Dune Review
6.5/10
In many ways Dune is the antidote to the homogenization of Star Wars today. I don’t think it’s a great film, but it lays the foundations for a unique and compelling world. Denis Villeneuve is one of the best directors in Hollywood. He has a fantastic ability to merge the elements of a crowd-pleasing blockbuster, with a more arthouse approach. I first discovered his work when I saw Incendies. I had no idea what to expect, but it blew me away. Since then, he has managed to balance colossal ambitions whilst still bringing a personal vision to his films. Dune is difficult to review since the story is not yet complete. In a technical sense, Dune is a masterpiece. On the surface the universe it creates drew me in and intrigued me to learn more about it. Unfortunately, I found the film very disengaging from an emotional perspective.
We are introduced to Paul, son of the Duke Leto of House Atreides. Timothée Chalamet is fantastic as Paul, as is Oscar Isaac as his father. They are one of the most powerful families in the universe and are assigned by the emperor to take over from House Harkonnen as rulers of the desert planet Arrakis. The Harkonnen are evil because they are bald. Or are they bald because they are evil? When Paul and his family arrive on Arrakis, the planet is in disarray. They need to form an alliance with the desert people, the Fremen, to maintain control. Arrakis is vital since it is the only place where Spice is found. Spice is the most valuable substance in the universe. It extends human vitality and is critical for interstellar travel. As you can see, there is a lot of world building in Dune, and that is the main issue I have with the film. I understand that it is very difficult to adapt a book with so much lore to incorporate, but the film put so much focus on the background elements and establishing the world to the point where the characters fell by the wayside.
Chalamet is great as Paul, but he’s not a character I especially warm to. He is conflicted about accepting his role as the future of House Atreides and embracing his destiny as “The One.” In the context of Frank Herbert’s novel, his character is compelling and layered since he has a lot more time to develop. Unfortunately, in the film that kind of character is one of the most overused in the genre. The reluctant hero who could be The One can’t help but be compared to the countless other times that trope has been utilized. It’s done well here, but not enough to stick out from the crowd. Jason Mamoa is incredibly entertaining as usual, but he pretty much plays the same kind of guy he’s been playing for years. Rebecca Ferguson plays Paul’s mother Lady Jessica and the dynamic she has with her son helps give the film some much needed heart.
I really wanted to love this film, there is a lot to admire here. It’s a beautifully shot and lovingly crafted story with the makings of a rich cinematic narrative and world derived from great source material. Unfortunately, I felt disengaged from the whole thing. I never felt a reason to care about the characters. I felt like a passive viewer rather than an engaged participant. There are films with complex narratives that can still make you feel like you’re a part of their universe. You connect with the people and understand what they’re going through. Dune has fantastic set pieces and a few really good action scenes, but after watching it I felt a sense of disconnect, like somehow, I’d missed something in the story. Nothing about it is poorly done; everything works as intended; but I still could not feel attached to anything happening on screen.
The Harkonnens as villains are just kind of there. Stellan Skarsgard does a great job as Baron Harkonnen, but I didn’t find their presence interesting. They reminded me of many other villains from other films. All we are told about them is how brutal they are. They are certainly vicious fighters, but I didn’t get much sense of menace from them since they are so faceless. I’m sure they play a much larger role in Part 2, but I didn’t feel like they were very compelling villains since all they do is fight and look scary. We see how they used to rule Arrakis, but then they left it after fighting with the Fremen for many years. It is clear that House Atreides have been sent to Arrakis on purpose by the emperor as a power play. Their influence is far too threatening, even though they seek to unite the various houses, starting with the Fremen. Their power is growing too strong to be ignored. The emperor sends his troops along with House Harkonnen to Arrakis to stage a coup to take back the planet and control of the spice. What spice you may ask? It could be Cumin. I don’t know if Cumin extends human vitality or helps with interstellar travel, but I’m not saying it doesn’t either.
I feel like this narrative would be better suited to a longer form TV Show so we can fully immerse ourselves in this world with minimal compromise. Foundation on Apple TV does a wonderful job adapting a very difficult book series. It gives the world room to breathe. Dune is an odd combination of too much and too little story at the same time. I know it’s a 2-part film, but it felt more like a prologue rather than a full film. It spent 2-and-a-half hours building up and building up, then it just stopped right when it was becoming interesting. I may sound harsh, but it’s frustrating when a director whose work I’ve consistently loved, makes a film I feel so disconnected from.
I completely get why many people love this film. Adaptation wise it is probably the best approach to putting the story on the big screen.. The novel helped lay the foundations for modern Sci-Fi. The sprawling and layered world it created was an undeniable influence on the genre. Villeneuve’s film captures the most important elements of the novel, but for me there is a different approach to reading than watching. There have been so many films that have been impacted by Frank Herbert’s creation, to the point where I found it difficult to separate this film from the countless that were shaped by the novel.
In my head I know that Star Wars borrowed a lot from Herbert, but I couldn’t help being reminded of Tatooine when Paul and Jessica were wandering the desert planet Arakkis. I’m well aware that the novel came first, but when I consciously had to remind myself of that fact it took me out of the film. The political aspects of the story do help separate it from others. Unlike the sterile and awkward politics of the Star Wars prequels, Dune shows a more human side to House Atreides. Duke Leto doesn’t want to dominate Arrakis, he genuinely believes in the cause of uniting the houses.
He wants to utilize the alliance with the Fremen as stepping stones to a better future. That idealism clashing with the tyrannical views of the Harkonnen was an interesting juxtaposition, but it felt a bit too black and white and skimmed the surface rather than presenting two complex ideologies. There is never any doubt as to who is presented as good and who is the obvious villain. Leto is certainly misguided in his attempts to reach out to the Fremen, but I never felt any tension with whether or not to trust him.
I’m still looking forward to Dune Part 2. There is a lot that Villeneuve can do with the series. We need filmmakers like him. He is one of the few who can harness the spectacle of a big budget feature, while still maintaining his creative vision and integrity. It is getting increasingly difficult to stand out as an auteur in the studio system. The budgets grow astronomically out of control year after year, so in return the films need to make millions more to offset those costs. I don’t blame studios for not taking more risks, especially when general audiences have often proven to be disinterested in unique and interesting films. Dune may not be the film for me, but for many it is a wakeup call to Hollywood: a call to take more chances on properties that aren’t comic books.
These are the kinds of films Hollywood needs more of. They won’t click with everyone, Dune certainly didn’t work for me as well as it did for many others, but the fact is it’s a bloody miracle the film even got made. It’s weird, messy, and incomplete but at least it feels like it was made by a filmmaker, not some kind of sterile entertainment algorithm. I wish I could have been more invested in the film itself, but what it represents is important to the industry in the grand scheme of things. Support this film to show the studios we are open and receptive to unique and interesting films. Show them that they should invest more in auteurs and visions, not just the cinematic equivalent of a sugar rush.
