There is a moment in Dune Part Two when Paul Atreides (Timothee Chalamet) is captured in long shot using a device to create a thumping sound. Tiny against the expanse of the desert, his actions nonetheless create expanding ripples. This is a microcosm of the film as a whole, as director Denis Villeneuve not only returns to Frank Herbert’s extensive and detailed world, but also expands his own work to encapsulate a greater scale while also delivering a work that provides detail down to the grains of sand.
It is this combination of scale and detail that makes the cinematic vision of Dune an awesome achievement, taking a novel long believed untranslatable to screen (hello, Alejandro Jodorowsky and David Lynch) and making it accessible, engaging and enveloping. After the success of Part One, the anticipation and indeed trepidation for this follow-up were high, and Villeneuve along with co-writer Jon Spaihts maintain what they delivered the first time around while also doing more and leaving the viewer wanting more.
The story begins hours after the events of the first film, with Paul and his mother Jessica (Rebecca Ferguson) among the Fremen of Arrakis, including Stilgar (Javier Bardem) and Chani (Zendaya), all of them hunted by the Harkonnen led by Beast Rabban (Dave Bautista). Meanwhile, the Emperor (Christopher Walken) and his daughter Princess Irulan (Florence Pugh) as well as the Bene Gesserit including Reverend Mother Mohiam (Charlotte Rampling) and Lady Margot Fenring (Lea Seydoux), scheme how to maintain their own power, in relation to that of Baron Vladimir Harkonnen (Stellan Skarsgård) and his extremely dangerous nephew Feyd-Rautha (Austin Butler).
If all these names, organisations and institutions as well as languages and lore sound impenetrable, rest assured that Villeneuve makes everything accessible and never gets bogged down. Despite the nearly three-hour running time, Dune Part Two shifts from politicking to action to visions like the sands of a, well, dune. The editing by Joe Walker is crisp and efficient, even in the many sequences of slo-mo. Greig Fraser’s cinematography captures the ephemeral beauty of Arrakis as well as the more solid appearance of the Emperor’s planet Kaitan, all of which are beautifully realised and clearly distinguished by production designer Patrice Vermette. Most impressive is the world of House Harkonnen, Geidi Prime, presented almost in monochrome. At first this can appear to be pure visual flair, such as that used very effectively in Oppenheimer, but the mention of a black sun demonstrates further world-building – with a black sun, light would be different. Within this space of bright white and stark black, the excess of the Harkonnens receives context, both in terms of the obese and almost slug-like Baron as well as the psychotically buff (and straight up psychotic) Feyd-Rautha. As the major new introduction in this second instalment, Butler is dominant as a major adversary to Paul, his introduction in a gladiatorial contest demonstrating his skills and bloodlust.
As a blockbuster, it is as thoughtful and meditative as it is spectacular and exciting.
The exquisite choreography in this sequence is echoed in other set pieces that feature fast cuts as well as long takes reminiscent of Villeneuve’s previous works Sicario and Arrival, especially during battle sequences between Fremen and Harkonnen that draw the viewer into the heart of the visceral conflict. And let’s not forget the most iconic feature of Dune, the giant sandworms, who appear fleetingly but so very dramatically, the perfect encapsulation of the beautiful and terrible that resounds throughout the film like Hans Zimmer’s bombastic yet delicate score.
Amidst the large-scale conflict, there are also clashes within communities, families and indeed within minds. Paul’s status as a rebel fighter who becomes an icon is expressed as a maturation as well as a damnation that Chalamet expresses superbly. Jessica’s similar ascension and (literally) internal duologue allows Ferguson to deepen the conflict and commitment she began in the first film, in contrast to the stoicism of Bardem. Walken and Pugh are compelling if rather underused, while the roles of Margot as well as Gurney Halleck (Josh Brolin) are brief but effective. The standout is Zendaya, who through a combination of tender conversations, electric action and a whole lot of glaring creates a genuine figure of dissent.
Indeed, dissent is central to Dune Part Two, and not simply because it is a story of conflict that escalates from guerilla war to holy crusade. The film debates over one’s role, as Paul is regarded by some as a figure from prophecy, even as the mechanics of that prophecy are exposed, and he is himself a prophet who sees possibilities rather than certainties yet is often powerless to prevent what he knows is coming. Ostensibly, Dune might appear to be a white saviour narrative, not least due to the pale complexion of Chalamet against the darker skins of Bardem, Zendaya and the other Fremen performers. However, this is a far more grim and far less simplistic thematic arc than Star Wars or Avatar, though the influence of Dune is clear on these as it is on much of science fiction. The complexities and ramifications of prophecy, hero worship, messianic beliefs and the uses of power are interwoven and explored through different characters, their interactions and their influence, with footsteps reverberating in the sand and across the gulf of space.
As a piece of science fiction cinema, Dune Part Two achieves magnificent world-building and clean lines of storytelling. As a blockbuster, it is as thoughtful and meditative as it is spectacular and exciting. As part of a franchise, it is comparable to The Empire Strikes Back in its deeper and, yes, darker exploration of the world and lore previously established, and also to The Lord of the Rings: The Two Towers in the escalation of the stakes. But it also echoes The Godfather: Part II through its depiction of the effects of power, going beyond corruption into a form of damnation. While the end of this film corresponds with the conclusion of the original novel, it also leaves scope for further exploration of this world, as provided by further books in the Dune series. The end of Part Two may be satisfying, but viewers may well be eager for and would be served by a future return to the Duniverse.
Dune Part Two is now playing in Cinemas Nationwide
