A woman on the run from her abusive husband encounters a mysterious hitch-hiker.A woman on the run from her abusive husband encounters a mysterious hitch-hiker.A woman on the run from her abusive husband encounters a mysterious hitch-hiker.
- Awards
- 6 nominations
Robert John Burke
- Dust Devil
- (as Robert Burke)
Terry Norton
- Saartjie Haarhoff
- (as Terri Norton)
Isaac Mavimbela
- Farmhand
- (as Isaac Mavimbella)
- Director
- Writer
- All cast & crew
- Production, box office & more at IMDbPro
Storyline
Did you know
- TriviaRichard Stanley's first cut of the film was 120 minutes long. US distributors Miramax hated it and produced its own 87-minute version without Stanley's permission or cooperation. This cut removed all references to the supernatural and almost completely disposed of the nominal hero's role (played by Zakes Mokae). It was released in the European market, however Stanley has never seen this version. Stanley came to an agreement with the producers over a 95-minute compromise cut. At this point the film's British backers, Palace Pictures, went bust, making it increasingly unlikely that the film would ever see the light of day in a UK cinema. Then after about a year of frantic searching, Stanley discovered that the original negative was being held by PolyGram. He went to the film's original investors, Channel 4 and British Screen Finances, which were naturally keen to see what had happened to their investment. PolyGram was obliged to hand over the negative, which Stanley re-cut to his own specifications, and with his own money.
- GoofsWhen Wendy slams on the brakes of her VW Beetle, she doesn't touch the clutch, but the car stops without stalling.
- Quotes
Dust Devil: There is no good or evil, only spirit and matter. Only movement toward the light - and away from it.
- Crazy creditsThe producers would especially like to thank the government and people of Namibia for their help in the making of this film.
- Alternate versions"The Final Cut" Collectors' Edition DVD lists running time as 108 minutes. It also includes a "Work Print" edition running 115 minutes.
- ConnectionsEdited into Brave (1994)
Featured review
A worthy viewing for discriminating viewers.
"Dust Devil" is an intriguing, moody little genre film, marked by very fine acting and the kind of atmosphere one can only get in practical locations. In this case, the setting is the Namibian desert, and that adds a lot to the story and presentation. The ambiance is practically overwhelming; writer / director Richard Stanley ("Hardware") nicely captures on film a world that not that many of us get to see. Aided by a truly haunting music score by Simon Boswell, he does an excellent job at keeping the viewer uneasy yet interested in everything that happens on screen. The surrealism is top notch, and Stanley keeps the special effects work at a minimum. Overall, this is actually a better film than "Hardware", if not entirely satisfying; the script is indeed somewhat muddled. The characters are worth watching, with likable protagonists and a creepy antagonist.
The under-rated Robert John Burke stars as the title character, a spirit trapped in a human body who must kill in order to gain access to another realm. He makes the acquaintance of Wendy (Chelsea Field), who was unhappy in her marriage and has run away. Tracking Wendy is her concerned husband Mark (Rufus Swart), while The Dust Devil is pursued by haunted cop Ben Mukurob (the late, great South African actor Zakes Mokae, whom you may recognize as the villain from Wes Cravens' "The Serpent and the Rainbow".
Adding even more intrigue to Stanley's tale is the fact that he based it on the case of a real- life serial killer in the area who was never caught, or even identified, leading to speculations about a possible supernatural origin. The director blends African mythology with the serial killer and otherworldly elements, not to mention a love for the Western genre, to great effect. The fact that Wendy and Ben are such sad people adds much pathos; if Ben can be considered a hero, then he's definitely a tragic one. It's easy for the viewer to feel sympathy towards this character. Field and Mokae beautifully perform their parts, and Burke is deliciously sinister. Adding solid support is another departed great character actor William Hootkins, who'd acted in "Hardware" and appears here as Bens' superior. Delivering the exposition in an entertaining way is John Matshikiza, who's magnetic as Joe.
The heavily edited American release of "Dust Devil" really did it no favours; the subsequent reviews then motivated American distributor Miramax to put little effort into promoting it, which further prevented this film from reaching the audience that it deserved. If you are able, track down the multi disc Subversive DVD release (which also includes a few Stanley documentaries, the work print of the film, and the soundtrack on CD); you can then see this offbeat effort the way it was intended.
Seven out of 10.
The under-rated Robert John Burke stars as the title character, a spirit trapped in a human body who must kill in order to gain access to another realm. He makes the acquaintance of Wendy (Chelsea Field), who was unhappy in her marriage and has run away. Tracking Wendy is her concerned husband Mark (Rufus Swart), while The Dust Devil is pursued by haunted cop Ben Mukurob (the late, great South African actor Zakes Mokae, whom you may recognize as the villain from Wes Cravens' "The Serpent and the Rainbow".
Adding even more intrigue to Stanley's tale is the fact that he based it on the case of a real- life serial killer in the area who was never caught, or even identified, leading to speculations about a possible supernatural origin. The director blends African mythology with the serial killer and otherworldly elements, not to mention a love for the Western genre, to great effect. The fact that Wendy and Ben are such sad people adds much pathos; if Ben can be considered a hero, then he's definitely a tragic one. It's easy for the viewer to feel sympathy towards this character. Field and Mokae beautifully perform their parts, and Burke is deliciously sinister. Adding solid support is another departed great character actor William Hootkins, who'd acted in "Hardware" and appears here as Bens' superior. Delivering the exposition in an entertaining way is John Matshikiza, who's magnetic as Joe.
The heavily edited American release of "Dust Devil" really did it no favours; the subsequent reviews then motivated American distributor Miramax to put little effort into promoting it, which further prevented this film from reaching the audience that it deserved. If you are able, track down the multi disc Subversive DVD release (which also includes a few Stanley documentaries, the work print of the film, and the soundtrack on CD); you can then see this offbeat effort the way it was intended.
Seven out of 10.
helpful•154
- Hey_Sweden
- Apr 19, 2014
Details
Box office
- Budget
- £4,300,000 (estimated)
- Runtime1 hour 27 minutes
- Color
- Aspect ratio
- 1.85 : 1
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