There has been much debate over the years about the politics of the Dune books. Do they condemn hero worship or do they only appear to do so, even when a “superior” race produces the bravest of the brave? It's not easy to walk that fine line in a blockbuster of audacity Scale that Denis Villeneuve has teamed up to bring the books to the big screen. In the second part – two long years after the first Dune – he tries it out.
Part two is bigger, bolder and more beautiful; His vistas of shimmering sand and cool shadows (cinematographer Greig Fraser again) create an impossibly perfect setting for a story that can never settle on one thing. Chalamet's Paul Atreides is also the perfect putty for sculpting and viewing.
One has to take one's hat off to Villeneuve because he doesn't lose sight of Paul's transition from a boy to a man-boy, to a man who pushes that boy deep into himself as he becomes the “messiah.” Is it then the writer and director's fault that things are just too spectacular to cover up these little details?
It was the dilemma that Frank Herbert's novels also struggled with, and Villeneuve got it, given the format, the expectations, the anticipation, the budget, the stars and the template he set with his first Dune has, even worse. The second part is a towering achievement in every respect, an example of the imagination and possibilities of cinema, from the majesty of its landscapes to the intimacy of its characters.
There's more of the latter in the second part, as Paul finally meets and is able to spend longer, quiet moments with Chani (Zendaya), the woman he has literally dreamed of (albeit with a love that, unlike the film, is surprisingly passionless ). it inhabits). He also sees his mother, psychic Jessica (Ferguson), part of a band of mysterious Bene Gesserits, transforming into someone he does not recognize as she senses the prospect of a new future for him and herself.
There is the heartfelt Stilgard (Bardem), a Fremen leader who is determined in his belief and in his efforts to convince others that Paul is Lisan al-Gaib, the Messiah who was prophesied to be ” is supposed to lead us to paradise” – where, on the one hand, “water falls from the sky” and is not even taken out of dead bodies so that not a single drop is wasted.
Stilgart's training of Paul (who hails from an ocean planet) to survive on his desert planet, discover, control and then ride the dangerous sandworms that lie beneath its endless sands is exhilarating.
Other characters come and go, including Skarsgård as Baron Harkonnen, whose corpulence represents his limitless greed; Bautista as his nephew Rabban, who is still trying to control the Fremen; Butler as the other, charismatic nephew Feyd-Rautha, who has quickly earned a reputation for brutal cruelty; Walken as Emperor of the Empire, who has compromised his position after pitting one Great House against another; Pugh as his daughter Princess Irulan, who will clearly play a larger role next time; and Brolin as Gurney Helleck and a father figure to Paul.
Not to mention Anya Taylor-Joy, who is still a fetus in Jessica's womb and is already making her way through conversations with her mother and brother Paul. Clearly, Villeneuve doesn't have it easy when weaving these characters into this story about interplanetary ambitions, wars of dominance, different worlds and countless battles, ranging from nuclear warheads and artillery to gladiatorial duels and hand-to-hand combat.
He has already demonstrated a feeling for this more than once in his previous films, including “Dune”, “Blade Runner 2049” and “Arrival”. And as the spectacle and bloodlust — and, oh, those sandworms — threaten to run away with Dune: Part Two and the film has less time to explore the inner worlds of women, Villeneuve pauses and boldly asks us not to just watch it the Messiah, but also the little men and women who look up to him.
They dress in robes reminiscent of Arabia, their warriors are called Fedaykin, their Messaih is called Muad'Dib, they speak of the “fundamentalists” among them, they are bombed from the air and they seek refuge – including bloodied women and children – in temporary accommodation. Meanwhile, the war between those in power does not stop.
Princess Irulan reflects on the power of religious belief, how “oppression only allows it to flourish,” and the need to leave prophets alone because “a dead prophet is more powerful.” Hence the emperor's strategy: “Let war happen, and then we will come to bring peace.”
Above all, as Chalamet finally grows into his role – albeit without gaining an extra muscle tendon or facial hair – Villeneuve gives us insight into the way power can corrupt even the purest soul. As Paul barks “silence” and commands loyalty, while Chani fears that their love has changed as she feared, one can see the corruption taking hold.
Cast of the film “Dune Part 2”: Timothée Chalamet, Zendaya, Rebecca Ferguson, Javier Bardem, Josh Brolin, Austin Butler, Florence Pugh, Christopher Walken, Dave Bautista, Stellan Skarsgård
Director of the film “Dune Part Two”: Dennis Villeneuve
Rating of the movie “Dune Part 2”: 4 stars