The best cast in David Lynch Cinema

[Ninja_Sher]

1. Feyd Rautha 'Sting' Harkonnen

2. Vladimir Harkonnen

3. Leto Atreides

4. Gurney 'Patrick Stewart' Halleck

5. Emperor

6. Paul Muaddib ( Not Paul Martin, he he  ;D )

7. Irulan

8. Jessica

9. Chani

10.Stilgar

11.Rabban

12.Thufir

13.Gaius Helen

For me I thought Emperor cast did the best job and he was pretty lively acting as the emperor. Next best would be a tie between Sting Harkonnen and Valdimir Harkonnen. Then Patrick Stewart. Thufir is not that bad. The worst in my opinion was the man ( Maclachlan )that played Muaddib. The best female actress is Jessica. Gauis Helen Mohiam was not far behind.

Your thought.

[Vanguard3000]

Just for reference (from imdb.com):

Francesca Annis .... Lady Jessica

Leonardo Cimino .... The Baron's Doctor

Brad Dourif .... Piter De Vries

Jos

[driftingcloud]

I am always bothered by the way Jessica breaks down while out in the desert for the first time. Very un-Bene Gesserit-like. Of course, that is probably more a directorial choice than an actor choice, but it makes the actor/character of Jessica lose a notch for me.

Yes, Sting is great as Feyd. Especially in the extended torture scenes in some versions of the film.

Brad Dourif makes a wonderful Piter, no argument there. I would put him toward the top of the list. His characterization is a bit of a deviation from the book, perhaps, but it is a wonderfully constructedn and performed interpretation.

The actor who played Shadout Mapes rang true for me too. She didn't get as much screen time as she deserved, but the casting and performance rate high.

Patrick Stewart has a couple added scenes in the extended Smithee cut that really show his talent as a performer.

As for least favorite, Max Von Sydow as Kynes doesn't really work for me. Too Anglo for someone who is, for all intents and purposes, Fremen.

And I never really cared much for Chani, Sean Young. In fact all of the Fremen seem a bit too water-fat for my tastes in this movie. It's a criticism I have with both films, and I imagine it's a problem for casting the show in general. How do you make the Fremen be desert-hardy and rugged, and still have them look healthy and be healthy enough to be physically challenging to the Harkonnens?

[nemafakei]

"Too Anglo for someone who is, for all intents and purposes, Fremen"

Anglo? Hardly!

His stance and presence was just right. Do remember that he is 25% offworlder, so could well be blond-haired, if that's what you're referring to.

[Emperor Harkonnen]

but why couldn't a fremen be blond haired? does it say anything about that in the book? a fremen could very well have blonde hair, and I think by then the world would be so mixed that different people have different appearance.

[Swordmaster_Duncan]

If i remember, Pardot was always described as having a 'sandy' looking beard. Or mebbe that was Liet. i cant quite remember for sure. but in the books hes had the description of sandy coloured hair. i could be wrong though...

And Duncan didnt have curley hair... and gurney had no scar. And he didnt seem the 'ugly lump' of a man hes described as. And to me Piter didnt seem sarcastic enough, hmm sarcastic isnt the right word, more, dispespectfull of the Baron - But thats directorial again. Ahh well, what can you do...

[Vanguard3000]

Yes, I think Duncan was probably the worst casting decision.  He's a decen't actor, but just doesn't fit the character right.  Not that he had a very large role in the film to begin with.

Stewart's Gurney did have a scar.  It was lower down, actually on his jaw (and a ways down his neck).  It wasn't beet red, though.  His mannerisms fit the character very nicely, being gruff, yet very caring as well.  One thing I really wish had been in the film was when Gurney confronted Jessica...

Max Von Sydow played an excellent Kynes.  Outwardly erudite and proper, but with subtle undertones that tell you he's much more than just an Imperial servant.

[TMA_1]

nobody ever got a good duncan. All of em looked kinda silly. hehe

also, if I remember right brad dourif didnt like how his role played in the movie, that or he didnt like how the movie went. I forgot what it was, can somebody help me with that?

[Scott]

I thought Brad Dourif as Piter was my favourite casting.

[Swordmaster_Duncan]

Fair enough, but they're just opinions, I'd have like to have seen some better casting for the minor roles. And i know that such a book can't be fitted into a movie, no matter the length, so the character traits, and even charter scenes were left out, still... And i loved sting as Feyd, i can't picture Feyd as anyone else: not only his look, but some of his scenes were great. I suppose plaing a plain old evil character in comparison to the others (being new and to be invented for screen in a sence - mentats, bene gesserite, guild contacts, etc), but still hats off to him.

How is that directorial and how would you know? It couldn't have been a choice made by Dourif as he reached back into the recesses of time to pluck another identical character performance from his tree of immeasurable tallent.

True, it may not have been directorial, i assume it was. But if Daurif was such a great actor, then he would've pick this up, hmm? - but i did assume.

[Ninja_Sher]

ps : I did not make it from best to worst character list. I just gave you an option. By the way how can I make this a poll?

Oops I forgot to put Piter in. He really did do one of the best cast of the movie. Though in my opion the Emperor cast was the best, followed closely by others. But Paul was not good as was not Chani.

[Andrew]

ps : I did not make it from best to worst character list. I just gave you an option. By the way how can I make this a poll?

You can not make this into a poll, only global moderators can do so.

As for making the poll, there was recently the Chani vs Irulan part II poll a month ago, and I don't think they like making lots of polls at once :P

But it would be a good suggestion for a new poll whenever one gets made.

[Ninja_Sher]

Well I am seeing no move of making it a poll so far so I guess Emperor wins, he he he  ;D.