Films and Fiction

– Contains spoilers for Dune: Part Two –

Sometimes a movie will meet your expectations, sometimes it will surpass them, and sometimes it will subvert them. Sometimes, a movie will even manage to do all three at once: enter Dune: Part Two.

After the intense, emotional and epic first installment, there was a lot this movie had to do to surpass it, but nevertheless it manages to do that in every way, delivering a fitting end to the story (at least so far), and making sure that the journey is at least as important as the destination.

Dune: Part Two is a mermerising watch. It’s amazing how much of the film takes place in the desert without feeling dull. The scenes are so often compelling, and the background of arid sandscape forms the perfect setting for the story. You get the sense that the Fremen live a hard life, scraping their existence from the dry sand, even going so far as to drain water from the bodies of those they’ve killed. Yet they’re also a proud civilization, refusing to abandon the fight for their planet, despite its difficulties, and with a long history, complex society, and a certain basic humanity that their technologically advanced enemies have lost, or never had. From the way they accept Paul in two different stages: first as a competent fighter who can help them against the Harkonnen; then as their saviour, the Lisan al-Gaib, a messiah-like figure who will lead them to paradise; it’s clear they require a lot of hope to keep their fight going.

Seeing Paul’s transformation is something. In the first movie, he was one of the few genuinely ‘good’ characters. He didn’t want the weight of responsibility that being Duke of Arrakis would bring, and tries to reject the role that’s being carved out for him as a mythical figure to the Fremen. But more and more, under the coercion of his mother, he comes to believe in his own purpose, rising to be a ruler, rather than a leader, taking back the planet by force and going on to start a war of his own as he attempts to become emperor. In some ways, he’s a tragic victim of the great game played by the Bene Geserit and his mother, just another pawn in the politics and dealings that created so many of his problems in the first place, even giving up Chani as his love so he can marry the Emperor’s daughter instead.

This changes him from a true hero in the traditional mould, and as I’m not familiar with the books, it came as something of a surprise. It seems to be a key part of the films (and no doubt Frank Herbert’s novels) that they refuse to tell a traditional story, where the ordinary divide between good and evil is clear and tread carefully by al the characters.

To me, Dune seems like a world without mercy, without law or consequence, where brutality is often the first choice for solving a problem. People are killed indiscriminately, and are never brought to account for it, except by direct revenge. Despite the superior technology available, it seems like a more savage age, with people reverting to more primitive ideas. The use of knives for fighting instead of ranged weapons is symbolic of this, and so often a person’s outright ability with a weapon is what makes them weak or strong. It feels like a cold place to live, without any real love on show. Even Paul’s mother treats him as a chess piece, pushing him into positions he doesn’t want to occupy, and almost killing him, just so he can take up position as emperor, which is surely a cold, harsh, worthless role.

As the first movie did most of the heavy lifting with worldbuilding, setting up the basic characters and storylines, here everything can be expanded upon more easily, and the movie doesn’t waste a minute. Everything is increased, with established characters receiving more development, and new ones being introduced. Special praise has to go to Austin Butler for his portrayal of Feyd-Rautha, one of the most depraved characters ever committed to screen. Right from the start he’s shown to be terrifying and repulsive, with his gravelly voice being a perfect complement to Stellan Skarsgard’s trademark tone. He’s really a microcosm of the Harkonnen’s and their society: cruel, bloodthirsty, dangerous, unfit for command yet still effective and deadly.

From start to finish Dune: Part Two is a masterpiece. It’s design, story, characters, music, visuals, and effects are epic. There’s big, explosive set-piece action, as you’d expect, but also quite, reflective character moments, and neither feels out of place or tries to drown the other out. Huge praise has to go to everyone who helped bring it to the screen. It’s not a simple film to watch, and its ending won’t give you much positive energy, but it’s definitely worth watching, and is rewarding. It will make you think (in a good way), and I’ve been considering its story ever since I left the theatre.