- Rating:PG-13 (Some Disturbing Images|Sequences of Strong Violence|Suggestive Material)
- Genre:Sci-Fi, Adventure
- Original Language:English
- Director: Denis Villeneuve
- Producer: Dennis Villeneuve, Mary Parent, Cale Boyter, Joseph Caracciolo Jr
- Writer: Jon Spaihts, Denis Villeneuve, Eric Roth
FILM REVIEW BY FRANZ AMUSSEN
DUNE has long been considered an impossible novel to film. Countless directors, writers and ambitious studio heads have looked at turning the landmark 1965 Frank Herbert novel into silver screen gold and passed, and those who did try the impossible, like Alejandro Jodorowsky and David Lynch, failed dismally.
But unfilmable books never remain unfilmable forever. Just look at Lord of the Rings. And now Denis Villeneuve, the French Canadian director behind Arrival, Sicario and Blade Runner 2049 has achieved the impossible and brought this convoluted, daunting and multi-layered story to the screen…and to pretty good effect.
The story unfolds far into the future. 11076AD to be precise. The universe as we know it has devolved into a feudal society ruy by a handful of noble houses vying for supremacy. And at its center lies Arrakis, the most important planet, due to its production of spice, an element which literally makes life possible.
As the story opens, there’s been an imperial decree that control of Arrakis will be taken away from the treacherous House Harkonnen and handed over to its longtime rival, House Atreides. It’s a triumph for the good Duke Leto Atreides (Oscar Isaac), though he and his advisers, played by actors including Jason Momoa and Josh Brolin, suspect they may be walking into a trap.
Timothée Chalamet anchors the picture as the duke’s son Paul, and is a great choice for – a coddled royal heir struggling to find relevance and identity among his elders, who might just be the “Kwisatz Haderach” — that’s Dune-speak for the messiah. Thankfully for the most part, the movie keeps Herbert’s made-up languages to a minimum, and instead delivers what you most want in this story, astonishing visuals making up a hefty and weighty saga with superb sound design, costume design and an hypnotic score from veteran Hans Zimmer. Expect big set-pieces, most notably the attack on House Atreides on Arrakis and when those pesky sand worms make their first appearance.
But despite all the eye candy, the real drama here is internal. The characters are driven by moral codes of duty and sacrifice, which may be harsh and unsympathetic but keep the film very engrossing. Even though the film’s temperature is cold, it still demands awe and respect and you will likely feel yourself immersed throughout it’s more than two and a half hours run time.
Villeneuve opted to split Dune into two movies. This first installment is a largely faithful retelling of a complicated story. He plays up the book’s resonant subtexts of colonial oppression and ecological disaster. And he’s cast some stellar performers (pardon the pun) including Charlotte Rampling and Stellan Skarsgard in smaller roles. Look for Javier Bardem was one of the Fremen, the brutally oppressed Indigenous people of Arrakis, who will play a larger role in part two.
Personally I was not a fan of the book nor Lynch’s incomprehensible 1984 version, but this movie, which is frequently visually staggering, has certainly whetted my appetite for part two – assuming it gets made. Let’s hope the box office returns make that outcome possible. Dune the planet is gorgeous…I wouldn’t mind a return visit.
