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It bothers me
Photo from arsTechnica.
The last couple of months in California have been a nightmare because of the raging wildfires in the mountains, causing the smoke and ash from the sierras to pollute the air quality in the cities. I would walk out of my house to take out the trash and see the ash piling up on the car. I know in the United States; we loathe masks, but I can’t think of a better time to not wear one. Why would anyone breathe those fumes?
Regardless, it’s a lesson many of us can learn, and it’s something future generations will deal with, as they harvest fumes deadlier than ash and smoke.
Dune 2021 takes place in the year 10901 in a galaxy far, far away. The two factions, Atreides and House Harkonen, fight for the spice mélange on the planet Arrakis, ran by the Freman: dark-skinned individuals with sparkling blue eyes. Those two have been fighting over the mélange like the populace in South Park, who wanted Tom Brady’s special spice. The leader of the Atreides, Duke Leto, played by the posturing Oscar Isaac, who takes his concubine Lady Jessica, played by the frail Rebecca Ferguson who wields the Bene Gesserit and the voice—and son Paul Atreides, depicted by pretty boy Timothee Chalamet who bears his mother’s skill. Lady Jessica’s the voice is the power to control others by the pitch of your vocals. You can describe it as the force from Star Wars. Speaking of Star Wars, it’s a film that draws heavy inspiration from Dune. For example, you have Paul who is Luke Skywalker, and the voice which is the force.
Photo from Geekculture.co.
Years since Frank Herbert released Dune in 1965, Dune accumulated a fan base of similar caliber to Star Wars. No matter how big those two fan bases are, we need to remember that Dune came first. It’s not surprising if you see a grown man dress like an oversized sandworm at a convention.
Dune 2021 is a gorgeous film that captures the book well. The scorching deserts of Arrakis stretch for miles, and the landscapes between the sand shine bright with vivid backdrops. Director Denis Villeneuve, who’s known for that 2014 Jake Gyllenhaal flick Enemy with the terrifying ending, did a remarkable job and was an excellent pick to capture the vast world of Dune.
Photo from Dunenewsnet.com.
I noticed most of the characters in the movie wear black, but good thing world they inhabit balances the bleak clothing. Maybe everyone in the future enjoys wearing black because they’re all goths who despise any other shades of color?
Dune 2021 portrays the novel shot for shot, and it’s great the movie doesn’t take much away, but it’s bothersome. You may say, Alexander, it retells the book verbatim, what’s your problem? It’s a full-on retelling, that’s where the dilemma lies. Little subtle changes to the story would’ve helped. For example, the writers can fix the conflict with the Harkonnens. The Harkonnens got insufficient development in Dune 2021 compared with the novel. In the novel, we understand the Harkonnens objectives, and why they dislike Atreides. Dune 2021 had scenes with the Harkonnens, but they’re few to count, and don’t showcase House Harkonnen's hatred of Atreides. Villeneuve and the writers could’ve at least added a bit of dialogue in their parts to understand their purposes instead of painting them as cliché villains.
The characters and our faithful protagonist, Paul, have little to no development and make you think that the characters in the book are dull. They’re not. Dune has intriguing characters who learn and grow. I understand in the book, Paul had little development until the latter half of the story, so I don’t blame the writers. This film is the first part of the original novel, and the director can grow these characters, and make Dune part two a masterpiece.
Overall, Dune 2021 is a beautiful film that captures the vivid detail Frank Herbert told in his novel. It’s a spot-on interpretation of the story, yet it feels burdensome; minor changes to the original version could’ve helped. The characters lack development, but the writers couldn’t do considerable improvement because the characters don’t develop in the first half of the book. In the second part, the writers and Denis Villeneuve have the chance to make a masterpiece that would leave any Dune fan and movie watcher with their mouths agape.
If only Frank Herbert were alive to see it.