Franchise is the mind killer, but pure filmmaking is the confidence creator.
Acting as a rebuilder, “Dune” is an adaptation of the 1965 book of the same name by Frank Herbert. It isn’t to be confused with David Lynch’s adaptation in 1984. This new version comes from Denis Villeneuve, director of “Blade Runner 2049” and “Arrival.” Currently playing in theaters and on HBO Max, it was written by Villeneuve, Jon Spaihts and Eric Roth.
Set on the arid desert planet Arrakis in the year 10191, the film follows Paul Atreides, the son of the Duke of the House of Atreides that rules over the planet Caladan. They have been given permission by the Padishah Emperor Shaddam IV to oversee the spice operations on Arrakis, as it is the most important import in the universe.
But with the native Fremen and the sinister House Harkonnen, obtaining the spice and living on Arrakis will be hard for Paul and the Atreides.
“Dune” is a masterwork in large and political science fiction. It is able to adapt the novel as best as it can to film, while making a strong case for future films. Its large scale and incredible execution make it worth seeing in as big of a theater as possible.
The film has a huge cast. Some of the notable names include Timothée Chalamet, Rebecca Ferguson, Oscar Isaac, Josh Brolin, Stellan Skarsgård, Stephen McKinley Henderson, Jason Momoa and Zendaya, along with many more.
Everyone is perfectly casted in this film. Examples include Chalamet’s young and inexperienced Paul, Isaac’s stoic and sensitive Duke and Skarsgård’s gross and intimidating Baron. Each performance matches each character expertly, as they fill the shoes of the novel’s characters exactly to the measure.
The cast and direction match the tone, characters and plot perfectly, especially against the nigh impossible job of adapting a huge, complex and nuanced work of literature. But the film manages to do so well, especially with the decision to only adapt about half of the first book. This allows the film to take its time, letting the characters, story and worlds breath without disorienting the audience.
There are a few things lost in the transition to screen. Some scenes from the book are cut and the microscopic level of detail can’t be replicated. But the film acts as a great companion piece to the book, as it is able to bring most of the book and the detail inside to the big screen. Villeneuve and his writing team deserve all the praise in the world for doing as excellent a job as they have.
It does such a great job bringing the book to film because it understands what makes the book work. The book is a grand sci-fi epic filled with twists and turns, large action set-pieces and extreme power dynamics, which the film mostly captures. It truly grasps the nature of the book, in turn creating a worthy adaptation.
The movie does this through its scale. The film is huge and grandiose, both literally and metaphorically, and tackles elements of political maneuvering and how power balances can shift at a moment’s notice.
It does this throughout the film, with meetings and actions that have larger implications on the whole than they would normally seem. For example, a meeting between the Duke and a Fremen leader, Stilgar — played by Javier Bardem — has huge impacts, even though all they do is spit on the ground.
Another way in which this is presented is through the importance of water, which is conveyed as not only a necessary but a delicate resource on the planet. The spitting that takes place is an indication that they are willing to offer something as valuable as life in respect during the meeting.
Events like this occur throughout the film, and it captures the large-scale political motivations that underscore the narrative. It’s about how the micro affects the macro, which the film conveys extremely well.
On the literal side, the film is huge. The sets, ships and sandworms are gigantic in size, not only filling the entire screen but minimizing the characters too. It leaves audiences in awe, especially in a movie theater, as everything is presented in this grand way.
It accomplishes this through fantastic set designs, wonderful ship designs — the ornithopter looks better than any ship in any recent space film — and detailed special effects, which can be seen best on the sandworms.
Along with that, the film has a classic, dirty and “lived in” look to it, with everything looking worn down over time, which fits with the nature of the otherworldly planet. In these regards, the film looks practically and artificially fantastic.
Working with the effects, the cinematography captures the essence of the film and story with incredible visuals. From the detailed close-ups to the sweeping landscapes, this is definitely one of the best-looking science fiction films, and one of the best-looking films of the year. It’s lush, muted and beautiful.
With the landscape shots and the world’s depiction, the score is an incredible complimentary piece to the film. It goes from chants that mix with the desert environment to harsh yet mesmerizing orchestral pieces that go along with the formal nature of the Atreides. It’s a truly great score, and one of the more interesting pieces of music for film this year.
As towards one final note, the editing in this film is great. It sets a great pace as it slowly builds towards everything that the film sets up. It keeps from being boring, especially with the movie’s length — it runs a little over two and a half hours long. It sets a rhythm for the film, especially counter to the film’s anti-rhythm stance. It’s able to keep that pace and tempo without succumbing to the sandworms.
“Dune” is a primary example of how to accomplish large-scale, intellectual science fiction. It is able to relay the events of the book without feeling like just a rehash of material. It takes the time to properly introduce and develop the story and characters, thus marking it as one of the best adaptations in recent memory.
Denis Villeneuve portrays extreme confidence in this film. This is shown immediately in the title card, which reads “Dune: Part One.” At the time, a second film hadn’t even been greenlit by Warner Bros.
But he knew that what he had was special, and that kind of confidence in film drives creative passions. It is one thing to be confident, but it’s another to have the product succeed. In this case, “Dune” delivers on both of those aspects.
With the sun rising on the horizon, we just need to wait to see what the heat of the day will bring. Hopefully, the filmmakers are able to continue telling this story.
Like the desert mouse the Maud’Dib, even the most unlikely of creatures can survive the desert.
4.5 of 5 Torches
