Jodorowsky's Dune Uncovered

Scene 59-60 : Mining Inspection

Outside a cave in the desert Paul, Leto and Hawatt are wearing distilling devices (stillsuits) and they approach an ornithopter. They watch a group of Fremen moving towards them, lead by an old man who moves like a young man - Pardot Kynes. (Note: Kynes is over 400 years old at this point!)

The Fremen note that the Atreides have adjusted their stillsuits incorrectly - apart from Paul. "He knows but he can never have learnt" - "The prophecy is coming true!"

The two groups meet and Leto thanks Kynes for the stillsuits, but Paul says "every gift is a blessing for he who gives it". Again this causes excitement among the Fremen.

Kynes - with the permission of Leto - correctly adjusts the Duke's stillsuits and explains how they work.

Hawatt copies the adjustments and they all enter the 'thopter and take-off into the desert.

Inside the 'thopter Leto is at the controls while Kynes points out features of the landscape; sand-drums, hurricanes etc.

A sandworm appears below them, making a vibrating sound. Kynes explains that they defend the spice-fields. Leto asks why they haven't been eliminated, Kynes says it would be too expensive, and Paul states there is a link between the worms and the spice. This insight impresses Kynes.

They fly over a spice field, the spice is a spongy blue substance, and it gives off a vibrating sounds, like the worms and the crysknives.

A harvester is dropped onto the spice by a wing-carrier (carryall) while 4 "watchmen" craft scan the area. A worm emerges from the desert and heads towards the harvester, Leto is concerned but Kynes explains that the carryall will be alerted and pick up the harvester before the worm attacks.

The watchmen ship can't raise the carryall, but as Leto orders the works to abandon the spice the carryall is spotted in the distance, coming towards them, but it suddenly explodes and crashes into the desert - sabotage!

Leto orders all the craft to land and save the workers, they'll need to carry more men than the 'thopter can carry so they throw seats and whatever else they can out of the window.

With the workers onboard the 'thopter just manages to take off as the worm consumes the harvester. Two silhouettes are seen walking away and Paul deduces that they were Fremen studying their crop techniques.

The men are angry about the lost spice, but are happy to be alive and pass around spice brandy and sing.

Kynes is impressed that the Duke risked his life to save the workers, that he was more worried about the men than the spice.

Again, this scene is very similar to Herbert's novel, and the versions seen in the Lynch film and SciFi Channel miniseries. While no Moebius storyboards pages are available we do have the animation based on the Moebius storyboards from the Jodorowsky's Dune documentary which show a similar sequence, and the bottom of a colour storyboard as seen in the UK trailer for Jodorowsky's Dune (although not in the documentary itself).

Continue to Part 23: Atreides Ball