the choir. It’s not overly obvious at this point, but this is the work of Hans Zimmer covering Pink Floyd’s “Eclipse” from the classic 1972 album The Dark Side of the Moon. This far into the pandemic, Zimmer had to work with the choir over videoconference to get it done. Just like Nirvana’s “Something in the Way” receives a huge boost after appearing in the recent Batman trailer, so too did this trailer boost downloads of “Eclipse”—by an estimated 1,750 percent, no less. The unison opening in choir calls to mind the trailer for The Social Contract, which sets Radiohead’s “Creep” in a similar manner.

The glissando up the strings from 1:48-1:52 is not so much frightening as it is sublime, with Zimmer having said that his cover is more of an homage to the original, or an extension of it, rather than a departure. Indeed, the gospel vocals are retained and there remains a hazy sheen over the production of the choral vocals, despite the new backdrop of massive explosions.

Interestingly, the lyrics take prominence perhaps even over the idea of something more musical thematic—it ends with “all that you touch; all that you see”. The reinforcement that Dune promises an experience that stretches the limits of the imagination certainly makes sense. The vocals are much akin to Gregorian chant, hanging on the fifth, or the “reciting tone” of the psalm tones. It’s ancient and quasi-religious, and yet also otherworldly. This potent mixture of the very old and very new is a suitable complement to the sci-fi aesthetic of Dune. It probably also doesn’t hurt that the original publication of Dune in novel form in 1965 is nearly contemporaneous with Pink Floy’s heyday—and some cross section of this film’s prospective audience likely appreciates the pairing.

At least at this point, Warner Bros is emphatic that Dune will appear only in theatres, at first—guessing exactly when might be a fool’s errand at this juncture.

— Curtis Perry