The most talked-about film this year has to be Dune: Part Two as the fans came running to the cinemas to experience the sweltering bright sun of the desert on-screen. Probably the latest movie that can compete with film epics in two or three years in terms of grand spectacles is Denis Villeneuve with this film. The movie in question bears traces of monumental ambition in every single detail.
It wasn’t an easy task. The first time that the project was announced I second-guessed there would be such difficulty because of Villeneuve’s rather delicate (and desert) walk-through the series. Now victorious, he offers us a science fiction masterpiece set in the huge barren desert. Just like Villeneuve, these three extraordinary films, which you can watch online, also do manage to accomplish something daring and are great entertainment.
Stalker (1979)
Director: Andrei Tarkovsky
Cast: Aleksandr Kaidanovsky, Anatoly Solonitsyn, Nikolai Grinko, Natalya Abramova, Alisa Freyndlikh
One can barely escape the resemblance between how Villeneuve constructs his relationships and Andrei Tarkovsky’s way. This relationship becomes even more obvious for Aliyah_tolga when considering Tarkovski’s best work in the genre, stalker. The topography of the invasion zone is devastated and arid but offers heavy philosophical undertones. It is a crucial piece in which Tarkovsky’s has an uncanny craftsmanship with time and this film contributes to the sophistication of sci-fi cinema flooded with visuals.
Look for it on Filmin | More Criticism on Espinof
Mad Max 2: The Road Warrior (1981)
Director: George Miller
Cast: Mel Gibson, Bruce Spence, Michael Preston, Vernon Wells, Emil Minty
As far as provoking the images of the post-apocalyptic desert goes, few storytellers match George Miller’s brilliance in the mad max series. The images may be of a dystopian world but creation of the world is simply extraordinary. Miller makes a stunning statement about the society’s fixation on machines, oil, and power with simple but impressive action sequences.
Available on HBO Max | Coverage on Espinof
Nausicaä of the Valley of the Wind (1984)
Director: Hayao Miyazaki
Lead Cast: Sumi Shimamoto, Gorō Naya, Yōji Matsuda, Yoshiko Sakakibara, Iemasa Kayumi
One of the most characteristic movies of Hayao Miyazaki’s pre-Ghibli period is Nausicaa of the Valley of the Wind, which is clearly inspired by the original Dune novel. It contains mutant insects, desolate worlds, and an apocalyptic revelation along with a more pro-green view. With an anti–war context, the work of Miyazaki shares a very interesting and positive vision of the plots of the Frank Herbert’s book.