The new Dune does not disappoint

I had very much looked forward to the release of French-Canadian Director Denis Villeneuve’s (Arrival (loved it!), Blade Runner 2049) Dune, being a fan of the source material—Frank Herbert’s classic 1965 science-fiction novel of the same name. The alien societies and vivid otherworld settings created by Herbert have long tempted movie makers. However, Herbert’s dense and detailed meshing of politics, ecology, religion, and mythology in Dune has made adaptation of the novel to the screen notoriously difficult. David Lynch’s 1984 attempt makes my list of 10 worst movies of all time (but that’s another post—that film now has a cult following among those who celebrate badness). So, it was with a mix of fear and hopefulness that I entered the theater. There had been nigh 40 years to ponder the mess of ’84; the technology to render the epic alien-desert landscapes and the sand worms of Dune had evolved… I hoped that it would be better. I hoped they could tell the story. I was not disappointed. 

Readers should keep in mind here that I viewed the new Dune having read the novel—twice. So, I was familiar with Dune’s far-future story and vocabulary, the politics of its feudal interstellar society, the waste-land planet at the center of it all, and the power struggle for the planet’s “spice” mineral that supports the galactic empire, allows access to its worlds, and extends the minds and lives of its citizens. Thus, mine is a review from a perspective of familiarity—those less familiar may feel differently about this film. I felt, however, that the early scenes were superb as a concise introduction to the complex sociological and physical settings of Dune—more than satisfying even for the novice viewer. These early pieces efficiently introduce the Noble House Atreides, led by The Duke Leto (Oscar Isaac) and his son Paul (Timothee Chalamet), as they are thrust into a battle for the dessert planet Arakis with its native Fremen people and the former rulers of Arakis, the House Harkonnen. These early scenes have great pace, underpinned throughout by Villeneuve’s epic vistas and Hans Zimmer’s pounding score as they crescendo strongly to a mid-movie battle among the planet’s combatants. Here Dune is just what it should be, big and beautiful… Lawrence of Arabia restructured in a future-universe galactic empire, maintaining feudal-world trappings while traveling at beyond light speed among the Empire’s subject planets... the plot is intriguing and its worlds are spectacular.  

Alas, the ambition and excitement of the first half of the film are not sustained completely in the second. The same, however, can be said of Herbert’s acclaimed novel. In both, the story, after its homeric clash of Houses, slows, even lags in parts, as the details of the motivation of the conflict are laid out; the long-game influence of the Bene Gesserit, a sisterhood of spiritual warriors of which Paul’s mother (Rebecca Ferguson) is one, is explored; and the evolution of Paul as visionary and possible prophesied leader of Arakis and more unfurls. Even in these slow moments, however, the sight and sound of the film are enough to make pleasant the more measured story telling of the film’s second half. The talented cast must be given credit too as a sustaining force, although many—Jason Momoa, Josh Brolin and Dave Bautista--receive modest screen time as the characters of Herbert’s sprawling story enter and exit. Ferguson maybe be the best of the lot as Lady Jessica, torn between her desire to protect her son Paul and the requirements of her shrouded legacy as a Bene Gesserit. Chalamet also excels in capturing Paul's gradual awakening from an occasionally snarky teenage Atreides ruler-in-training to understanding the powers of his other birthright bequeathed to him by his mother. 

In the end… oh, wait… there isn’t an end. Be aware that many of you may be frustrated by the planned installment approach for Dune and the “it’s not really the end” climax. The film does include “Part One” in the title, so we were all warned—think Star Wars, Lord of the Rings, Police Academy. Okay, don’t think about Police Academy too long… just know that there’s a lot more sand to walk through after this first Dune chapter. So, lets try to wrap up again: In the end, which is really “just the beginning”, Dune Part One is substantial and right, even exhilarating, from the casting to its story telling, to its epic scale, and I look very much forward to Part Two. Dune Part One is an 8 out of 10. (Dune is streaming on HBOMax, but it really must be seen on the biggest of screens with the biggest of sound system).