So, about Villeneuve’s Dune…

Warner Bros. Pictures

Now that I’ve seen Part Two, I thought I’d share my thoughts on these movies.

Denis Villeneuve has been behind some of my favourite relatively recent sci-fi movies. Arrival was incredible, Blade Runner 2049 was an absolute masterclass, and Dune Part One really set my hopes high that he could do great things with this notoriously difficult series. I managed to read Frank Herbert’s first Dune book shortly before Villeneuve’s Part One came out in 2021 (full review here), and I have since gone on to read Dune: Messiah, Children of Dune, and God Emperor of Dune. As always I try to keep things as spoiler free as I can. So here’s my thoughts…

Dune: Part One

I thoroughly enjoyed Part One, there’s no two ways about it. I know a lot of people complained about how slow it was, and book purists complained about certain details from the book being left out. But I’m not one of those people. I felt like Part One captured the essence of the book so well that it’s pretty much how I imagined it would be. And I think my enjoyment of the movie was enhanced substantially by my foreknowledge of the story from the book. Some people were unhappy about the way Part One didn’t seem to have a satisfying ending, and others unfamiliar with the books were speculating and wondering what would happen next. But knowing the story probably allowed me to accept the “non-ending” of Part One, because I knew broadly what to expect with Part Two. The ending to Part One wasn’t a traditionally satisfying ending, but it was an extremely significant moment from the book realised excellently. Seeing all the main locations like Caladan and Geidi Prime, and taking so much time to soak in the worldbuilding of Arrakis was simply a joy. It really set a high bar for Part Two.

Dune: Part Two

Part Two, then, absolutely blew me away. It surpassed all my expectations, and has quite frankly cemented itself (along with Part One) as one of my all-time favourites. It was incredible. There was much more going on in Part Two, it ran along at a much faster pace, and that tracks perfectly with the book as well. In the book, the first part is indeed rather slow (and it didn’t help that the blurb spoiled a significant event that happened nearly halfway through), and things really pick up as Paul and Jessica spend time with the Fremen. All the major beats were there, and seeing Villeneuve’s interpretation helped bolster my understanding of the events of the latter stages in the book. I’ll admit when reading that amidst all the politicking and philosophising, I completely forgot Feyd Ruatha’s importance and his connection. That’s a good example of something that Villeneuve did better, I think, than Frank Herbert. The other main thing is the large-scale action. I noted in my review of the book that Herbert seemed to have an aversion to describing the large battles, and it kind of took me out of it. Not so with this movie. The action and visuals were a feast for the eyes. The characters were portrayed excellently. Paul’s major scene with the Fremen fundamentalists hit exceptionally hard; Jessica becomes so much more despicable; Stilgar’s arc was really clear and even more heartbreaking than in the book; and Feyd Ruatha was wonderfully unsettling. I also thought Christopher Walken portrayed Emperor Shaddam IV brilliantly, even if, like in the book, he didn’t get a great deal of screen time.

Frank Herbert’s Dune Saga

Book Changes

That’s not to say I’m completely oblivious to the ways in which Part Two diverges from the book, but I broadly agree with Villeneuve’s decision to make them. Chani’s character in the books—through Messiah, and the way she’s remembered in Children and God Emperor—really gets the short straw. She’s introduced as a highly-skilled Fremen warrior, and then almost gets pushed aside. I liked that Villeneuve gave us a Chani that doesn’t diminish and retains her agency throughout. It’s not just that she’s a stronger character either, but that the changes very much highlight Paul’s descent. Unlike the book (to some), Part Two makes it very clear that Paul is not the hero, and it’s done really well. Historically people have mistook Paul’s role as protagonist for him being a hero or a good guy, especially if they’ve only read the first book, and it seems Villeneuve was keenly aware of this fact when he was directing Part Two. It’s much more overt. Other changes from the book include condensing the timeline, and cutting some significant characters. However, I do think the changes made for a much stronger film, so I’m not unhappy about them.

The Voice

The only thing that bothers me about Villeneuve’s interpretation of Dune is the Voice. It’s not just these movies that do it either, the David Lynch movie had this sort of issue as well. Whenever I read articles about the series or see discussions etc… There’s always a lot of comparisons to the Force from Star Wars, and I don’t think that works at all. My impression from the book was that the Voice was very subtle in its ability to command. It’s literally just supposed to be a normal commanding tone pitched just right to compel obedience. It’s not this weird, harsh, grating, almost-demonic shout. People aren’t supposed to know the Voice is being used on them unless they’re also well-trained in the Bene Gesserit Way. The harsh sound is definitely more dramatic, and it might well be a throwback to the David Lynch movie, but I don’t think it meshes very well with the way all the other weird stuff is dealt with. In the grand scheme of things, it’s a small nitpick, really.

Dune Messiah

Overall I’m ecstatic about these two movies. I absolutely loved them, and Part Two in particular deserves a few rewatches! I do feel for Villeneuve though. He wants to do Dune Messiah and make this into a trilogy. I really want to see him make Messiah as well, and if anyone can do it, I think he’s certainly proven he’s up to the task. But I feel like it’s going to be pretty tough to pull off. If he does get the green light for Messiah and sticks the landing, well… It’ll be one of the history books.

Though, if he does stick the landing with Messiah and puts Dune in the ranks of the greatest movie trilogies of all time, I would love to see him tackle Children of Dune and God Emperor of Dune. My goodness, imagine what God Emperor Leto II would look like, given the aesthetic Villeneuve’s already established for the sandworms! Wow.