Dune (2021)

Review

155min

Genre:       Action, Adventure, Drama, Fantasy, Sci-fi

Director:     Denis Villeneuve

Cast:         Timothée Chalamet, Rebecca Ferguson, Oscar Isaac…more

Writers:     Denis Villeneuve, Jon Spaihts, Eric Roth & Frank Herbert

-Synopsis-

The talented son and heir of a galactic noble family is sent to a dangerous planet with his people to bring peace and protect their interests, only to be drawn into a war for the most precious element in the galaxy, as he’s plunged into a struggle which will test his will and forge a path towards destiny in this much anticipated adaptation by the director of ‘Sicario’ and ‘Blade Runner 2049’ of a seminal sci-fi fantasy novel.

Ever since the tale of Christ, and long before, mankind has been taken taken with stories of Messianic figures destined to change the world or even save it, with the ‘chosen one’ paradigm proving so popular in modern film and fiction, no less so than in the 1965 novel ‘Dune’—Frank Herbert’s hugely beloved and influential transcendental tale which effectively gave birth to the ‘Star Wars’ saga, among many others. Now Quebecois director Denis Villeneuve fulfils a lifelong ambition by upping the scale and adding a new metaphysical layer to the paradigm, using his mastery of adapting existing material with style and atmosphere to finally do justice to Herbert’s vision, by blending it with his own.

Timothée Chalamet stars as ‘Paul’ heir to house ‘Atreides’, a talented young noble with special gifts given to him by his priestess mother ‘Lady Jessica’ (Rebecca Ferguson), and the responsibility of rule passed by his father ‘Duke Leto’ (Oscar Isaac), all of them charged with controlling the production of supremely valuable mind-expanding universe-shrinking resource Spice, by pacifying the desert planet of Arrakis—a dangerous world fiercely protected by durable locals the Fremen and ravaged by indigenous giant sandworms, and about which Paul has premonitions and visions of mysterious local ‘Chani’ (Zendaya). But when ‘Baron Vladimir’ (Stellan Skarsgård) of the brutal rival house ‘Harkonnen’ has other plans for his former desert fiefdom, even Paul’s formidable warrior tutors ‘Duncan Idaho’ (Jason Momoa) and ‘Gurney Halleck’ (Josh Brolin) will struggle to protect him, as betrayal and intergalactic politics plunge him into a struggle for survival, sending him on a physical and spiritual journey away from his origins and towards a fabled messianic destiny on the dunes.

Whether by design or circumstance, and unlike the 1984 film adaptation, this version of ‘Dune’ covers only one part (essentially act I) of Herbert’s 1965 source novel—with the second part already in pre-production—which is referenced in the film’s opening credits but for some reason not in its official title and marketing, slightly muddling the expectation for audiences. As such it feels and moves like an origin story, and with a huge amount of exposition to cover over a two-and-a-half hour runtime, it certainly takes its time fleshing out the all-important character dynamics of House Atreides and its young heir burdened with glorious purpose, as a mischievous man once said.

As such this is a moody and measured adaptation which uses oodles of atmosphere and tone to capture the dysfunctional family drama of the novel, plus the crucial political machinations and intricate narrative elements which made the novel a fictional story of galactic imperialism and futuristic feudalism inspired by ancient Asian, European and Middle Eastern history and culture. So it has plenty to say about politics and power, religion and conquest, greed and exploitation, resistance, and the ravaging of the natural world . . . not to mention the very nature of the mind and the power of thought. All of which make the story as timely today as it ever was.

The film’s structure is also not the only divergence from David Lynch’s unique but much maligned 1980s baroque and camp adaptation of Herbert’s book, which is after all one of the most successful and influential science fiction novels ever written, with an army of ardent and unforgiving fans. Thanks to this director’s visionary eye and meticulous nature, plus over three decades of technological evolution, Villeneuve’s take is on another level in terms of its breathtaking scale and design quality. Thanks largely to awe-inspiring sets and production designs combined with phenomenal costumes blending the ceremonial with the rugged and practical, all of which gives the film a sleek but worn real world feudal aesthetic, fusing sci-fi modernism with tradition and function.

Mercifully for a modern blockbuster, this version of ‘Dune’ uses a myriad of practical effects which blend seamlessly with CGI that’s surprisingly sophisticated and naturalistic, giving the visuals a realistic and imposing feel often against the stunning natural backdrop of Jordanian deserts locations in Wadi Rum where the exteriors were shot, all vividly captured in earthy tones by Aussie cinematographer Greig Fraser (Zero Dark Thirty, Rogue One). The circle of style is completed by the music, with maestro Hans Zimmer’s score proving hugely atmospheric and moody, whilst occasionally tense and pulsating to drive the action, and like elements of his ‘Gladiator’ score it takes inspiration from Middle Eastern tones and flavours—although it’s not quite as thematic or memorable as the music from his collaborations with Christopher Nolan.

Despite the scale and spectacle ‘Dune’ is also a character piece, featuring a diverse mix of actors making up an impressively stellar cast with several of the most talked about screen superstars of the day, plus plenty of new faces making their mark, but also a selection of veterans and legends in smaller supporting roles who add plenty of flavour and atmosphere—including the likes of Charlotte Rampling, Stephen McKinley Henderson and Stellan Skarsgård. Ultimately though it’s big current names who must sell the drama, and the likes of Brolin, Momoa and Javier Bardem all do their part, while Oscar Isaac and Rebecca Ferguson as the conflicted parents of the galactic messiah really stand out, adding a legitimate father-son and mother-son layer to the drama. But the film will inevitably stand on the slender yet talented shoulders of its star, and Chalamet carries the weight with grace by bringing across inner conflict, conscientiousness, and determination as the would-be saviour of the piece.

If there’s one major criticism of the film it has to be its structure as an opening gambit of a bigger story—the first chapter of Paul Atreides’s transcendental physical and spiritual martial odyssey through the desert—which flies in the face of audience expectation, so more a failure of marketing and release which can make it feel like an unfinished movie, leaving you wanting more and anticipating what’s to come but also a little unfulfilled, and hard to judge as a standalone story on its own merits. When combined with an uneven pace and stop/start action, it might make it a challenging film for audiences who don’t subscribe to Villeneuve’s brand of measured and moody blockbuster filmmaking. But if expectations are properly set and you go in with an open heart and an inquisitive mind, you’re in for a rare cinematic spectacle and mesmerising big screen experience.

With part two only in early pre-production and not expected until late 2023 at the soonest, Warner Bros. are hedging their bets on box office results and taking a big risk by not telling the story in one go with a back-to-back production, split into two films ala ‘Avengers: Infinity War/Endgame’, or three like the ‘Lord of the Rings’ trilogy. Particularly at a time when the industry is in turmoil and flux and where anything can happen to derail Villeneuve’s vision, so let’s all hope that ‘Dune’ rakes in the cash in spite of a simultaneous release on HBO Max, and that Hollywood finally does justice to Herbert’s beloved and influential novel . . . perhaps paving the way for more of his many adventures on Arrakis.

The Bottom Line…

A tonally mesmerising and visually arresting opening salvo in the cinematic battle to faithfully bring one of the most beloved and influential sci-fi/fantasy stories into the 21^st century, ‘Dune’ proves a triumphant first act of Denis Villeneuve’s Paul Atreides saga and further underlines his reputation as a modern master of cerebral and spiritual blockbuster filmmaking—now all eyes on and fingers crossed for part two, in the hopes that the mind-bending circle of epicness will be complete.

Similar films you may like (Home Video)

Dune (1984)

On the dangerous desert planet of Arrakis, the young heir to a galactic noble house with special gifts and a great destiny is plunged into a desert odyssey, joining forces with the native resistance to free their world from the whims of a brutal rival house, and the conquest of a ruthless galactic emperor intent on hoarding the planet’s priceless mineral.

Directed by David Lynch and starring Kyle MacLachlan, Jürgen Prochnow and Virginia Madsen among others.

Comments

comments

Comments are closed.