The Art And Soul Of Dune: Part Two Book Review
Summary: Immerse yourself in the stunning visual concepts, designs and realisations of Dune Part Two.
5
Dune Delights
Over the years I have enjoyed Dune in many forms… obviously the novel (a very helpful audio book to use while exercising), the David Lynch film, the PC game… then the PC RTS game. For some it has been a tricky story to convey (though I never understood the issues as I quite enjoy the David Lynch film). I think it would be safe to say that whether viewers of the new films fully understand the story or not… they are taken away by the stunning visuals!
Denis Villeneuve has a solid record of bringing fantastic worlds to life on our screens and Dune is no exception. This is the story we are familiar with but with an amazing new look that is likely to leave you with your jaw dropped throughout the whole viewing experience. The next best thing to watching it on the screen is poring over the pages of The Art And Soul Of Dune: Part Two. Just as those lovely visuals captivated on the big screen… the images both screen captures and behind the scenes, production stills in the book will draw you in and provide you with a feast for your eyes.
Titan Books have put out a number of these “Art of” books recently and they have been absolutely lovely to look through. Particularly nice with The Art And Soul Of Dune Two is the slip cover that both provides an extra bit of protection for the book itself and also provides the little blurb section so that it doesn’t have to sit over the images on the book itself… perhaps I’m being picky there… but it’s a lovely way to preserve the striking images and is a lovely inclusion that I appreciate.
As with the other books in this series we get to see the process of taking the work from the early concepts through to designs/mock ups to the final screen used items/scenes. Obviously here the work is building on everything that was put into Part One but there is so much more that gets explored that there is a lot of new content to enjoy.
Whilst the Lynch version was arguably more “of it’s time” and perhaps a bit more “theatrical” than anything else, Denis Villeneuve has presented us with a very grounded realistic world that feels like it could actual exist somewhere out there in the universe. It’s easy to see how all the behind the scenes work built a world that draws the viewer in and takes them to this fantastic world almost as if they themselves have used the power of the spice Melange.
Final Thoughts?
Um… grab a copy! Seriously though… if you have enjoyed the films of Denis Villeneuve then I am sure The Art And Soul Of Dune: Part Two will hold you captivated. It is beautifully presented, lovingly shot and just a wonderful document of a portion of the making of the film. Now if only they would release a poster book with some of the images.
About the Author
Chris O'Connor Father of four, husband of one and all round oddity. Gaming at home since about 1982 with a Sinclair ZX Spectrum. Moving on to the more traditional PC genre in the years that followed with the classic Jump Joe and Alley Cat. CGA, EGA, VGA and beyond PC's have been central to my gaming but I've also enjoyed consoles and hand helds along the way (who remembers the Atari Lynx?). Would have been actor/film maker, jack of many trades master of none.
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