Film Review: Dune (2021)
Mar. 31st, 2022 12:45 am![[personal profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/silk/identity/user.png){kind=small}
rogueslayer452I just realized I never actually wrote my review/thoughts on the new Dune. So, here it is.
Dune (2021) is a new adaptation of Frank Herbert's classic science fiction novel of the same name. As someone who has read the novel, as well as the rest of Frank Herbert's Dune Chronicles, and has seen the other adaptations of Dune (David Lynch's 1984 version and the Syfy Dune and Children of Dune miniseries), I was really looking forward to seeing this new adaptation, and was very curious as to what Denis Villeneuve would do with it.
And I have to say, it absolutely delivered.
I think what makes it work is that Villeneuve gets how the story is supposed to be told. Although I was initially cautious about there being a new adaptation in the works, since Dune adaptations haven't had the greatest track record, reading that he was a massive fan of the novel and his intentions of making it as closely and faithfully as possible really had me optimistic that he was going to do the best he could with the material. Hell, the fact that this movie is only part one of two, since he's splitting up the adaptation, means he understood that this is not an easily adaptable story. Since this film only adapted the first half of the book, which is more or less a lot of information being told, the film manages to capture that by making it a slow-build of setting things up for the eventual payoff in the second part. Which I know some might not enjoy because this is merely setting the groundwork, since yes, the second part is where a lot of the more exciting stuff starts to happen. But what I liked was how Villeneuve understood the importance of establishing certain things, letting us see these characters, the environment, letting us see the scale of what we're dealing with before we get into the second part of the story where it all comes together.
Something that Villeneuve does incredibly well is show us the massive scale of everything, both visually and with the impending doom that lays ahead, and the dangerously inevitable fate that our characters have to endure. Paul especially, with everything he's going through and knowing that he is made for a terrible purpose that he cannot avoid.
As far as critiques go, I do have some, mostly it's just wishing there was a but more emphasis on the rivalry between the royal houses, specifically between the Atreides and the Harkonnens, which plays a massive part in the story. Of course this may very well just be included more in the second part, since we haven't even seen the Emperor yet, nor have we seen Feyd-Rautha, so I bet more of the political aspects will be featured in part two. Aside from that, it's just little things like more time with the importance of how sacred water is to the Fremen (I wished we'd gotten the "he gives water to the dead" when Paul cries after killing Jamis, which adds another layer as to why the Fremen so readily accept him), but again, this could very well be included more thoroughly in the second part, especially once Paul becomes more established with the Fremen. He hasn't even been given his Fremen name yet, so, I'll be waiting for that.
Other things I enjoyed about the film:
** I mentioned previously that the casting was perfect aside from Paul, mainly because I'm very indifferent towards the actor and I couldn't really envision him as Paul, but after watching the movie I think Timothee did a very nice job. He managed to convey Paul's inner struggles with what he was going through, the changes inside of him, his visions, his breakdown in the tent, telling his mother what he saw in his visions, the terrifying realization of the horror he sees of the possible future, of what he must do, "a holy war in my name!", because that is Paul before he goes down that particular inevitable path, before he gets his hands dirty (re: bloody), and at the end of the film when he kills Jamis, the first time he's ever killed anyone, he's walking away slowly, horrified by what he'd just done, the first step towards that path he saw. He really sells it, and it makes me curious to see what he does with Paul in the second part, when he becomes Muad'dib, the Kwisatz Haderach.
** The attention to details, and the foreshadowing. It doesn't make sense if you haven't read the books, but seeing the little things that foreshadow what's to come later (not just in part two, but in future books) makes me all giddy.
** Hans Zimmer went all out with the soundtrack, just knowing the kind of work he put into it and it really shows. I'm hoping he returns to compose for the second part.
** I really loved the way the film opened with Chani's voiceover talking directly to us, the audience, about Arrakis, giving a brief explanation of what the Fremen are dealing with. It gives us the perspective from the Fremen and how the Harkonnens, and now the Atreides, and anyone else who comes to their planet are outsiders, colonizers who just want to take control of their home for the spice. Her voiceover was in the trailers and I wasn't sure if it was going to be featured in the film itself, and I'm glad it was, because it was a nice way of introducing us immediately to the beautiful planet of Arrakis, who the Fremen are, the oppressing nature of the Harkonnens, and then leading into introducing us to Paul and the rest of the Atreides family. It was a beautiful directional choice to make.
** Something I really appreciated is seeing a lot of the character moments, from how loving the Atreides are with each other as a family, the fact that Leto actually says to Jessica that he wished he'd married her (it was his inner monologue in the book, never spoken aloud), we see the affectionate connection between Paul and Duncan, establishing not only that bond but also Duncan's unwavering loyalty to the Atreides. So much is going on in the story, it goes by so fast, but seeing these little moments gives us a better understanding of the characters, their relationships with one another, and how certain ones are strengthened.
** Genderswapping Liet Kynes was an interesting choice, one that I wondered if there was a particular reason why, but then of course obviously it's more of a, well, why not? Nothing about the character changed. The death scene was a bit different, but still effective in how it was done nonetheless. I loved the way it was written in the book, but I also liked what they did in the movie. Very poetic, very much in character.
** WORMS! SHAI-HULUD! THE SMALL GLIMPSE OF WORM RIDING AT THE VERY END! :D
** Small additional things: The way they did the Voice was perfect, appropriately chilling and otherworldly in its presentation. The blue-on-blue Fremen eyes due to the effects of the spice is something I was curious about, since all the other adaptations have had their versions and they varied in quality, but with a large budget and the technology that we have now I was wondering how they were going to achieve the look and I think they succeeded just fine. It's not too bright or too noticeably CGI as the other versions. It looks quite natural while also being strange and unfamiliar, which is the point. The Baron was effectively creepy and frightening. The Bene Gesserit were appropriately mysterious and haunting, and the Gom Jabbar scene was incredible.
My anticipations for part two:
** The second half of the book is where things get really interesting, which I'm excited about seeing how it'll be adapted in this version. Without spoiling anything for non-book readers, I will say I'm really looking forward to seeing more of the characters that we didn't see in this part but I know are very important to the plot. The Emperor, for one, as well as his daughter, Princess Irulan. There's also Feyd-Rautha, and while there are casting rumors about the latter two I do want to say that nothing will top Sting in the 1984 movie as Feyd-Rautha. I'm also curious as to what they'll be doing with Alia, Paul's sister (who we saw a brief glimpse of when he is telling his mother his vision as he knows that she is currently pregnant), because, oh boy, that's going to be difficult to pull off. Also, an appearance from the Guild Navigator. We had the Spacing Guild featured in this movie, but not the Guild Navigator. I want to see what Villeneuve might do with that design, how weird he might go with it.
** Obviously more of Chani is inevitable. I knew going into this part that she wasn't going to be featured much because of it only being the first half of the book, and she doesn't get properly introduced until more or less the middle, which is where this movie ends with. Chani does play an important role in the story, so I cannot wait to see more of her. Also because Zendaya is the perfect choice for Chani and I want to see more of her in action.
** Moreover, I want more of the weirdness in general. I know that it still has to match the tone of this first part, but there's a lot of Dune lore even in the first book that is just plain bizarre and, while this movie delivered on making things seem incredibly strange and from another world entirely, it also features a lot of other things that make it even more so. Considering what the second part will feature, I'm hoping that will at least be more strangeness because that is half of the appeal, at least to me, in regards to the world-building of Frank Herbert's Dune series.
Overall: I absolutely loved this movie. As apprehensive as I was going into it, not really having much expectations aside from hoping that it more or less did the story justice, and it just went above and beyond any expectation I could ever have had. It delivered, at least for adapting the first half of the novel. It's impressive, considering that this is a very difficult book to adapt, and while, as I mentioned, there were things that I kind of wished had made it in or expanded upon to give a little bit more information of this world, I liked what was done with it anyway because it was incredibly atmospheric, it didn't treat the audience like we were dumb, and it treated the source material with respect, and that's all I could ask for, really. So many could get it wrong, or have too many higher ups meddling, but knowing that this is in the hands of someone who is a fan I have faith that he'll do the second part justice.
tl;dr: Denis Villeneuve understood the assignment, as a fan of the book(s) I loved it, and I cannot wait for the second part, and I am incredibly thankful that we are getting the second part.
In addition to all of this, it seems that Dune also swept the Oscars recently, winning six awards in total. It's all technical categories, of course, but considering that performances aside the technical parts of the film were what enhanced the viewing experience, it was well-deserved, especially in regards to cinematography, editing and the score soundtrack (I highly recommend listening to the soundtrack, along with the second soundtrack that Hans Zimmer created as an atmospheric experience to the universe of the film, which is just as epic and otherworldly as the main soundtrack). Whether or not part two will be just as successful in winning Oscar categories, I do think that as a whole this proves the massive success of this film, thus breaking the curse that was upon previous Dune adaptations.
Furthermore, there's talks about the possibility of more adaptations beyond the first book, and I want it so bad. Mainly because the further the books go the weirder and wilder they get, and if this actually does happen I want them to get as far as God Emperor of Dune for, well, reasons.
Dune (2021) is a new adaptation of Frank Herbert's classic science fiction novel of the same name. As someone who has read the novel, as well as the rest of Frank Herbert's Dune Chronicles, and has seen the other adaptations of Dune (David Lynch's 1984 version and the Syfy Dune and Children of Dune miniseries), I was really looking forward to seeing this new adaptation, and was very curious as to what Denis Villeneuve would do with it.
And I have to say, it absolutely delivered.
I think what makes it work is that Villeneuve gets how the story is supposed to be told. Although I was initially cautious about there being a new adaptation in the works, since Dune adaptations haven't had the greatest track record, reading that he was a massive fan of the novel and his intentions of making it as closely and faithfully as possible really had me optimistic that he was going to do the best he could with the material. Hell, the fact that this movie is only part one of two, since he's splitting up the adaptation, means he understood that this is not an easily adaptable story. Since this film only adapted the first half of the book, which is more or less a lot of information being told, the film manages to capture that by making it a slow-build of setting things up for the eventual payoff in the second part. Which I know some might not enjoy because this is merely setting the groundwork, since yes, the second part is where a lot of the more exciting stuff starts to happen. But what I liked was how Villeneuve understood the importance of establishing certain things, letting us see these characters, the environment, letting us see the scale of what we're dealing with before we get into the second part of the story where it all comes together.
Something that Villeneuve does incredibly well is show us the massive scale of everything, both visually and with the impending doom that lays ahead, and the dangerously inevitable fate that our characters have to endure. Paul especially, with everything he's going through and knowing that he is made for a terrible purpose that he cannot avoid.
As far as critiques go, I do have some, mostly it's just wishing there was a but more emphasis on the rivalry between the royal houses, specifically between the Atreides and the Harkonnens, which plays a massive part in the story. Of course this may very well just be included more in the second part, since we haven't even seen the Emperor yet, nor have we seen Feyd-Rautha, so I bet more of the political aspects will be featured in part two. Aside from that, it's just little things like more time with the importance of how sacred water is to the Fremen (I wished we'd gotten the "he gives water to the dead" when Paul cries after killing Jamis, which adds another layer as to why the Fremen so readily accept him), but again, this could very well be included more thoroughly in the second part, especially once Paul becomes more established with the Fremen. He hasn't even been given his Fremen name yet, so, I'll be waiting for that.
Other things I enjoyed about the film:
** I mentioned previously that the casting was perfect aside from Paul, mainly because I'm very indifferent towards the actor and I couldn't really envision him as Paul, but after watching the movie I think Timothee did a very nice job. He managed to convey Paul's inner struggles with what he was going through, the changes inside of him, his visions, his breakdown in the tent, telling his mother what he saw in his visions, the terrifying realization of the horror he sees of the possible future, of what he must do, "a holy war in my name!", because that is Paul before he goes down that particular inevitable path, before he gets his hands dirty (re: bloody), and at the end of the film when he kills Jamis, the first time he's ever killed anyone, he's walking away slowly, horrified by what he'd just done, the first step towards that path he saw. He really sells it, and it makes me curious to see what he does with Paul in the second part, when he becomes Muad'dib, the Kwisatz Haderach.
** The attention to details, and the foreshadowing. It doesn't make sense if you haven't read the books, but seeing the little things that foreshadow what's to come later (not just in part two, but in future books) makes me all giddy.
** Hans Zimmer went all out with the soundtrack, just knowing the kind of work he put into it and it really shows. I'm hoping he returns to compose for the second part.
** I really loved the way the film opened with Chani's voiceover talking directly to us, the audience, about Arrakis, giving a brief explanation of what the Fremen are dealing with. It gives us the perspective from the Fremen and how the Harkonnens, and now the Atreides, and anyone else who comes to their planet are outsiders, colonizers who just want to take control of their home for the spice. Her voiceover was in the trailers and I wasn't sure if it was going to be featured in the film itself, and I'm glad it was, because it was a nice way of introducing us immediately to the beautiful planet of Arrakis, who the Fremen are, the oppressing nature of the Harkonnens, and then leading into introducing us to Paul and the rest of the Atreides family. It was a beautiful directional choice to make.
** Something I really appreciated is seeing a lot of the character moments, from how loving the Atreides are with each other as a family, the fact that Leto actually says to Jessica that he wished he'd married her (it was his inner monologue in the book, never spoken aloud), we see the affectionate connection between Paul and Duncan, establishing not only that bond but also Duncan's unwavering loyalty to the Atreides. So much is going on in the story, it goes by so fast, but seeing these little moments gives us a better understanding of the characters, their relationships with one another, and how certain ones are strengthened.
** Genderswapping Liet Kynes was an interesting choice, one that I wondered if there was a particular reason why, but then of course obviously it's more of a, well, why not? Nothing about the character changed. The death scene was a bit different, but still effective in how it was done nonetheless. I loved the way it was written in the book, but I also liked what they did in the movie. Very poetic, very much in character.
** WORMS! SHAI-HULUD! THE SMALL GLIMPSE OF WORM RIDING AT THE VERY END! :D
** Small additional things: The way they did the Voice was perfect, appropriately chilling and otherworldly in its presentation. The blue-on-blue Fremen eyes due to the effects of the spice is something I was curious about, since all the other adaptations have had their versions and they varied in quality, but with a large budget and the technology that we have now I was wondering how they were going to achieve the look and I think they succeeded just fine. It's not too bright or too noticeably CGI as the other versions. It looks quite natural while also being strange and unfamiliar, which is the point. The Baron was effectively creepy and frightening. The Bene Gesserit were appropriately mysterious and haunting, and the Gom Jabbar scene was incredible.
My anticipations for part two:
** The second half of the book is where things get really interesting, which I'm excited about seeing how it'll be adapted in this version. Without spoiling anything for non-book readers, I will say I'm really looking forward to seeing more of the characters that we didn't see in this part but I know are very important to the plot. The Emperor, for one, as well as his daughter, Princess Irulan. There's also Feyd-Rautha, and while there are casting rumors about the latter two I do want to say that nothing will top Sting in the 1984 movie as Feyd-Rautha. I'm also curious as to what they'll be doing with Alia, Paul's sister (who we saw a brief glimpse of when he is telling his mother his vision as he knows that she is currently pregnant), because, oh boy, that's going to be difficult to pull off. Also, an appearance from the Guild Navigator. We had the Spacing Guild featured in this movie, but not the Guild Navigator. I want to see what Villeneuve might do with that design, how weird he might go with it.
** Obviously more of Chani is inevitable. I knew going into this part that she wasn't going to be featured much because of it only being the first half of the book, and she doesn't get properly introduced until more or less the middle, which is where this movie ends with. Chani does play an important role in the story, so I cannot wait to see more of her. Also because Zendaya is the perfect choice for Chani and I want to see more of her in action.
** Moreover, I want more of the weirdness in general. I know that it still has to match the tone of this first part, but there's a lot of Dune lore even in the first book that is just plain bizarre and, while this movie delivered on making things seem incredibly strange and from another world entirely, it also features a lot of other things that make it even more so. Considering what the second part will feature, I'm hoping that will at least be more strangeness because that is half of the appeal, at least to me, in regards to the world-building of Frank Herbert's Dune series.
Overall: I absolutely loved this movie. As apprehensive as I was going into it, not really having much expectations aside from hoping that it more or less did the story justice, and it just went above and beyond any expectation I could ever have had. It delivered, at least for adapting the first half of the novel. It's impressive, considering that this is a very difficult book to adapt, and while, as I mentioned, there were things that I kind of wished had made it in or expanded upon to give a little bit more information of this world, I liked what was done with it anyway because it was incredibly atmospheric, it didn't treat the audience like we were dumb, and it treated the source material with respect, and that's all I could ask for, really. So many could get it wrong, or have too many higher ups meddling, but knowing that this is in the hands of someone who is a fan I have faith that he'll do the second part justice.
tl;dr: Denis Villeneuve understood the assignment, as a fan of the book(s) I loved it, and I cannot wait for the second part, and I am incredibly thankful that we are getting the second part.
In addition to all of this, it seems that Dune also swept the Oscars recently, winning six awards in total. It's all technical categories, of course, but considering that performances aside the technical parts of the film were what enhanced the viewing experience, it was well-deserved, especially in regards to cinematography, editing and the score soundtrack (I highly recommend listening to the soundtrack, along with the second soundtrack that Hans Zimmer created as an atmospheric experience to the universe of the film, which is just as epic and otherworldly as the main soundtrack). Whether or not part two will be just as successful in winning Oscar categories, I do think that as a whole this proves the massive success of this film, thus breaking the curse that was upon previous Dune adaptations.
Furthermore, there's talks about the possibility of more adaptations beyond the first book, and I want it so bad. Mainly because the further the books go the weirder and wilder they get, and if this actually does happen I want them to get as far as God Emperor of Dune for, well, reasons.
no subject
Date: 2022-03-31 12:13 pm (UTC)(I wished we'd gotten the "he gives water to the dead" when Paul cries after killing Jamis, which adds another layer as to why the Fremen so readily accept him)
Oh wow, I do wish they'd kept that in there.
I'm also very happy they started the movie from the Fremen perspective, not landing us with what are essentially outsiders and occupiers.
I was so excited to get another sci-fi movie by Villeneuve after "Arrival". The way he impacts scale and the immenseness of what you're seeing is impeccable. He's so good at imparting a sense of awe. And Zimmerman absolutely nails it as well. One of my favorite movies now, no doubt.
no subject
Date: 2022-03-31 09:29 pm (UTC)Admittedly I'm not much of a huge movie-goer so I haven't seen much of anything else that Villeneuve has done, only seen via others his what his visuals are like, and he definitely has a kind of style that actually fits perfectly for capturing the depth of Dune. A sense of awe is exactly the right description for it. It makes me excited to see what else he'll bring to the second half of the story.
no subject
Date: 2022-03-31 12:39 pm (UTC)no subject
Date: 2022-03-31 09:32 pm (UTC)no subject
Date: 2022-03-31 04:06 pm (UTC)I actually really didn't like the book much at all (I was a bit annoyed when I realized I had only needed to slog through half of it to prep for the movie), so I was pleasantly surprised how much I loved the film. I think things like how the reframed the opening (with Chani's monologue) made it more compelling, and I also really really appreciated them cutting out the stupid "here let's reveal the entire evil plan and everything that is going to go down" storyline, including the suspecting Jessica plot. Like that was a perfect place to cut for time, even if it serves to emphasize the inevitability of fate.
no subject
Date: 2022-04-01 12:38 am (UTC)It really makes me anticipate part two.
no subject
Date: 2022-03-31 04:50 pm (UTC)no subject
Date: 2022-04-01 12:41 am (UTC)no subject
Date: 2022-04-01 12:47 am (UTC)no subject
Date: 2022-04-01 03:11 am (UTC)The film is just so beautifully shot. I was watching some videos discussing the filming and editing process and what makes particular scenes work, and it makes me better appreciating the film-making process and everything that went into creating this world. It's why I love watching behind-the-scenes stuff like that, to see how it all comes together. It's just remarkable. I honestly can't wait for the second part, whenever that'll come out (I think they're in pre-production now?)
no subject
Date: 2022-04-01 09:09 pm (UTC)no subject
Date: 2022-04-01 06:49 am (UTC)It'll be interesting if they go past "Children of Dune"... I'm not really that excited for an adaptation of "God Emperor" or the sequels in the original six (I honestly don't want them to touch the last two, and if they do, I can't say I'm comfortable with however they include or choose not to include Jewish people), but it'll certainly be interesting to see what they come up with if they get that far (friend and I were speculating how the God Emperor would look based on various fanart interpretations). I'd like a new adaptation of "Messiah" and "Children of Dune", mostly because I rewatched the miniseries recently and despite still loving them, they don't... hold up very well.
I'm also hesitantly hopeful about whoever they cast as Feyd. I honestly preferred Matt Keeslar in the miniseries, in part because while Sting definitely Went Out There in his role in terms of presentation, when rewatching it recently I was surprised to realize he doesn't really do all that much or have many lines at all (which... maybe they couldn't afford it or something, since, well, Sting), while Keeslar did a really good job with the role and has a decent amount of screentime. But whoever they choose I'm gonna try to keep an open mind. I was nervous about a few actors for this and most of them held up quite well.
no subject
Date: 2022-04-02 12:18 am (UTC)I also think there's a callback to the 1984 soundtrack, as well? At a certain point it really sounded like there was a hint of the "Prophecy" theme during a particular scene when Paul and Jessica were in the desert. It would be amazing if Hans Zimmer really kind of incorporated little bits and pieces of the previous Dune soundtyracks, kind of paying tribute and a slight homage to them in a way.
I'll admit that my wanting them to go far enough to adapt God Emperor of Dune, aside from the fact that I really do love that book in the series, is mainly due to seeing people's reactions to seeing the God Emperor. I want people to be thoroughly weirded out and confused as fuck. Of course, if anyone were to adapt that book, I personally would want someone like Guillermo del Toro to do it, simply because I know he would relish in the weirdness.
As dated as the Syfy miniseries is, I still like how bold and outlandish their costumes and sets were. Yes, low budget and you can tell, but there's something so charming about how they tried to be as creative as possible despite that, and it's something that I think a lot of current scifi (and media in general) is missing nowadays.
no subject
Date: 2022-04-03 12:59 am (UTC)no subject
Date: 2022-04-03 09:13 am (UTC)