Director: Denis Villeneuve
Genre: Drama/
Adventure/ Action
Runtime: 156
minutes
Year:
2021
Starring: Timothée
Chalamet, Rebecca Ferguson, Zendaya, Oscar Isaac, Jason Momoa, Stellan Skarsgård, Josh Brolin, Javier Bardem, Dave Bautista,
Charlotte Rampling
Description: Paul Atreides
(Timothée Chalamet) is the son of a noble family who is entrusted with the
protection of the most valuable asset and most vital element in the galaxy.
Review: It’s not often that a book retains the status of being unfilmable after
it’s been filmed. Author Frank Herbert’s “Dune” did not exactly get the film adaptation
this extremely popular and influential work deserved in 1984. In 2000 another
attempt was made with a mini-series, which, with its longer running time, did
more justice to the complex source material. It would probably have stopped
there, were it not for the fact that in tha last two decades Hollywood has tackled
many books that were considered unfilmable. Just look at “The Lord of the Rings”-trilogy.
And it this complex story can be adapted into one of the most beloved and
acclaimed film trilogies of all time, why shouldn’t “Dune” work? And with the right filmmaker, lots
is possible.
Enter Denis Villeneuve, who
has been on an impressive winning streak for a good decade now. Villeneuve does
not shy away from collaborating with big stars, but has always managed to avoid
to easy Hollywood projects. Instead, he devotes himself to films that can easily
categorize as ‘quality cinema’: suitable for a large audience but not pedantic
and more confrontational than comfortable. “Blade Runner 2049” could be called
his first blockbuster.
“Dune” is similar in scale
and budget to Villeneuve’s previous film, but a lot more complex in terms of
narrative. After all, Frank Herbert’s science fiction novel is full of
characters and hard-to-explain science fiction concepts, which could
potentially keep the average moviegoer away. in this, fortunately, Villeneuve’s
aptitude for the subject matter is apparent, once again managing to strike a good
balance between grand visual spectacle and concrete personal drama. As with “Blade
Runner 2049”, he stays pretty faithful to the source material, but manages to
bend it visually well to his will. By his own admission, he was only ready for
this project after the experience of films like “Arrival” and “Blade Runner
2049”, and that doesn’t seem to be a meaningless statement, as “Dune” looks and
feels like a logical continuation of Villeneuve’s previous films, but mostly
one that benefits from the experience as a filmmaker.
Unlike the 1984 film,
Villeneuve’s “Dune” does not open with a confusing dump of info, but simply
begins with a clear narrative in which plot details pass by in fairly organic
fashion. Of course it helps when you gradually learn about the feudal system of
the distant future, the tension between various noble families, the importance
of the raw material that can only be found on the desert planet Arrakis or the
possible messianic status of the youthful main character Paul Atreides, but the
central plot is still easy to follow when all these details get a bit too much
for you. Thankfully, “Dune” never presents its plot information as homework,
doesn’t blind itself to the details, and is smart enough to leave some
characters in the wings until a future installment.
“Dune” is more than its
plot. Villeneuve has a keen eye for the world in which the extensice story is
set. And so, for example, there is a meaningful close-up when the young hero
Paul takes his first steps on the desert sands of Arrakis. Whereas previous
film adaptations showed this desert planet as a rather dark place, similar to
how Mars is usually portrayed, Villeneuve makes full use of the Middle Eastern
metaphor by showing this planet in bright light with harsh shadows. This makes
the inhospitality of this world completely palpable even before the huge
sandworms appear. It helps, of course, that it was really filmed in the desert,
and with the beautiful rock formations, it's not hard to be visually
impressive. Villeneuve also shows a good eye for scale with his wide panoramas
in which there is always something going on in the background.
“Dune” opens with the
indication that this is ‘part one’, but the arrival of a second is not
guaranteed. This will leave you possibly somewhat unfulfilled, not knowing of
this story will ever be concluded appropriately. It is to be hoped that there
is enough enthusiasm for a continuation, because Villeneuve absolutely deserves
it.
Rating: 4,5
/ 5
