I consider myself a geek. Though, apparently I’m the type of geek that just won’t make the time to indulge in science fiction or fantasy novels that focus on political machinations. I have Frank Herbert’s Dune on audiobook and one day I might even listen to it. But until then, I can only go off of the story that David Lynch’s Dune told with weird jumpsuits, bright blue eyes, and sand worms. I never quite understood the story of that bizarre 80s flick, and have been hoping to get a coherent take on the epic story.
Enter director Denis Villeneuve. After handling extensive science fiction projects like Arrival and Blade Runner 2049 with finesse, he attempts to tackle this overly large and expository story that has long been his passion project.
Dune focuses on Paul Atreides (Timothee Chalamet), the son of a noble family that has been entrusted to the stewardship of a hazardous planet called Arrakkis. This planet is important to the all-powerful empire because of its natural resource that the Atreides kingdom has been sent to harvest. Though, this semi-peaceful regime encounters the original settlers of the planet, insanely large sand-worms which easily devour any who dare walk the sands, and the antagonist regime of conquerors known as the Harkonnens.
I’m going to leave it there with the story, because the mythology created here is rife with internal debates within a kingdom, questions of loyalty and sacrifice, concerns about a mysterious and powerful coven, and even throws in a prophecy about the chosen one for good measure. Herbert’s story is too big for any one movie – even this 2 hour 35 minute movie, so there’s something very important for every moviegoer to know…
This is Dune part 1.
Yes. In what seems to be the biggest monetary risk and potentially one of the biggest teases to possible fans, we are only getting part one of two for now. Obviously, part 2 could only happen if this is a financial success, and fingers crossed that it is.
Dividing this movie into two reported halves is a blessing and a curse. It’s a blessing because the grand scale of the story is far too large to summarize into a standard feature film. Truly, it would play best as an HBO miniseries. It has so many characters to juggle, and thankfully many of them get enough time to shine. The curse is that many characters are purposely being held back from the spotlight so they can take the focus further into the story. I never really cared to get into the characters played by Dave Bautista, Javier Bardem, or Zendaya. However, the movie promises bigger things for them in the next film.
I know this is airing on HBO Max, but please go see this on a very large screen with excellent sound. Dune is an auditory dream. Hans Zimmer’s score is a radical departure from his current omnipresent bass-heavy musical tones. Instead it’s more of a Space Last of the Mohicans vibe complete with bagpipes and chanting. On top of that, the sound design is top notch. You feel the inflections of voices. Each explosion has weight to it. Even with much of this movie being deliberately dialogue-heavy, you can feel the scenes in addition to seeing each beautiful shot captured within the frame.
Dune boasts a star studded cast in addition to those I’ve mentioned. It also stars Oscar Isaac, Rebecca Ferguson, Josh Brolin, and Jason Momoa, among several others. Rebecca Ferguson is great in even mediocre movies, but thankfully with Dune she gets the nuanced role as Lady Jessica. I feel this is just as much her movie and story as it is Paul’s. Also, any fans of Momoa will love his role. He brings necessary charisma to a very complex and heavy story.
My biggest issue is that Paul’s journey feels slightly shallow. It could be context I’m missing, and surely his arc has been adapted for countless projects utilizing the hero’s journey. However, I struggle with “chosen one” stories especially when it feels so guaranteed from the beginning. I hope to see his character stumble more in the follow up. Essentially, without an anchor point to the events of those worlds, I found it difficult to emotionally attach myself to what he’s going through.
Dune felt incredibly reminiscent of Fellowship of the Ring in so many ways. The most obvious is that it ends abruptly, teasing the possibility of more. Yet, it also introduced a grander mythology of this universe in ways that didn’t just feel like an exposition dump. It introduces memorable characters who must deal with great tragedies to reach the end of their quest. The scale of the film invites you to take your time in the world and with what you’re experiencing on screen.
Dune will not be for everyone. In fact, for many it will be a tedious bore they consider to be so full of itself. I am in the camp that it treats its audience and the source material with respect. It is the best theatrical experience I’ve had in recent memory. Don’t expect to be spoon-fed. Instead, this will easily need two viewings to take in how it feels first and the story it’s telling second. I wish part 2 started immediately after the credits of this film rolled. I nearly fell in love with this epic, but in all honesty, if it never gets a follow-up, my score would drop due to broken promises. For now, Dune Part 1 gets an A-
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