Disney's 20,000 Leagues + Dune ...a connection?

[moviemaker]

Don't ask me why, but I was revisiting Disney's 20,000 Leagues Under the Sea. Yeah the one from 1954 and starring Kirk Douglas.

It's a goofy film but there is a scene of an underwater funeral and the soundtrack swells with an unmistakable overture that sounds eerily similar to the Prologue, Prelude and Final Dream themes from the Dune soundtrack.

Then I thought, Dune has a few similar design elements to Captain Nemo's ship and finally Duke Leto sports that very Nemo-like beard. Come to think of it, the Guild Navigator is a bit Squid-like in the face, floating in liquid and it funny how both movies are exactly 30 years apart.

Probably just conjecture on my part but there is definitely an uncanny similarity between the musical themes in 20,000 Leagues and Dune, if very subtle.

I know that Lynch borrowed from Shostakovich No.15 for Blue Velvet and if you hear that work you literally here the the opening theme to Blue Velvet like it was lifted straight from the album.

Maybe I'm just grasping at straws. Maybe not...

[Annie]

Interesting interpretation moviemaker--have you ever tried posting these kinds of things over at the Dune forum? I don't know whether their members would know but FH's grandson (their "almighty moderator") seems to have all the answers!

[moviemaker]

I'm not a member there and they may think I'm a bit crazy for posting it. I feel comfortable posting here. Feel free if you want to post it there and let me know if it gets a reaction.

[Annie]

OK, I'm always posting "crazy" things over there. I bet Byron will have a comment.

[Colonel Cooper]

The only connections I can see are coincidental. For instance, the only reason Duke Leto sports a Captain Nemo-like beard is because Jurgen Prochnow does - in the novel he's not described as having a beard, nor did William Hurt have one in the TV mini series. Also, the spice navigators are described as living in tanks of melange gas, not liquid.

[Annie]

The comparisons are of the movie, not the book. I need to go see if anybody responded to my Dune board posting...

[moviemaker]

Yeah. As Annie said, just the movie... The book isn't by Disney lol!

[Annie]

Oops, I just realized I didn't post whether the Dune people had anything to say. Their board is harder to post pictures on but Byron finally got it done. Then nobody had any comments!!