Dune (2021)

Dune is a science fiction/fantasy film that is operating on a scale grander than almost any other movie these days. Almost every aspect of the film is spectacular (as in being a spectacle to watch); the costumes, the production design, the cinematography, the special effects are all first-rate, and they must have been quite astonishing on a big screen. Many of us has to watch it on our televisions at home during the days of the pandemic, but doing so didn’t fully detract from the awe-inspiring imagery that Dune displays.

By the way, I guess we are probably supposed to be calling this film Dune: Part One now instead of Dune, but it was mostly advertised at the time as just the single-word title. I don’t particularly like when filmmakers retroactively decided that the name of their film is something different from what it was called when it was initially available. Yes, I’m referring to people like the makers of Star Wars (1977), who now insist that it’s Star Wars Episode IV: A New Hope. No, it’s not, and Dune is not going to become Dune: Part One in the minds of many viewers (like me).

The 2021 film (not to be confused with the 1984 film of the same name) engages in a lot of world-building. I’ll not be completely able to summarize the plot given how dense and detailed it is, and so many small details are so intriguing to observe that probably aren’t truly essential to the plot. In a sense, it’s a film about colonization and who has the rightful control or ownership over a desert planet named Arrakis. It’s home to this spice that’s very valuable, one that’s harvested for its hallucinogenic properties as well as its uses in traveling from planet to planet. Very versatile stuff, it seems. The spice seems to be embedded in the sand of the desert and has to harvested by being vacuumed up. Inhaling the stuff all the time makes the eyes of the native people of Arrakis a lovely shade of blue.

The Emperor – why is it always an emperor in these science fiction films? – gives Oscar Isaac’s Duke Leto Atreides control of the planet as a replacement for the evil and scheming Baron Vladimir Harkonnen (Stellan Skarsgard, looking rather disgusting in an enormous body suit). Of course, it’s all a bit of a set-up for an invasion by Harkonnen’s armies, and the Duke has to sacrifice himself in an attempt to get rid of the Baron. This is probably where many people start nodding off. Honestly, it’s all rather silly, isn’t it? Different groups want control of the planet, including the native Fremen (make of that name what you will…). There are so many betrayals and suspicions that it’s hard to keep track of what’s going on unless you are a hardcore fan of the Frank Herbert novel upon which the movie is based or you take very good notes as the story progresses.

The Duke’s son, Paul (Timothee Chalamet, whose gorgeous hair deserves an Oscar on its own), starts to work with the Fremen to help them regain control over their planet. He’s gifted with mental (and spiritual) powers that allow him to see visions of the future, and he’s not particularly excited about some of the bloody war imagery that keeps popping up in his head. He also keeps seeing Zendaya, who plays the character of Chani, a Freman who shows up near the end of the film. It seems that Paul is some sort of prophesied “chosen one” (be wary of the appearance of anyone called that!), and he has to take some time to convince the others that he’s truly not just interested in becoming the new duke and taking over Arrakis.

Rebecca Ferguson plays Lady Jessica Atreides, Paul’s mother who taught him the ways of the Bene Gesserit, a society of women led by someone called the Reverend Mother (again, be very wary…). The powers that Paul possesses are meant to be reserved just for women, and Lady Jessica has violated the initial prophecy by giving birth to a son instead of a daughter who would then give birth to a son who would then be the prophesied chosen one. Right. There’s a lot of mythology to absorb here. I couldn’t necessarily remember all of the twists and turns that the plot takes, and I don’t know how faithful it is to the original novel, but you can certainly sense that the film is commenting on bigger issues here. You don’t center your story around a character who’s supposed to be a savior without trying to suggest something about saviors more generally.

What I kept coming back to instead of the specifics of the plot was the imagery, the very beautiful scenes that have led this film to be compared to Lawrence of Arabia and The English Patient in terms of its look and its large scope. The pace is rather unhurried, so we have time to learn how the suits worn by everyone in the desert really work. It’s kind of fascinating to contemplate the engineering it would take to convert sweat into water for staying cool. The slower pace of the film also helps to build tension, so that when a giant sandworm erupts from underground, it takes on even more resonance visually.

Dune features a lot of famous actors, but many of them don’t survive Part One. I mean, this is a movie that includes performances by Jason Momoa and Charlotte Rampling, Javier Bardem and Josh Brolin, and seemingly hundreds of others. Chalamet is good as always in the central role of Paul, and Isaac brings his usual charm and skill to the role of the Duke. It would have been nice to have seen more of Zendaya’s Chani during the film; she’s really just there as someone from Paul’s future, and we have to wait until Part Two for her to have a more fully realized character.

Speaking of Part Two… I have seen it, yes. It didn’t necessarily make anything clearer. I even rewatched Part One before going to see Part Two, and a second viewing still left me disoriented at times from trying to recall who was who and which side they were on. I don’t know that such considerations are really the key to the success of the first film, though. Epics tend to be a success if they blend the large picture and the small moments, when they attempt to make a grander statement rather than ensure that we understand each detail along the way. In terms of just sheer moviemaking skill, Dune is a stunning epic.

Oscar Wins: Best Achievement in Sound, Best Achievement in Visual Effects, Best Achievement in Production Design, Best Achievement in Music Written for Motion Pictures/Original Score, Best Achievement in Film Editing, and Best Achievement in Cinematography

Other Oscar Nominations: Best Motion Picture of the Year, Best Achievement in Makeup and Hairstyling, Best Achievement in Costume Design, and Best Adapted Screenplay