Dune: A Mixed-Bag Sci-Fi Film Full of Interesting Ideas

 Dune: A Mixed-Bag Sci-Fi Film Full of Interesting Ideas

Note: This is a review of the film Dune directed by Denis Villeneuve, not the 1965 novel it is based on. You can find a review for Frank Herbert's original novel here.

One of the most worrisome aspects of an adaptation is the accuracy to which it will display the same themes, ideas, and plot-relevant details of the original work. Sometimes, works can remain almost entirely faithful to the source material, as transpired in The Hunger Games films based on the book series of the same name. Other times, an adaptation can retain the spirit of the original while changing events drastically, such as Amazon's adaptation of the comic series The Boys. But, when dealing with a work where heavy themes are of major importance, it is, in my opinion, best to retain as much of the original structure of the work as possible. Otherwise, there is always the threat that the translation of the work's original purpose doesn't make it into the minds of an audience experiencing the story in a different medium.

Dune manages to alter a few aspects of Frank Herbert's original story while retaining the themes and ideas of the original work. However, there are also aspects of the adaptation that have stifled the ideas of the original, with some of said aspects being out of the filmmaker's control. Dune tells the story of Paul Atreides, a young man who is struggling with strange dreams while his family, a noble House in the known galaxy, prepares to leave their home planet of Caladan to embark on a journey to the desert planet Arrakis. Paul's father, the Duke Leto Atreides, has been placed in charge of the planet's spice collection. Arrakis is home to particular spice that allows for interplanetary travel, as well as revitalization of human youth and vitality. It is the only planet where such spice can be found, making it an important political stronghold for the Emperor of the Known Universe, who had sent the Atreides there.

But, as the family begins to prepare the planet for spice harvesting, Paul begins to have strange dreams that he believes are some sort of prophecy. These dreams are accompanied by the strengthening of Bene Gesserit power within Paul. His mother, Leto's concubine Jessica, has been training Paul in the ways of the Bene Gesserit, a group of women who manipulate politics in the galaxy behind the scenes for their own ends. But this puts Paul in danger, especially when, upon arriving in Arrakis, the local peoples of the planet, known as Fremen, begin referring to him as the Lisan al Gaib, a messiah of sorts whom Fremen believe will lead them to freedom from oppression by the off-worlders that have ruled over them for generations.

As it stands, Dune is a serviceable adaptation of Herbert's original novel. That isn't to say that it's perfect, but it does a good job at establishing its universe and getting the audience to care about the major characters. Everyone is cast rather well, with a rather strong performance by Timothée Chalamet as Paul. There is a certain expressiveness to the cast that, despite the serious and dark tone of the film, makes for some smile-inducing interactions between the characters. It's admirable to see how every single actor puts their all into the film, bringing each of their characters to life in fresh, unique ways. I especially enjoyed seeing Jason Mamoa as Duncan Idaho, one of Paul's mentors. The chemistry between him and Paul isn't an overarching part of the film, but it's always nice to see the two of them onscreen. The same goes for the relationship established between Leto and Paul, with a very nice line delivered by the former--played by Oscar Issac--that clarifies their relationship as father and son.

What I appreciated the most about the film, however, was just how faithful to the source material everything was. Terms, technology, even a few lines in the film ripped straight from the book were very well-executed. It offered a massive amount of suspense during moments where it was needed, but also gave the film a familiarity to it that I appreciated immensely. A work like Dune would be difficult to change dramatically without losing the spirit of the work, so seeing a multitude of familiar events and lines tell me that director Denis Villeneuve plans to take his adaptation in the direction of the book, both event-wise and thematically. The execution of these themes were also well done, with just enough spectacle to showcase the world of Dune in a more theatrical light while simultaneously harkening back to many of the anti-messiah ideas seen in the original novel (which I talk about more in my post linked above).

The effects were also beyond fantastic. The sheer scope of Arrakis, technology like the ornithopter being brought to life. The sandworms, massive in size and terrifying every single time they're onscreen. Dune manages to capture its universe, and most especially the world of Arrakis, with stunning accuracy to the vision Herbert planted in my head the first time I read the book. Despite a reliance on CGI at times, which often felt necessary, everything in the world of Dune felt real. The effects only added to scenes of danger and intrigue throughout, bolstering the actual story being presented while fleshing out the world with its mere presentation. Many of these effects are also accompanied by beautiful cinematography that captures the world alongside its characters in a way that grabs viewers' attention. Out of every film from Villeneuve that I've seen, Dune might have some of his best camerawork.

But all of this doesn't mean Dune isn't a flawed film. Though it's arguable that much of this comes from the nature of the novel. What makes the novel Dune so fantastic is that Frank Herbert wrote every sentence as though it had a purpose. There isn't a single sentence in all 800 pages of the novel that could be removed or considered as fluffing up the page count. It's all necessary. Which can make it difficult for a two-and-a-half-hour film adaptation to decide what should stay in the final product and what should get cut. Luckily, Villeneuve kept many of the most important parts of the novel in the final adaptation. Though, in so doing, he had to sacrifice the development of a multitude of characters, including one whose importance feels understated in the film as compared to the novel. It's unfortunate, yes, but it also appeared necessary. Even so, as someone who has read the book multiple times, it feels a bit disheartening to know that many people who see the movie will never read the original, and will therefore have different, less nuanced opinions about some characters or events than a book reader might.

Luckily, Dune is not an adaptation of the full novel, but rather stops a little past the halfway point (and at a pretty appropriate place). While this is made obvious with the title card for the film reading Dune: Part One, the end of the film also establishes this as the first half of a much larger story that is going to be completed in another film of approximately the same length. But this also means that, for anyone wanting to go into the film with a full grasp of Dune's story, you're bound to be severely disappointed. This is especially true with many of the anti-messiah messages in the novel being more present in the second half of the book, and thus not making it into the film adaptation. Sadly, to some extent, this makes the film feel almost pro-messiah, with only little hints of the thematic evolution that will show up in the story's second half. I don't mean to sound prudish when I write this, but the inability to adapt Dune into a single film means many audience members are bound to misinterpret the work and, in layman's terms, just won't get what it's really supposed to be about. From the perspective of a reader, this is a little disappointing, but at the same time understandable, since a faithful adaptation of Dune can't realistically be squeezed into a 150-minute timeframe.

Despite some of its flaws, however, Dune is an enjoyable movie and a near-faithful adaptation of Frank Herbert's novel. While the thematic relevance of the work may be lost on new audiences because of the incompleteness of the story, and while there may be some cookie-cutter moments because of the sheer amount of information conveyed in the novel that can't be translated onscreen, the visual effects, well-acted characters, and engaging story helped make it one of the best adaptations Dune could hope for. I highly recommend seeing it, but to keep in mind that the story is not over, with many engaging developments yet to come in Part Two.

***

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