(World) building for the future
How Dune could be part of a new era of sci fi
If you’ve ever heard of a ‘movie’, then you’ve heard about Dune from Denis Villeneuve, released in theaters and on HBO Max on October 22nd. Based on Frank Hubert’s iconic 1995 work, Dune hosts a star studded cast with Timothee Chalamet in the lead. With a current revenue of $332.9 million, it’s safe to say that Dune made a mark. However, the movie struggles from the sheer size and depth of the world it tries to convey, as well as its time constraints. In all, Dune has the potential to be a revolutionary new classic- it just needs time to warm up.
Timothy Chalamet portrays Paul, a member of a dystopian universe as created Dune author Velleneuve. Photo credit to LA Times.
Dune follows Little Women star Timothee Chalamet as Paul (yes, the space hero’s name is Paul) of House Atreides, who has just received word from the emperor that their rival house, House Harkonnen, has been stripped of their rule over the planet Arrakis- known throughout the empire as the only planet capable of producing ‘spice’, which is needed for interstellar travel. Arrakis is to be given into the Atreides’ custody instead, potentially making them wealthier than belief. Keeping up? Good. We’ve covered the first 20 minutes.
Paul and his family, along with their envoys, travel to Arrakis, which is revealed to be caught in a power struggle between the custodian families and the Fremen- desert dwelling people with genetic mutations due to their constant exposure to spice. Or in fewer words, a desert dwelling people with an excuse to give Zendaya unearthly blue eyes. Things start going wrong almost immediately for House Atreides as a result of House Harkonnen’s sabotages, but things get even “spicier” when an all out attack is launched.
Dune took on a nearly impossible task when adapting Hubert’s work. Dune (1995) is largely credited with revolutionizing sci fi, and every reader who’s even attempted to break into the book will testify to the impossibly vast and incredibly intimidating worldbuilding. Hubert is first and foremost an ecologist and it shows- every ecological detail of Arrakis is meticulously thought out, and to many’s chagrin, equally as meticulously described. Dune (1995) also has a much broader and more complex political system than other franchises.
Dune’s major impact, however, was in its real world parallels. Hubert’s Fremen are an extremely heavy handed stand-in for Arab people, with Paul living out a colonial fantasy of being accepted as their Messiah. However, rather than being framed as barbaric or savage, the Fremen act as the moral heart of Dune and as Paul’s ethical compass. Paul himself falls prey to a tragic arc, eventually realizing that he has brought no benefit to the universe, is blinded, and abdicates the throne of the emperor. No joy or glory to the white colonizer.
Dune (2021) had a, frankly, overwhelming task to try and adapt a universe of this scale. And to give them their credit, they sure tried their best. Certain aspects are rushed, such as the concept of the Bene Gesserit (an elite order of women with superpowers), and others are discarded. However, Dune is imbued with a deep and earnest respect for the source material. It chafes within its, admittedly long, almost three hours, and drops off just as the action starts to truly ramp up. Don’t worry, Dune: Part 2 will be releasing in 2023, and Zendaya fans will receive more than her seven minutes of screen time in the first installment. Dune can be overwhelming, so by and large I think it was a very strong choice to split the movie in two- however, it definitely cuts off when you’d least like it to. Dune’s unique world and protagonist have the potential to become icons of the science fiction canon, but they’re riding on the second installment- can it justify the wait?
Dune sequel comes out in 2024. Photo credits to Variety.
Personally, I’m very excited. This movie met all my expectations as someone who made it halfway through the book before quitting. Chalamet’s character of Paul had the capacity to be another blank canvas of a white man in space, but Chalamet gives the character surprising humanity. A motif that particularly struck me was how every time Paul was reunited with a friend, he’d immediately sprint to hug them, protocol aside. This small choice instantly endeared me to Paul, who otherwise could have come off as another cookie-cutter protagonist. Paul’s interest isn’t in his strengths, but in his weaknesses, and how he adapts to them, and I can’t wait to see his development in further films. The costume work was incredible, and pulled an incredible amount of weight in character development. The environments were completely CGI, but created with an attention to detail and functionality that can sometimes be lost in high concept films.
In short, should you watch Dune? My view is absolutely, especially with a free student HBO Max subscription from St. Kate’s. Even if you’re not particularly interested in the genre as a whole, I believe we could be watching the rise of a new dominant franchise, akin to A New Hope. Dune bit off a large chunk in trying to adapt Hubert’s work, but so far, they’re chewing it well.
