Dune - Part One (2021)

Poster Description: At the bottom of the poster, we have a golden, sandy landscape with Paul (Timothy Chalamet) walking alone. His head hangs down, and his cape flows in the wind. Above the title is the tagline, “It begins,” with the film’s characters submerged in a duck-egg blue sky. Paul is the biggest, surrounded by (right) Duke Leto (Oscar Isaac), Duncan (Jason Momoa), Liet Kynes (Sharon Duncan-Brewster), and Stilgar (Javier Bardem). On the left are Chani (Zendaya), Jessica (Rebecca Ferguson), and Gurney (Josh Brolin).

For all its glaring shortcomings, 1984’s Dune was my first step into Frank Herbert’s universe. Admittedly, I have yet to read the (giant) book, so I couldn’t compare them yet, but last year’s release forced me to wonder: was it impossible to create a decent Dune for the big screen?

One of my main issues with David Lynch’s adaptation was its tedious tendency to tell and not show. Screenplay writers Denis Villeneuve, Eric Roth, and Jon Spaihts apparently feel the same way and manage the balance better, albeit with a similar introduction style. With a montage and Zendaya’s voiceover, it is short, ending with the deliciously ominous question, “Who will our next oppressors be?”

These so-called oppressors are House Atreides. Duke Leto (Oscar Isaac, Moon Knight) is entrusted to survey the Imperium’s spice supply on the desert planet, Arrakis. Meanwhile, his son, Paul (Timothée Chalamet, Lady Bird), has strange dreams about a girl living there.

Hurrah – the film takes time to show what spice is, where it comes from, and why it is so crucial for space travel through Paul. It’s worldbuilding at its best, flirting with a much bigger universe that is incredibly compelling. What’s more, the contrast between the desolate dunes and Caladan’s wet and windy plains is striking, like the Sahara and Scotland. House Atreides even has bagpipes to herald them onto Arrakis!

Villeneuve favours yawning open shots, and dramatic lighting, and cinematographer Greig Fraser (Rogue One) does a superb job immersing us in the alien worlds of the film; it also happens to be a delectable feast for the eyes, even in the murkier scenes.

But, seriously, what is this Harkonnen pet meant to be?

(Mild spoiler: I dared to look it up and wished I hadn't.)

Is it looking at us? I can’t tell…

Image Description: The room is incredibly dark, but there is a strange, spidery creature on the floor, possibly eating from a small bowl. It has seven or eight arms, all ending with tiny hands.

The role of Baron Harkonnen has Stellan Skarsgård (Angels and Demons) transform into something of a bloated slug – or sandworm? From his first scene, we know the Baron is a force to be wary of; grotesquely naked in a sauna, his voice creaks and slithers:

“The desert takes the weak. My Arrakis. My dune.”

It should be noted that, before Atreides arrived on Arrakis, the Harkonnens ran the spice harvest. Except, with everyone doing his dirty work, the Baron doesn’t have a lot to do here, suggesting (one can hope) a more prominent role in Part Two.

While it could be argued that the trope of bad-guys-looking-hideous is done to death (the Harkonnens appear bald, inhumanly pale), it works well with their costume designs. Courtesy of Jacqueline West and Bob Morgan, desert beetles inspired their black suits. On the other hand, the Atreides family are far humbler, dressed for warmth and ceremony.

Chalamet gives us a more fleshed-out, likeable Paul; there is genuine warmth between him and Isaac that makes their father-son relationship believable. I particularly liked the references to Paul’s grandfather’s being a bullfighter, most notably the bull’s head mounted on a wall (!) which says so much about the family’s beginnings. I was also surprised by Chalamet’s chemistry with the other male actors, particularly with Jason Momoa’s Duncan Idaho; we even get banter and – gasp! – humour.

But that’s not to say Dune isn’t serious. It touches on some intense subjects, like politics, deception, and the extortion of indigenous people and their land. We learn about the Fremen through Paul’s educational recordings, his strange, prophetic dreams, and the advice of Dr. Liet Kynes (the underrated Sharon Duncan-Brewster). Unfortunately, we can’t escape the fact the white, privileged would-be saviour will save the savages from tyranny. However, since Herbert’s novel inspired so many other science fiction universes, I guess I’ll let it slide. The Fremen costume is black, allowing for more sweat and thus creating more of their precious water (also, they look really cool, pun intended). The scene where Javier Bardem’s Stilgar greets the Atreides by spitting on the table shows just how different the Fremen are. The Arrakis helicopters, or, rather, ornithopters, are beautifully designed by George Hull, inspired by a winged insect. In addition, the iconic sandworms are colossal, though more of a chasm than a creature!

Image Description: The sky and the sands are almost the same shade of yellow. A craggy rock sits in the bottom-right-hand corner of the picture, which is dwarfed considerably by the immense sandworm erupting out of the dunes. Its skin is grey like an elephant’s, and its mouth is a spiked hole, like a vast eye. The people staring up at it could be nothing but ants in capes compared to it.

As I’d hoped, Lady Jessica has more to do this time around. Rebecca Ferguson (Doctor Sleep) plays her with strength and vulnerability, as both Paul’s mother and member of the Bene Gesserit. We are introduced to Jessica as she has breakfast with her son, discussing their plans for the upcoming day; it feels so ordinary until she demands that Paul commands her with the Voice to give him a drink. The Voice is not dissimilar to the Force, demonstrated by eerie, overlapping vocals when in action. Even in a moment of grave danger, Jessica still finds time to criticize Paul’s technique! Her costumes vary with each character and scene, from the pale blue gown in Caladan to a shocking gold-chain headdress as she arrives on Arrakis. It sets her apart as Duke Leto’s concubine, yet her (surprisingly few) scenes with him show just how tender and devoted they are to each other through significant looks and touches.

Image Description: Jessica stares with bright blue, penetrating eyes. It is the only source of colour besides shades of brown. Her skin is painted with strange symbols that match the patterns in the curved alcove behind her. Jessica wears a dun-coloured headscarf.

The Bene Gesserit is an all-women cult with all kinds of influence. The scene where Paul is tested by the Reverend Mother (Charlotte Rampling) breathes a dark, secretive atmosphere. Hans Zimmer’s score works well here, but without an inner monologue to tell us how Paul deals with The Box, we must rely on high-pitched sounds and Chalamet’s grunts to show what’s happening. Also, the scene would fall flat without Jessica’s tearful and panicked whispers outside the door, demanding fear to pass through her without interference. As much as I enjoy Zimmer’s work, it tends to be overbearing at times – ethereal chanting has never sounded so angry! The throat-singing of the Emperor’s soldiers is a real highlight, however.

At the beginning of the review, I asked if it were impossible to create a decent adaptation of Dune. The answer is a most resounding no. Villeneuve gives the characters far more depth, and the worldbuilding is one of the best I’ve seen on film for some time now. It doesn’t cut corners so much as leave them tantalisingly open for more, and with the recent announcement that Christopher Walken will play the Emperor, we can only speculate and wonder. As Zendaya helpfully tells us at the end, “This is only the beginning.”

I cannot wait for what comes next.

The Verdict: 4.5 STARS OUT OF 5

Sources:

Dune movie poster - https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Dune_(2021_film)

Dune intro and opening scene - https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=IKftjYGEktY

Dune’s cinematography - https://www.vanityfair.com/hollywood/2021/12/awards-insider-dune-cinematography-shot-list

Dune costume designer - https://www.vogue.com/slideshow/dune-costume-designers-interview-definitive-science-fiction-fantasy

Image: Spider creature - https://www.quora.com/In-Dune-2021-what-was-that-weird-6-legged-creature-Is-that-from-the-book

Baron quote - https://www.ign.com/articles/dune-explained-villains-harkonnen-dave-bautista-stellan-skarsgard

Costume designs and their hidden meanings - https://screenrant.com/dune-2021-costumes-hidden-details/

Ornithopter designer - https://filmsketchr.blogspot.com/2021/11/extraordinary-dune-part-one-2021.html

Image: Sandworm - https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Sandworm_(Dune)