Dune Part 2 is The Best Adaptation of the Novel You Will Ever See
Source: IMDB
Dune is one of the greatest works of science fiction. Frank Herbert’s classic is unrivaled in its influence on other works, including George Lucas’s legendary Star Wars. The novel is rich in religious and intellectual complexity, draws upon ecology, European feudalism, Arab culture, Islam, Buddhism, and the geopolitical experience of the Persian Gulf. Very few books of any genre can match its keen insights into religion, power and human nature.
It is also cold, dry, humorless and a touch uneven in its pacing. It’s characters are not relatable, lovable, inspirational, or heroic in the traditional sense. The book touches the third rails of politics and religion in an era where many have had enough of both in their entertainment.
It is for these reasons that some, including myself, felt that the novel would not adapt well to a cinematic format. It’s nearest analog, Game of Thrones, was adapted to a TV series, fitting entire books into ten episode seasons. This adaptation worked extraordinarily well and it is likely it would work well for Dune.
In most respects, skeptics like me were wrong. I still hold to the belief that Dune would make for a better dramatic TV series on HBO then a movie series, but Denis Villeneuve’s film adaptation is exceptional, staying true to the source material, the themes, and devoting itself to the heart of Frank Herbert’s classic.
Upon first viewing, it was a theatrical experience that stands head and shoulders above all science fiction films of the past few years. It is smarter than all of the pulpy, young adult focused, Saturday morning cartoon, modern messaging, CGI overloaded films of our time.
It is sad but we are indeed in an era of spoon-fed, cookie-cutter drama that is afraid to take its audience seriously. Most films are targeted at young adults and teens, with no desire to challenge them to grow up or discern the mysteries of life. Instead, problems are simple and solved by strong and likable heroes. Protagonists are strong from the start and need only tap into their raw talents and specialness to overcome mustache-twirling, one-dimensional villains.
Paul Atreides stands as polar opposite to the modern hero in that he is no hero. He is not an antihero either. Paul’s journey is one of revenge, exploiting his carefully engineered bloodlines and years of training from his mother, a Bene Gesserit concubine and Reverend Mother. His journey unleashes a holy war that consumes the Imperium, slaughtering millions upon millions of people.
His enemy is villainous, with no redeeming qualities or moral complexity. The Harkonnen are an embodiment of the worst secular powers: tyrannical, ruthless, brutal, but also clever, conniving, and duplicitous. They align their self-interests with the more neutrally presented Padishah Emperor, who is certainly not neutral in reality. No one is what they seem. All are schemers seeking to advance their own interests and those of their Great House.
The superhero franchises lack anything of such sophistication. Science fiction has also largely failed, both in film and television, to produce anything like it. Game of Thrones is the closest from the fantasy genre. When it was executed properly, it was the most popular show on television. Science fiction has been looking for its own Game of Thrones for decades, unable to replicate Frank Herbert’s masterpiece.
Dune Part 2 completes the story of the first novel, and I do not think it could have been done any better. Villeneuve captures the dark brooding Paul Atreides/Maud’dib, the complex themes of the novel, combined with unrivaled visual and audio effects. See the movie in IMAX if you have not already.
The casting turned out to be well done. I had my doubts about the two leads: Timothee Chalamet and Zendaya. Chalamet can certainly pull off the sullen, brooding boy but could he be become the fanatical religious and military leader of the Fremen? In Part 2, he admittedly played the part well. Someone with more physical presence and charisma could have taken the character in a different direction, one I would liked to have seen, but there is no doubt Chalamet’s depiction is true to the character.
I did not like Zendaya’s casting as Chani when it was announced. Part 1 confirmed some of my concerns. Her attempt at an intimidating glare came off more as the scowl of a brat, as did her out-of-place soft, over-civilized voice and appearance. She did not look like a warrior of the desert in Part 1. In Part 2, she still didn’t most of the time. Apparently Fremen use moisturizers and conditioners.
Having said that, her performance in Part 2 was stronger. She was able to project a more authentic ferocity in key scenes, looking less like a first world influencer dropped in the desert. Still, in later combat scenes she looks like a tiny girl doing cosplay in oversized armor.
Some of the strongest scenes of this film take place on The Harkonnen planet Geidi Prime with Austin Butler’s terrifying and psychotic Feyd Rautha in the center. He nailed the role. Villeneuve also nailed the depiction of the Harkonnen planet. The black star, the lack of color in the outside environment, were brilliant ideas and well executed.
Florence Pugh and Christopher Walken did not have much to do in this film but played their parts well enough. Rebecca Ferguson as Lady Jessica morphed herself into the schizophrenic Reverend Mother, speaking for herself and her conscious unborn daughter Alia.
I do not understand the casting of Anya Taylor-Joy as Alia. She is in the movie for a mere instant. I guess Villeneuve assumed he is getting a third movie.
Some of the story changes made sense, to simplify the plot and get it to fit the two and a half hour runtime. It would have been great to see more of Alia. It would have been great to see more of the Harkonnens, in particular the interactions between the Baron and Feyd. I also believe Rabban was cut down a little too much. He should have been more menacing rather than constantly depicted as a bumbling, over-excitable idiot.
I also have a problem or two with the ending but won’t spoil them here.
Finally, the music, sound effects, and visuals are all premium, surpassing anything I’ve seen in sci-fi in years. It is notable the film’s budget comes in significantly lower than the last dozen or so Marvel films, or the last few Star Wars films.
Dune is an extraordinarily well-made adaptation of Frank Herbert’s masterpiece. It is probably the best I will ever see in my lifetime. The few flaws in the two films combined largely stem from its close adherence to the source material. In other words, most issues come from the novel, not the film adaptation. Like Peter Jackson in his making of the Lord of the Rings, certain story changes and compromises are needed to make it fit the format but I largely understood them in Dune.
This movie is worth seeing in theaters at least once. It very well could be the best movie you see this year and certainly the best science fiction film you will see for a good long while. It is my hope that it raises the bar, setting a new standard for the genre and getting us out of this adolescent, CW era of speculative fiction.
It is time to grow up.