Day 269: Dune: Part Two

I just saw 'Dune: Part Two' about an hour ago and I have to say it was an amazing movie. I seriously doubt any other movies will be able to contend with this one for my favorite of 2024, even if it's only March right now. Denis Villenueve is one of the best directors of our time and I think this is his best movie. I've been following him since 2015's 'Sicario,' going back and forth on which of his was my favorite between 'Blade Runner 2049' and 'Arrival.' He has really carved out a niche for himself as a brilliant sci-fi director. I think something that puts him ahead of other directors is his willingness to bring a mystic quality to the science fiction. He's not afraid to let the fiction lead the science, and embracing that mentality lets everyone involved, from screenwriters to post editors, focus on creating the story rather than trying too hard to make every element of his films make perfect sense. Rather than the lengthy exposition that you might get from a less confident storyteller, the science demonstrates itself, even if the basis of what's going on is left in the dark. It's not easy to tread the fine line between mysterious and hand wavy though. This talent of his shines the brightest in 'Dune' which already has a powerful mysticism of its own alongside interesting technology. Combine these elements with an epic soundtrack and incredible special effects (best worms ever) and you're sure to have an unforgettable movie that is almost 60 years in the making if you count all the previous entries in the lore.

I gotta talk about the worms man. Shai-Hulud has never been cooler. I mean just look at this:

Its like watching a kaiju movie. You can't see them here, but there are Fremen armies on the backs of the worms. They're riding them into glorious combat. Has anybody topped this epic factor? Like honestly. As far as home turf advantage goes, I'm not sure anybody else has it better than the Fremen.

Speaking of, I love how they present Sietch Tabr and the culture of the Fremen. Sadly I couldn't find any stills of it, but there is a massive water reservoir in the underground city that looks exactly like how I imagined it in the books. All the big strokes and little details line up perfectly. The walls are covered in cryptic writings, the people show holy reverence to the water, their elders, and of course Shai-Hulud. Everything is draped in the faith that has been instilled in the Fremen by the Bene Gesserit, even their nonbelievers. Eventually they come to turn this reverence to Paul as well, who becomes Muad'Dib, He Who Leads the Way. This is all mystic, all religiosity that Frank Herbert understood so well, but if you know the story behind it, it becomes clear that it's actually based on the science fiction of Dune and the Bene Gesserit's secret guidance. He blurs the lines between science fiction, spirituality, prophecy, politics, and social order so well. The movie takes this to the next level by creating intense visions, staging rituals and sacred ceremonial rooms, purposefully highlighting the secret origins of their religion, and then contrasting these more murky elements with sweeping shots of the sleek industry that fuels Geidi Prime and the opulence of the Emperor's royal delegations. It's hard to wrap my head around how they have combined so many cultures and technological backgrounds all in one go.

I guess my only complaint is that I could tell they really shied away from some of the Islamic influences you can find in the book. They refuse to mention the word jihad for example, even if that's exactly what's happening and everybody in the books calls Paul's war a jihad. Maybe it doesn't make much difference, but it's just funny to hear them stumble over 'holy war' when every other word they say is obviously influenced by Arabic or just straight up Arabic words like 'Mahdi.' I can't really say the filmmakers ignored the influence, because hey, look at this!

But that's kinda all it amounts to. Hey, look at this. Now definitely don't talk about it or anything.

There's a general vibe, I guess? Lots of the words are taken directly, and clearly the set design and costumes were heavily influenced. But then they leave out the more 'testy' stuff Herbert included, especially centering around jihad. Obviously these decisions were influenced more by fear of a certain audience than loyalty to the source material, which is ironic seeing as fear is the mind killer after all. The absence just makes it all the more glaring for anybody who read 'Dune' though. It's like they wanted to have their cake and eat it too.

It's honestly a pretty small complaint in the grand scheme of things. There's not much else I could even attempt to nitpick. The book is faithfully adapted otherwise and I even thought the changes they did make added to the story rather than subtract from Herbert's vision. It's so nice to see it on the big screen too. Those other movies had their moments but it's hard to even compare them to this epic creation.

Anyway, enough gushing. I guess you should just go see it before it's too late!

Thank you for reading,

Benjamin Hawley