Once again, audiences solemnly processed into theatres and onto Arrakis, desert planet, for 2021's Dune. The latest adaptation of Frank Herbert's classic Science Fiction novel, a source material which many a talented auteur has attempted and failed to bring to the screen properly, is now brought to us by visionary director Denis Villeneuve. The Canadian filmmaker whose distinctively austere style suited Arrival and Blade Runner 2049 is perhaps ideal for Herbert's thought experiment novel which reads less like an interstellar adventure and more of a sociological treatise. Of all the adaptations, Villeneuve's is the best at intelligibly presenting the novel's complex plot. And yet, the very strengths of Dune make it an unlikely blockbuster and despite a moderate success at the box office I suspect any sequels, if they are produced, won't fare so well financially. While I admire the film's intelligence, its coldness excludes some aspects of human nature and, in so doing, ultimately weakens Herbert's complex argument.
The story follows a noble family in the distant future in which an interstellar empire is comprised of several ducal families ruling at the behest of a central government. At the head of this government is an emperor, a figure left unseen in this version. The protagonist is Paul (Timothee Chalamet), heir to the powerful Atreides family, headed by Duke Leto (Oscar Isaac). After the sinister Harkonnen family are kicked off of Arrakis, the Emperor orders the Atreides family to take over spice mining on the desert world.
But all is not as it seems as many interests behind the scenes are carefully manipulating events to their advantage. One of the more interesting is the Bene Gesserit, a powerful religious institution that has mastered forms of hypnotism. Herbert's interesting commentary on organised religion seems primarily based on the Catholic church and one of the more fascinating aspects of the story is the order's psychic infiltration of the religion of the Fremen. Arrakis' native culture who manage to survive in its harsh desert environment, their beliefs centre on the coming of a messiah, a figure who happens to seem a lot like Paul. One might compare this grand manipulation as something like Christian missionaries modifying the beliefs of pagan cultures in the British Isles or Scandinavia to align with Church doctrine.
One of my two favourite casting choices in Villeneuve's film is Charlotte Rampling as the Bene Gesserit Reverend Mother. She plays the role with an appreciable aura of tenacity and pragmatism.
My other favourite is Stellan Skarsgard as Baron Vladimir Harkonnen. His subtle, sensitive performance gives the impression of a man with layers of cunning and malevolent strength, very different from the cackling gasbag in the David Lynch version.
Timothee Chalamet as Paul and Rebecca Ferguson as Jessica, his mother, are perfectly good, despite the fact that she's only twelve years older than him. They're an effective duo as they flee across the sands from a sudden attack.
Dune is cold and intellectual and that's why it will never be able to compete with Star Wars. And yet, the environment presented in A New Hope is, in its way, more complex than even Herbert's complex tale. People have been talking lately about Dune's influence on Star Wars, of course, but there are a lot of things Star Wars was clearly influenced by and I would say the primary two are Akira Kurosawa, which is well known, and Doctor Who, which isn't talked about at all. But I've long argued the influence is undeniable, especially from the Third Doctor story The Monster of Peladon. Arguably, with its story of an Emperor and politically vying factions, Monster of Peladon was probably influenced by Dune. But Monster of Peladon has a clear Darth Vader character, more of an adventure serial atmosphere, and livelier banter, so my suspicion is that Lucas may not have read Dune and unknowingly drew indirect influence from it via Monster of Peladon.
In any case, one of the things about Kurosawa that influenced Lucas was the fact that he could watch a period film like The Hidden Fortress and understand the story despite not knowing the cultural significance of many of the things he saw. So in the first Star Wars film, we have a story that proceeds briskly along through elements that are never explained to us--like the fundamental nature of droids, the backstories of the Jawas or Sand People, or any of the myriad peoples and organisations we see in Mos Eisley. Dune's austerity comes at the cost of this complexity. But that complexity is life and, as such, Dune's argument lacks a fundamental component.
Likewise, the simplicity of Paul's character undermines the story a little. In Star Wars, we understand Luke not just as a chosen one or a hero, but as a boy who likes wasting time with his friends at Tosche station. He likes ships and has a toy he plays around with while talking to his droids. He looks at the two suns and dreams of getting off of Tatooine. In the new Dune movie, Paul talks about not being sure if he wants to be Duke but we don't get a sense of what he does want, either in terms of his destiny or just what he likes to do in his free time. But that would almost seem out of place with the minimalist sets which seem to demand no character exceed the bounds of a hypothetical construct for a political parable.
So, while this may be the superior film, I hope you'll not think me a David Lynch simp for saying I still prefer Lynch's version. It's true, the ending of Lynch's film isn't just a mess, its message is uninteresting and directly opposite to Herbert's more fascinating argument. But Lynch, particularly in the first third of the film, breathes life into the material, creating a genuine sense of weirdness and other-worldliness from how bizarrely disgusting his Harkonnens are to how deeply strange his spice pilots are. In comparison, Villeneuve's austere production design brings to mind a chic restaurant or an Apple store more than something truly futuristic or alien. That's also why I think Blade Runner 2049 is a stronger film than his Dune because it inherits some of the cultural clutter of the first Blade Runner movie.
Villeneuve's Dune is a finely polished stone. But maybe some rough edges might've helped it.
Twitter Sonnet #1517
Detected flames were fish behind the eyes.
Above the tower, glass reflects the land.
Her dancing steps became a row of pies.
The hourglass reflects a word in sand.
The letter found its place beside the blade.
The random tree was red in verdant woods.
Converging lines of heat illume the glade.
The words beneath leaves conceal the goods.
To break lecture's stride we pause for verse.
Imperfect strands ennoble woven hats.
But where's the topper gone to shelter curse?
We all persist beneath the welcome mats.
The desert houses worms and suits.
A stretching shade condemns the feeble roots.
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