what have i done to be surrounded by such fools

[bantha_fodder]

crushw_eyeliner here asked, what is it about CoD that you love so much and would recommend to a complete alien about it? And it has brought me a lot of joy writing this!

There are some plot spoilers in this attempt-at-a-pimp. I have been very careful to keep them to a minimum, but for serious guys, it's like saying, "Spoilers for Lord of the Rings." When the text is older than you are, it's pretty much caveat emptor, I figure.

Relatively image heavy.

So, I know I should start with the plot or something, but I'm trying to convince you to watch, so I should start with the most important thing.

1. The Atreides Twins

Leto II and Ghanima Atreides are twins. They were preborn, which means they came to full consciousness in the womb, and share the memories of all of their ancestors. If they were to enter the spice trance, they'd probably be able to tell the future. One day, Leto will be Emperor of the entire known universe. I can only assume this is because he is the boy twin, and Ghanima's name means "spoil of war."

Also, they're pretty:




Ghanima and Leto are very close. They finish each other's sentences, and keep one another company. In the book, rather than a secret twin language, they talk to one another in ancient languages.

OH YEAH AND THEY MAKE OUT:



Here is a picture of them being very cute:




I must admit, though, that there is nothing inherently sexual in their behaviour to one another. One could, if one chose to, believe that there is nothing more between them than being loving, and close, and quite affectionate.

But if one reads the book, one will find out that Ghanima marries her brother for political reasons. And I chose to read further into that. You know how it is.


2. St Alia of the Knife

How can you go wrong? Her name is St Alia of the Knife, and she is head of the church that worships her brother. The worship of Muad'dib is kind of boring, so you can learn about it if you watch the mini. Alia is aunt to Leto and Ghanima, and she too was preborn. She often feels jealous of Leto and Ghanima, because though she takes the spice, her vision of the future is incomplete, and it frustrates her.

Alia, here below, in one of my most favourite caps ever:



3. Relationships of AWESOME

Paul (also known as Muad'dib) is father to Leto and Ghanima. His sister is St Alia of the Knife, and she becomes Regent to the Empire. She was born when Paul was sixteen or seventeen, and whilst he is quite protective of her, he also trusts her so completely. He lets her get away with anything, and the most he ever gives her is a mild scolding.

Paul takes a wife, Irulan, who is the oldest daughter of the Emperor that Paul deposed. But Irulan is a bitch, and deceitful, and anyway Paul already loves Chani, who later gives birth to Leto and Ghanima. So he takes Chani as his concubine. It's all very moving.




Irulan hates that she is his wife, but will never get to bear a child. I hate that this is what is so important to her now, when before, when she was younger, she was Heir to the Throne. "I could cuckold him," says Irulan. Chani agrees to this plan. "But no child," Chani says, and I LOVE THIS SCENE.

There are other relationships. The awful relationship between Alia and her mother. The horrifying relationship between Alia and her grandfather. The bizarre relationship between Farad'n and Jessica, and later between Farad'n and Ghanima.

Anyway, how can you deny the symbolism of this picture? Paul is clearly THE SUN. Look how his sister is looking adoringly up at him! And how his wife looks away from him!




4. Farad'n

I hate Farad'n. He is a moron! But look at his face:




He's like, you want me to do what now? You people are all crazy!


5. Visually awesome

It's just awesome looking, okay? Salusa Secundus reminds me of Gormenghast:




"I hate this planet," says Jessica in this scene below. "Took both the men I loved" and it's ALICE KRIEG. IT IS THE BORG QUEEN.




And Arrakis itself is pretty awesome too:





Everything else I need to say can be found here. About a year ago I summarised Children of Dune and compared the book to the mini, so there are spoilers for the entire plot there. I also talked about various relationships, and discussed some of the themes I found in the book and the movie. If you're interested, I recommend reading it. I would have reproduced it here, but it seemed kind of pointless.

If you're still feeling a bit half hearted (but HOW COULD YOU BE?), go here to download one of my favourite vids ever. It's actually the third in a trilogy, but trust me when I say don't download the first two. They're awful. If I'd seen either of them before I saw the third one, I'd never have bothered watching the third. It is called "Circle," and is this really fabulous visual exploration of various relationships in Children of Dune.

FINALLY, if that convinces you, and you go off and watch it and you think it is of awesome, I have some fic, and some more discussion and flailing in various places around my journal. Because I love Children of Dune so much.

THE END.

Comments

[utopos.livejournal.com]

Damn you, now I'm reading the TWOP recap of the miniseries instead of going to bed...

*sulks gratefully*

[bantha-fodder.livejournal.com]

Isn't it awesome? I love the TWOP recap. It's surprisingly witty!

[maddeinin.livejournal.com]

One of these days... (Of course, I'm still saying that about S:AAB, too.)

[bantha-fodder.livejournal.com]

I can't believe you still haven't watched S:AAB! HONESTLY. You should totally watch it. You'll love it.

[maddeinin.livejournal.com]

I WILL. I already have it! But I keep getting distracted by other stuff.

[liminalliz.livejournal.com]

I waaaaaaaaant to seeeeeee this...

[bantha-fodder.livejournal.com]

YAY. HURRY UP LIZZEN.

[gobsmackit.livejournal.com]

Argh, I think I'm convinced. Eventually, I will watch! GOOD ON YOU.

[bantha-fodder.livejournal.com]

I am quite impressed! Particularly with your aversion to the b/g twin thing. Clearly I am awesomely persuasive.

[gobsmackit.livejournal.com]

It was the "I must admit, though, that there is nothing inherently sexual in their behaviour to one another. One could, if one chose to, believe that there is nothing more between them than being loving, and close, and quite affectionate." I'm choosing to believe you weren't being at all cheeky and can cling to that if need be.

[kismeteve.livejournal.com]

OMG, you should. Dune is so awesome, even excluding the movies slight b/g twin thing. It's the one scifi book series I like. I don't like scifi, but Dune was awesome enough for me to continue to read the series (note: After Children of Dune, the books start to suck verily, IMO.) Probably because Frank Herbert created an intergalactic empire that looks a lot the Middle East in the early late 19th- early 20th century. The prequels written by Herbert's son aren't even wasting your time on. It's like BSG: POLITICS IN SPACE. With a little bit of messianic religion thrown in.

Also, the Bene Gesserit rule all.

[resmin.livejournal.com]

Pretty people with wacky hats that kiss a lot and have sex with the hottest priest ever. It's fun for the whole family!

[bantha-fodder.livejournal.com]

YOU KNOW YOU LOVE IT.


LOTS.

So. What sort of virginity did you lose today? :o)

[resmin.livejournal.com]

Post/real-life separation. As in CoD was on SciFi last night at 11pm and I stayed up for waaaay to long watching. Twinses in love with grumpy father figures!

[theblackdoll.livejournal.com]

If it were not for you I would not know the awesome that is Dune, so your pimping has succeeded! *worships* Seriously. I love this shit.

Salusa Secundus reminds me of Gormenghast

omg it does! Did you ever happen to see the miniseries the BBC did of the first two books a while back? If not I certainly recommend it. The visuals in that are also rather stunning.

[bantha-fodder.livejournal.com]

Yes I did see that mini. And it was fabulous. It's actually due to that mini that I can't see John Rhys Meyers as attractive - because he was so ugly and wretched as Steerpike, I just. He's deformed! And crazy looking! And that's my story and i'm sticking to it.

[theblackdoll.livejournal.com]

Steerpike is so crazy. So, so crazy. Probably eats crazy for breakfast when he isn't eating children or fluffy bunnies.

[juprujac.livejournal.com]

Oh, I love this post so much, I haven’t thought about CoD in a while and OMG I missed it so! Now I’m just going to *have* to watch the mini today. ;)

I just reread your CoD fics and you write them beautifully. *sighs*

Ah, and the new header is gorgeous! I love Ghanima’s smile.

[bantha-fodder.livejournal.com]

I watched the mini today also. I was looking at my post and I was like, "MUST WATCH." Didn't watch all of it - just the montage sequence of awesome in part one, and all the good bits in two and three, but still.

And thank you so much! re: the header AND the fic. I love all of it!

[kismeteve.livejournal.com]

So he takes Chani as his concubine. It's all very moving.

*gigglesnort*

Suddenly I have the urge to re-read Dune.

Whenever I think of Alice Krige, I think of the Stephen King cat/demon movie she did with Brian Krause from Charmed.

Duncan was lame, but so hot. (Poor Edward Atterton. It was like his career got killed along with Duncan and Danny Hecht.)

I also think the casting of James McAvoy as Alec Newman's son was inspired.

[bantha-fodder.livejournal.com]

Oh man, Duncan. Edward Atterton was in Firefly, apparently! That made me laugh.

I think the casting of James McAvoy in ANYTHING is inspired. and FABULOUS.

[hobviously.livejournal.com]

But if one reads the book, one will find out that Ghanima marries her brother for political reasons.

UM, AWESOME.

Now I need to read the books. Damn.

[bantha-fodder.livejournal.com]

HAVE YOU READ MY FIC, TRIS?

Not that I'm, like, making demands of you or anything.